Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 10-2-24
Local news, local politics and community events for St. Charles County Missouri.
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Vol. 21 No. 19 • October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
midriversnewsmagazine.com<br />
Blues<br />
Preview
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
STAR PARKER<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I OPINION I 3<br />
TREE SERVICE<br />
Why are more young women<br />
than young men moving left?<br />
It’s not news that young people are further<br />
on the left of the political spectrum than<br />
older generations.<br />
Of unique interest now is that the movement<br />
to the left is more disproportionate<br />
among young women than young men.<br />
As a nation, we should know this is happening<br />
and try to understand why.<br />
Women, traditionally, have been the stabilizing<br />
cultural influence in chaotic times.<br />
It is women who have brought children into<br />
the world and raised them when men have<br />
not been reliable fathers and heads of households.<br />
But consider data from a recent Pew<br />
Research survey.<br />
Per the survey, our young people are less<br />
inclined than in previous generations to<br />
marry and have children.<br />
Among those ages 18-<strong>24</strong>, 7% are now<br />
married compared to 18% in the same age<br />
group 30 years ago in 1993.<br />
In the age group 25-29, 29% are now<br />
married compared to 50% in the same age<br />
group in 1993.<br />
However, in this survey, when young<br />
unmarrieds in the age group 18-34 were<br />
asked if they want to marry someday, 72%<br />
of men said yes, and 69% of women said<br />
yes.<br />
When they asked those 18-34 with no<br />
children if they want children someday,<br />
57% of men said yes, and 45% of women<br />
said yes.<br />
Getting married, having children and<br />
building a family reflect personal values. So<br />
along with these trends in marriage and children,<br />
it is not surprising that we find results<br />
in a survey done at the American Enterprise<br />
Institute with the headline “Young Women<br />
Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented<br />
Numbers.”<br />
Per this survey, 54% of Gen Z (those born<br />
1997-2012) adults who left their religion<br />
were women; 46% were men.<br />
Disaffiliation from religion has always<br />
been higher among men than women. The<br />
same survey reports the following among<br />
young adults leaving religion: Millennials<br />
(born 1981-1996), 53% men compared<br />
to 47% women; Gen X (born 1965-1980),<br />
55% men compared to 45% women; Baby<br />
Boomers (born 1955-1964), 57% men compared<br />
to 43% women.<br />
What’s driving the shift to more young<br />
women disaffiliating from religion than<br />
young men?<br />
Per the same survey, 61% of Gen Z<br />
women identify as “feminist.” And 65% of<br />
women ages 18-29 disagree with the statement<br />
“most churches and religious congregations<br />
treat men and women equally.”<br />
All this has unsurprising fallout in the<br />
political arena.<br />
A new Gallup poll reports the average<br />
percent of women ages 18-29 identifying as<br />
“liberal/very liberal” over the period 2017-<br />
20<strong>24</strong> was 40%. The same age group of<br />
women over the period 2001-2007 identifying<br />
“liberal/very liberal” was 28%. So, the<br />
percentage of women identifying as liberal/<br />
very liberal increased 12 points.<br />
However, over the same time periods,<br />
there was no change in percentage of men<br />
18-29 identifying “liberal/very liberal.”<br />
Over 2001-2017 it was 25%, and over 2017-<br />
20<strong>24</strong> it was 25%.<br />
The difference in percentage of women<br />
identifying liberal/very liberal compared<br />
to men increased from three points in the<br />
2001-2007 period to 15 points in the 2017-<br />
20<strong>24</strong> period.<br />
In that same Gallup survey, the percent<br />
of women saying that “abortion should be<br />
legal under any/almost all circumstances”<br />
increased 18 points over the two time<br />
periods. The percentage that said that the<br />
environment should be prioritized over economic<br />
growth increased 19 points.<br />
However, the percentage of young women<br />
who said they are worried about energy<br />
availability and affordability declined 11<br />
points of the two periods; the percentage<br />
who said they are worried about federal<br />
spending and deficits declined 14 points;<br />
and worried about the economy declined 16<br />
points.<br />
The moral relativism and hedonism<br />
of modern culture have taken root more<br />
strongly in our young women than among<br />
our young men.<br />
It does not point to a healthy future for our<br />
nation, and it behooves us to try to understand<br />
what is driving this trend to do something<br />
about it.<br />
• • •<br />
Star Parker is president of the Center for<br />
Urban Renewal and Education and host of<br />
the weekly television show “Cure America<br />
with Star Parker.”<br />
© 20<strong>24</strong> Creators.com<br />
Read more on midriversnewsmagazine.com<br />
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4 I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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6 I OPINION I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Random thoughts<br />
With a tip of the cap to our old friend<br />
Thomas Sowell, we offer the following<br />
random thoughts on the passing scene:<br />
The 20<strong>24</strong> Cardinals have limped their<br />
way into oblivion. The team was what we<br />
thought they were: middling. The offense<br />
was OK, defense was decent, pitching was<br />
alright. How many ways can we say that<br />
this team was milquetoast? They were<br />
designed to play .500 baseball, and that’s<br />
what they did. Along the way, though, they<br />
committed the cardinal sin of being very,<br />
tremendously, enormously boring (pun<br />
very much intended). They just weren’t a<br />
fun team to watch, and at the end of the<br />
day, even the vaunted “Best Fans in Baseball”<br />
had enough. They weighed in by<br />
checking out, and now the team enters an<br />
offseason where any and all changes have<br />
to be on the table.<br />
Onward and upward with the Blues!<br />
Has there ever been a starker contrast<br />
in economic visions than we see now<br />
between the presidential candidates? Both<br />
claim to be squarely targeting the middle<br />
class, but in polar opposite ways. Trump<br />
wants to deregulate, lower corporate taxes<br />
and add tariffs to encourage local manufacturing.<br />
Harris wants to subsidize the<br />
economy in myriad ways, but is really<br />
targeting housing subsidies. It sure would<br />
be nice to have another debate where we<br />
could see those positions challenged.<br />
Oh, quick question … How are we<br />
going to pay for all this? Tax cuts? Great!<br />
No tax on tips? Awesome! Tax incentives<br />
for entrepreneurs, new parents and<br />
first homebuyers? Wowzers! But, ummm,<br />
well, okay … there is one little problem.<br />
The U.S. is currently sitting on around $35<br />
trillion in debt. All of these sweet, sweet<br />
government programs will just add to<br />
and potentially explode that debt number.<br />
There have been whispers among academics<br />
that government debt is a fiction. Did<br />
we all agree that is true and nobody told<br />
us? Otherwise, if either candidate can<br />
offer a way to pay for any of their super<br />
cool programs, that’d be okay.<br />
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was<br />
charged with a litany of felonies last week.<br />
Interesting that nobody is claiming that the<br />
criminal justice system has been weaponized<br />
against politicians on this one. Anyway,<br />
it looks like Adams is on his way out. The<br />
funny thing is, it looks like one of his most<br />
likely replacements could be former Gov.<br />
Andrew Cuomo, who was run out of office<br />
in 2021 due to sexual harassment claims.<br />
Ah, New York, you’re never boring!<br />
One day, a complete audit of all the pandemic<br />
aid money will be completed. Here<br />
is a pretty safe prediction: the percentage of<br />
that money and the gross dollars that went<br />
to completely fraudulent activity will cause<br />
your eyes to water. Everywhere across the<br />
country, every day, more misspending is<br />
being uncovered. USASpending.gov estimates<br />
that the government has spent $4.6<br />
trillion in response to COVID-19. There<br />
were almost 15 million recipients of aid<br />
given out by 45 different agencies. How<br />
much of that money was misused? One<br />
quarter? Half? One day we will know the<br />
answer, and no number will surprise us.<br />
On the Cover: Blues Center Robert Thomas locks in. Visit midriversnewsmagazine.com this season for Blues game photos!<br />
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Amendment 3<br />
Law Matters<br />
I normally<br />
devote this<br />
column to<br />
matters pertaining<br />
to my legal<br />
practice. At the<br />
risk of alienating<br />
some readers,<br />
I feel compelled<br />
to write about Amendment 3.<br />
Amendment 3 is being promoted as<br />
a law to protect women’s healthcare.<br />
But if you read it carefully, it is<br />
actually designed to protect those who<br />
assist a woman in getting an abortion.<br />
In fact, those individuals will not “be<br />
penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise<br />
subjected to any adverse action based<br />
on [any] outcomes ….” This Amendment<br />
could effectively deny a woman<br />
and her family any recourse against an<br />
abortion provider, even one without<br />
hospital privileges, reasonable training,<br />
or the use of proper sterile techniques<br />
(such as Doctor Gosnell in<br />
Philadelphia) resulting in sterility or<br />
possible death. It is inconceivable that<br />
this could be construed as protecting a<br />
woman’s rights and health.<br />
This Amendment is clearly a<br />
profit-motivated push by a very<br />
powerful and profitable abortion<br />
industry. In such a profit driven<br />
industry, it would be foolish to trust<br />
that providers will uphold safe<br />
practices when there are no<br />
consequences for failing to do so.<br />
But all of this begs a very fundamental<br />
question. Several years ago, I<br />
was asked to participate in an abortion<br />
debate with the president of the<br />
Missouri chapter of NARAL, a proabortion<br />
advocacy group. I agreed.<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
However, a week before the debate,<br />
the NARAL president withdrew.<br />
That's too bad. I only had one<br />
question to ask her: When does<br />
human life begin?<br />
One professor at Princeton<br />
suggests that a person isn’t really<br />
human until we reach a point of<br />
“self-awareness." Therefore, if a<br />
person is not self- aware, they are not<br />
entitled to legal protection. I believe<br />
most people would view this as<br />
barbaric and uncivilized.<br />
Under Amendment 3, a fetus is a<br />
person entitled to legal protections<br />
only at viability, the point when a<br />
“fetus’s [sic] sustained survival<br />
outside the uterus without the<br />
application of extraordinary medical<br />
measures” is likely. Following this<br />
analysis, would an adult on dialysis or<br />
a respirator also be denied protection?<br />
The logic applies.<br />
I have tremendous compassion for<br />
any woman faced with this choice.<br />
The conflict must be horrible. But<br />
Amendment 3 is not the answer.<br />
Vote your conscience.<br />
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Fred L. Vilbig is an attorney with over 30<br />
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estate. This column is for informational<br />
purposes only. Nothing herein should be<br />
treated as legal advice or as creating an<br />
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8 I NEWS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
St. Charles Regional Chamber<br />
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Sept. <strong>24</strong>, 2025<br />
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Costa Del Sol, Spain /<br />
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Nov. 1, 2025<br />
Local artist and former Francis Howell North art teacher Zack Smithey<br />
has spent the last several months creating eight murals depicting historic<br />
scenes from St. Charles County’s past. (Photo courtesy of St. Charles County)<br />
The murals at the County Courthouse depict scenes ranging from the Civil War to an influx of German<br />
immigration to industrialization.<br />
(Photo courtesy of St. Charles County)<br />
NEWS<br />
BRIEFS<br />
O’FALLON<br />
Outpatient surgery building<br />
record plat approved<br />
In July 2023, O’Fallon approved a general<br />
plan for 56 acres located along Hwy. K<br />
between the Route 364 South Outer Road<br />
and Waterford Crossing Drive. The property,<br />
owned by Mercy, was split into four<br />
lots zoned C2/General Business District,<br />
with a 33,500-square-foot Mercy medical<br />
building for ambulatory and outpatient<br />
surgery planned to be built on one of them.<br />
To reduce traffic problems, Mercy<br />
O’Fallon planned to construct a backage<br />
road connecting Waterford Crossing Drive<br />
to the Route 364 South Outer Road.<br />
At its Sept. 12 meeting, the O’Fallon<br />
City Council introduced a bill that would<br />
approve the record plat for those 56 acres.<br />
It includes the new road. The council<br />
agreed to suspend the rules and move the<br />
bill through a second reading and vote for<br />
passage at the same meeting, then voted<br />
<strong>10</strong>-0 to approve the record plat.<br />
Mercy O’Fallon can now begin working<br />
with the city on detailed plans and permits<br />
required for the property and the road to be<br />
named Tri Sports Drive.<br />
ST. PETERS<br />
City passes new regulations<br />
for front lawn landscaping<br />
A bill regulating front lawn landscaping<br />
was passed at the Sept. 12 Board of Aldermen<br />
meeting in St. Peters. This came after<br />
the legislation was postponed at the Aug.<br />
22 meeting following heavy discussion<br />
regarding crops in the front yard and a<br />
suggested amendment to prohibit residents<br />
from growing corn in the front lawn.<br />
During a presentation at the Aug. 22<br />
board meeting, Director of Planning, Community<br />
and Economic Development Julie<br />
Powers reviewed the proposed regulations<br />
for Municipal Code Section 405.<strong>10</strong>0 and<br />
405.390. These include a requirement of<br />
at least 70% of residential front yard to<br />
be comprised of turf grass, allowing for<br />
garden space and potential herb gardens or<br />
vegetable gardens to be grown in the front<br />
yard.<br />
Alderman Judy Bateman (Ward 2)<br />
expressed concern over tall crops like corn.<br />
“I thought that initially we talked about<br />
plantings like herbs,” Bateman said.<br />
Powers did clarify that previously, tall<br />
crops like corn were not disallowed, but<br />
under the new code, agricultural crops<br />
would be relegated to a 25-square-foot<br />
area, like a 5x5 garden, or <strong>10</strong>% or less of<br />
the space. She also noted that city staff did<br />
not believe that many people would be<br />
planting “inappropriate” crops.<br />
“We really only had about one example<br />
in the city,” Powers said..<br />
At that August meeting, Bateman<br />
motioned to include a clause specifically<br />
excluding corn into the bill. This was<br />
accepted, and the bill was postponed to add<br />
the corn clause. The new regulations were<br />
then passed at the Sept. 12 meeting 7-1.<br />
WENTZVILLE<br />
Subdivision getting<br />
recreational upgrades<br />
Wentzville city officials unanimously<br />
approved an amenities site plan for residents<br />
of Wilmore Crossings at the Sept. 25<br />
Board of Aldermen meeting.<br />
Charlie Wardle gave a presentation on<br />
behalf of Bax Engineering to display the proposed<br />
amenities for the development, located<br />
on the west side of Wilmer Road and west<br />
adjacent to Boone Estates Drive. He displayed<br />
plans for a courtyard that will include<br />
a pavilion, pickleball court and playground.<br />
The pavilion was designed to include<br />
picnic tables, a barbeque pit and trash cans.<br />
“There’s also native plantings around<br />
the area, as well as trees,” Wardle went on,<br />
noting that the Planning & Zoning Commission<br />
had asked for more trees.<br />
He then showcased a standard five-seat<br />
swing set with four standard child swings<br />
and a baby swing, along with a playground<br />
equipped with climbing gear, a tower and<br />
a slide. He noted that the models displayed<br />
in the presentation were not the specific<br />
intended designs but were a “representation<br />
of what we would like to put on there.”<br />
Director of Community Development<br />
Douglas Forbeck stated, “The playground<br />
they displayed has to be what they install.”<br />
He clarified that something better than<br />
presented would be acceptable, but nothing<br />
that reduces what has been proposed.<br />
When describing the pickleball court,<br />
Wardle presented a single court with a blue<br />
and green design for daytime-only play<br />
with no lighting.<br />
Mayor Nick Guccione suggested putting<br />
a condition into the site plan that pickleball<br />
cannot be allowed after dark. Wardle agreed,<br />
and the mayor and board unanimously<br />
approved the plan.<br />
ST. CHARLES COUNTY<br />
Historical Society seeks<br />
volunteers for Oak<br />
Grove Cemetery tour<br />
The 20<strong>24</strong> Oak Grove Cemetery Tour will<br />
be held on Saturday, Oct. 5, from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-2
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I NEWS I 9<br />
p.m. This annual event has been transporting<br />
residents through time for years. As a<br />
resting place for multiple St. Charles area<br />
mayors and veterans as far back as the<br />
1800s, Oak Grove is a unique piece of local<br />
history that includes over <strong>10</strong>,000 memorials.<br />
The tour is a 60-minute guided walk<br />
through the graveyard.<br />
To preserve this tradition, the St. Charles<br />
Chapter of the Daughters of the American<br />
Revolution’s (DAR) Historic Preservation<br />
Committee partnered with cemetery<br />
Sexton Mark Hollenberg in 2020 in the<br />
hopes of gaining military markers for some<br />
600 veterans who were laid to rest at Oak<br />
Grove. In addition, volunteers were also<br />
trained on how to carefully clean aged<br />
headstones and grave markers. By 2023<br />
Oak Grove Supervisor Chuck Ambrose<br />
helped guide volunteers in performing this<br />
task, and the Saint Charles DAR has taken<br />
over cleaning the older markers.<br />
In preparation for the October tour,<br />
Ambrose is seeking volunteers to clean<br />
up the headstones and give them new<br />
life. Anyone who is interested can contact<br />
Ambrose at (636) 7<strong>24</strong>-2092.<br />
County police to join drug<br />
enforcement task force<br />
The St. Charles County Council unanimously<br />
agreed to allow the St. Charles<br />
County Police to join the Organized Crime<br />
Drug Enforcement Task Force at its Sept.<br />
9 meeting. The non-binding memorandum<br />
allows Police Chief Kurt Frisz and<br />
County Executive Steve Ehlmann to join<br />
the task force and enhance policing procedures<br />
that combat organized crime threats.<br />
The task force was established as an<br />
independent organization within the U.S.<br />
Department of Justice in 1982 and continues<br />
to focus on combating transnational<br />
organized crime while reducing the availability<br />
of illegal narcotics. This is fueled<br />
through partnerships between federal,<br />
state and local officials dedicated to the<br />
prosecution of drug traffickers, gangs and<br />
money laundering operations.<br />
In 2020, the St. Louis Gateway OCDETF<br />
Strike Force was established, providing a<br />
local chapter for Eastern Missouri. This<br />
allowed the city to dedicate full-time personnel<br />
to the cause. It also strengthened the<br />
area’s ability to organize law enforcement,<br />
attorneys and county council executives to<br />
combat growing crime threats.<br />
Now St. Charles County police are joining<br />
the group in continuing to expand and<br />
support this work.<br />
“The task force’s goal is to bring federal,<br />
state and local law enforcement together to<br />
better disrupt and take down interstate criminal<br />
networks,” Frisz said in a statement. “In<br />
the St. Louis area, there’s been a lot of violence<br />
because of local gangs dealing drugs<br />
and bigger drug trafficking groups. Dealing<br />
with these problems needs the experience of<br />
federal law enforcement agencies working<br />
with state and local partners.”<br />
Murals celebrating county’s<br />
history completed<br />
St. Charles artist Zack Smithey has<br />
completed an octet of murals within the<br />
St. Charles County Courthouse rotunda,<br />
depicting scenes from distinct time periods<br />
in local history.<br />
The artwork shows St. Charles County<br />
in its untamed wilderness days, pioneer<br />
times, as the location of the first state<br />
Capitol (1821-1826), the Civil War era,<br />
German immigration, industrialization and<br />
the modern pastiche of suburban growth.<br />
“This tells the story of many of the great<br />
things that have happened here in St.<br />
Charles County, and it’s amazing to see it<br />
all in one space,” County Executive Steve<br />
Ehlmann stated in a press release.<br />
Ehlmann, who has authored books on St.<br />
Charles County history, consulted Smithey<br />
about the highlights of local history seen<br />
in the mural.<br />
Smithey, 41, a St. Charles native and<br />
former art teacher at Francis Howell North,<br />
is known for works that are bright and<br />
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bold. The release states Smithey painted<br />
the murals over the past several months,<br />
working 20 feet off the floor on scaffolding<br />
around the walls.<br />
“I’ve finally reached a point where I’m<br />
creating a mural that’s going to be in<br />
a public space, around for generations<br />
after me,” Smithey said. “I think that’s<br />
pretty cool.” Smithey and his wife, Brie,<br />
have been married 14 years and live in St.<br />
Charles. They have three dogs and live in<br />
a container house decorated with his art.<br />
See NEWS BRIEFS, page 15
<strong>10</strong> I NEWS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
On the Ballot: Missourians to decide on sports betting<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
By LAURA BROWN<br />
Missouri could join 39 other states in<br />
legalizing sports betting if Amendment 2 is<br />
approved in the Nov. 5 General Election.<br />
If approved, Missouri residents over the<br />
age of 21 would be able to place wagers<br />
on professional sports games in casinos or<br />
online using popular sports betting apps.<br />
“Every day, thousands of Missourians are<br />
betting on sports by using an illegal offshore<br />
website or app, or they’re traveling to one of<br />
the seven surrounding states to place their<br />
sports bets,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesperson<br />
for Winning for Missouri Education, a<br />
group supporting the amendment. “Really,<br />
our public policy makes no sense. The<br />
people of Missouri are betting, but we’re<br />
not getting any of the benefit from it.”<br />
The amendment would allow the Missouri<br />
Gaming Commission to regulate<br />
licensed sports wagering, including online<br />
sports betting, gambling boats, professional<br />
sports betting districts and mobile<br />
licenses to sports betting operators. A<br />
<strong>10</strong>% wagering tax on revenues received<br />
would be appropriated for education after<br />
expenses incurred by the commission, and<br />
there would also be required funding of the<br />
Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.<br />
Ballot language lists a onetime cost<br />
of $660,000 and ongoing annual costs of<br />
at least $5.2 million are expected. The<br />
amendment estimates revenue from onetime<br />
license fees of $11.75 million and a<br />
maximum possible annual tax revenue of<br />
$28.9 million, though exact figures are<br />
unknown.<br />
Cardetti is confident that the amendment<br />
will pass, citing a recent poll showing the<br />
majority of Missourians support legalizing<br />
sports betting. However, others question<br />
the way the amendment is structured.<br />
“I keep reading that the way the law is<br />
written, they may be able to get around the<br />
taxes on it because operators can deduct<br />
a certain amount of promotional credits<br />
and free play costs against their taxes due,”<br />
said Mike Mathea, an adjunct economics<br />
professor at Lindenwood University.<br />
Another potential downside to the law,<br />
according to Mathea, is that new tax revenue<br />
for public schools could mean politicians<br />
may not increase state education<br />
Amendment 2<br />
funding at the same rate they would if there<br />
was no additional tax revenue, canceling out<br />
any monetary benefit from the amendment.<br />
In studies he’s read about other states<br />
passing gambling or cannabis laws with<br />
the promise of a percentage of tax revenue<br />
going to education, Mathea said initially,<br />
schools may receive an increase in revenue;<br />
however, it may not last.<br />
“What tends to happen is that almost all<br />
of the increase (in revenue) tends to disappear<br />
over 15-20 years,” Mathea said.<br />
Mathea did highlight an advantage to<br />
legalizing sports betting, other than tax<br />
revenue – that wagers would be reported.<br />
“One of the things it will do is it will<br />
allow us to measure how much economic<br />
activity is going on,” Mathea said. “It’s<br />
sort of the same impact with legalized<br />
marijuana. While betting is illegal, people<br />
might be using a bookie, which is not legal,<br />
and goes unreported. Marijuana used to be<br />
bought illegally. Now we can see (what is<br />
being spent on it) because it shows up in<br />
the GDP of the United States.”<br />
Cardetti said the tax revenue would not<br />
be part of the state’s regular budget for<br />
public education but would be extra funding<br />
on top of that.<br />
“The schools get to decide how they<br />
spend their money,” Cardetti said. “The<br />
constitutional amendment doesn’t get that<br />
specific. That will be decided in the legislature<br />
with their annual funding bill, but<br />
all the money has to go to public education<br />
and the lawmakers can’t change that.<br />
It’s in the constitution. This is a completely<br />
separate and new funding stream.”<br />
Cardetti said gridlock in the state legislature<br />
has prevented action on sports betting<br />
for years, forcing advocates to turn to the<br />
ballot.<br />
“As long as every state around us has<br />
it, we might as well have it,” Mathea said.<br />
“It’s probably not very good for bookies<br />
in the state, if there are any still around. I<br />
don’t think I’ve talked to a bookie since I<br />
was a college kid in Wisconsin.”<br />
Mathea said Missouri might see an<br />
increase in gaming revenue in areas of the<br />
state that are not near a casino.<br />
“They don’t have a casino near them, so<br />
for some people, this might be their only<br />
option,” Mathea said.<br />
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to permit<br />
licensed sports wagering regulated by the Missouri Gaming<br />
Commission and restrict sports betting to individuals physically<br />
located in the state and over the age of 21. The amendment<br />
includes a <strong>10</strong>% wagering tax on revenues received to be<br />
appropriated for educational institutions in Missouri.<br />
A “no” vote will not<br />
amend the Missouri<br />
Constitution regarding<br />
licensed regulated<br />
sports wagering.<br />
If passed, this measure<br />
will have no impact on<br />
taxes.<br />
Fireworks subject of mayor’s veto in St. Peters, discussion in Dardenne Prairie<br />
By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER<br />
& RUBY KELLER<br />
Two cities have had fireworks on the<br />
agenda at recent board of aldermen meetings.<br />
On Sept. 12, St. Peters Mayor Len<br />
Pagano vetoed a bill that would have<br />
allowed the sale and use of fireworks for<br />
a limited period over the Fourth of July<br />
holiday season. The Board of Aldermen<br />
took a vote to override the veto, however<br />
with only five voting in favor of overriding,<br />
the motion failed, the veto stood and<br />
the fireworks bill will not go into effect.<br />
Six board members were required to<br />
overturn the veto, Pagano said.<br />
The subject of fireworks has been the<br />
focus of discussion in St. Peters for several<br />
months, with citizen comments at<br />
recent board meetings discussing the<br />
challenges and benefits of such an ordinance.<br />
Pagano’s veto on Sept. 12 followed<br />
another public comment section that<br />
included more discussion on fireworks.<br />
His veto cited several reasons for his<br />
decision, including safety concerns, fears<br />
for residents with PTSD and concerns for<br />
pets. It was Pagano’s second veto after<br />
serving as mayor for 17 years.<br />
“We’re not like anybody else,” Pagano<br />
said. “When I say we’re not like anybody<br />
else, I refuse to do something that somebody<br />
else is doing. We’ve always been a<br />
leader.”<br />
Pagano also spoke about listening to<br />
residents and focusing on their “quality<br />
of life.”<br />
In response to resident comments,<br />
alderman Dave Kuppler (Ward 3) said<br />
he “really appreciated each and every<br />
one of those conversations” and thanked<br />
city staff for working hard to research the<br />
issue.<br />
Dardenne Prairie has also brought forward<br />
an ordinance that would allow the<br />
discharge of fireworks during a four-day<br />
window surrounding the Fourth of July,<br />
with use of fireworks to be maintained<br />
from 6-<strong>10</strong> p.m. each day.<br />
Alderman Mike Costlow (Ward 2) said<br />
the discussion about allowing fireworks<br />
flares up around Independence Day every<br />
year, with resident opinions ranging from<br />
no fireworks restrictions to a fireworks<br />
ban. He said there are a lot of people who<br />
fall in the middle of the two extremes.<br />
The ordinance was presented but then<br />
postponed at the Dardenne Prairie Board<br />
of Aldermen’s Sept. 18 meeting. Two<br />
members of the board who see the issue<br />
differently are working together on a<br />
proposal both sides are pleased with so<br />
they can present it to the board. Costlow<br />
expects the board to come to a compromise<br />
within the next 30 days.<br />
Fireworks have recently become more<br />
powerful and plentiful, Costlow said. This<br />
is one of the catalysts for the conversation.<br />
“If we have an ordinance fully banning<br />
fireworks, then people are just going to<br />
shoot them off all the time, and it’ll be<br />
mayhem,” Costlow said. “We’ve seen<br />
that all around us when other municipalities<br />
try to do that. So giving someone a<br />
window, an outlet, that has good parameters<br />
is important. Making sure that it’s<br />
clear so people can follow it is how we<br />
make good laws.”
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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Learn the Sounds<br />
of Fire Safety<br />
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When a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide (CO)<br />
alarm sounds, respond immediately by exiting<br />
the home as quickly as possible.<br />
• If your alarm begins to chirp, it may mean that<br />
the batteries are running low and need to be<br />
replaced. If the alarm continues to chirp after<br />
the batteries are replaced, or the alarm is more<br />
than <strong>10</strong> years old, it is time to replace the alarm.<br />
•<br />
Test all smoke and CO alarms monthly. Press the test button<br />
to make sure the alarm is working.<br />
• If there is someone in your household who is deaf or hard of<br />
hearing, install bed shaker and strobe light alarms that will<br />
alert that person to fire.<br />
• Know the difference between the sound of a<br />
smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm –<br />
three beeps for smoke alarms; four beeps for<br />
carbon monoxide alarms.<br />
www.cottlevillefpd.org • 1385 Motherhead Rd., St. Charles, MO 63304 • 636-447-6655<br />
By JOHN TREMMEL<br />
O’Fallon has experienced plenty of<br />
good economic news in the past few<br />
months, however, there are still challenges<br />
to overcome. During a workshop<br />
on Sept. 12, the City Council received<br />
a briefing from Economic Development<br />
Director Patrick McKeehan.<br />
McKeehan said that O’Fallon has held<br />
33 ribbon-cuttings and/or groundbreakings<br />
this year, which he believes places<br />
the city on “a record pace” for the year.<br />
Notable updates included a new brewery<br />
occupying the former McGurk’s<br />
Public House, a 66,000-square-foot<br />
SSM Health outpatient center on Caledonia<br />
Parkway, SINC Thermal on Hoff<br />
Industrial Drive investing $4 million<br />
to expand its industrial furnace business<br />
and Rosalita’s Cantina taking over<br />
the former Schnuck’s grocery store on<br />
Mexico Loop Road.<br />
O’Fallon’s national reputation as a<br />
desirable location continues to grow as<br />
well, according to McKeehan. Fortune<br />
Magazine ranked O’Fallon as Missouri’s<br />
top city and No. 31 overall of the “50<br />
Best Places in the U.S. for Families to<br />
Live” in 20<strong>24</strong>. Livability magazine<br />
ranked O’Fallon at No. 6 of the <strong>10</strong>0 best<br />
places to live in the U.S. and the No. 1<br />
in the <strong>Mid</strong>west. McKeehan noted that<br />
O’Fallon was the only Missouri city on<br />
the list.<br />
When he briefs the council, McKeehan<br />
always includes an update on retail,<br />
industrial, and office space occupancy<br />
rates. At the end of August, retail and<br />
commercial space occupancy stood at<br />
96.7%, slightly up from January 20<strong>24</strong>,<br />
while office space has maintained an<br />
occupancy rate of 92%.<br />
“O’Fallon’s industrial/flex space occupancy<br />
rate is usually in the 97-98% range,<br />
but dipped to 95%, mainly because<br />
an empty 260,000 square foot building<br />
on Commerce Drive is finally on<br />
the market,” McKeehan said. “Overall,<br />
O’Fallon recorded 40 business openings<br />
and 32 closings through August, for a net<br />
gain of eight businesses so far this year.”<br />
McKeehan said available restaurant<br />
space is highly valued because of the<br />
high costs of setting up and equipping<br />
new restaurant facilities. Three recentlyvacated<br />
restaurant properties in the city<br />
already have plans to be filled.<br />
“There is one closed restaurant, Cappuccino’s,<br />
in the O’Fallon Pointe Shopping<br />
Center on Hwy. K, remains empty<br />
and presents a major challenge because<br />
when the previous owner left, they took<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Updates, ‘good news’ shared on<br />
O’Fallon economic development<br />
“O’Fallon is taking<br />
full advantage of this<br />
positive attention to<br />
attract more business<br />
opportunities,”<br />
– Economic Development Director<br />
Patrick McKeehan<br />
the coolers and other kitchen equipment,”<br />
McKeehan said. “The cost of re-outfitting<br />
the space for future restaurant users<br />
will be very expensive.”<br />
McKeehan discussed two other locations<br />
on Main Street: the former Sonic<br />
drive-in restaurant and the empty Bank<br />
of America building.<br />
“I drive by those vacancies every morning<br />
and it constantly bothers me,” he said.<br />
McKeehan said the situation on each<br />
is complicated by previous lease agreements,<br />
ownership issues and deed<br />
restrictions, but he and the city’s economic<br />
development staff keep working<br />
on finding solutions.<br />
Another high priority for O’Fallon is to<br />
find buyers and tenants for three remaining<br />
large, undeveloped tracts of land in<br />
O’Fallon suitable for large commercial<br />
use.<br />
“As that type of open space becomes<br />
scarce, it becomes more valuable,”<br />
McKeehan said. The economic development<br />
department continues working with<br />
many parties to find good uses for that<br />
open land.<br />
McKeehan and his team have been<br />
busy on social media as well. The SelectOFALLON<br />
LinkedIn page has been<br />
featuring these developments and media<br />
coverage.<br />
According to McKeehan, the combined<br />
“good news” has generated visibility for<br />
the city.<br />
“O’Fallon is taking full advantage of<br />
this positive attention to attract more<br />
business opportunities,” McKeehan said.<br />
“O’Fallon has a reputation of being<br />
business-friendly, focusing on certainty,<br />
simplicity and speed when working with<br />
businesses to find a way to get things<br />
done, while other cities seem to find ways<br />
to say no. That pro-business reputation,<br />
along with the City Council’s continued<br />
strong leadership, helps keep O’Fallon<br />
growing and economically resilient.”
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ORTHO_JS<strong>24</strong>0925-01
14 I NEWS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
K-9 electronics sleuth retires<br />
after eight years of service<br />
By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER<br />
TOM SHAW’S<br />
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FOR CHARITIES<br />
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To register or sponsor, visit tomshawfoundation.org<br />
Questions regarding event,<br />
call Brad Locke at 314.398.6900<br />
The St. Charles County Police Department<br />
recently threw a retirement party for<br />
a longtime member of the force with a true<br />
nose for solving crime.<br />
Bonnie, a <strong>10</strong>-year-old labrador, was the<br />
center of attention on Sept. 20, her party<br />
room packed with treats, new toys and a<br />
lot of friends.<br />
Originally trained to be a guide dog<br />
in Connecticut, due to her energy level,<br />
Bonnie was transferred to the Connecticut<br />
State Police and trained to be an electronic<br />
storage detection (ESD) K-9 unit, before<br />
relocating to St. Charles County.<br />
Officer Brigid Oldani has been the K-9’s<br />
handler for Bonnie’s entire service career.<br />
According to a press release, Oldani and<br />
Bonnie have conducted approximately 300<br />
searches for local, state and federal law<br />
enforcement agencies.<br />
“Early in Bonnie’s career, while conducting<br />
a K-9 sniff at a residential search<br />
warrant, Bonnie located evidence that<br />
contained child sexual abuse images of a<br />
minor female, who was in the residence at<br />
the time of our search,” the release states.<br />
“Because Bonnie located this evidence,<br />
allowing us to positively identify the child<br />
while on-scene, a forensic interview of the<br />
child was immediately conducted, saving<br />
the child from having to testify in court<br />
later.”<br />
Oldani recalled her years with Bonnie<br />
and that particular event.<br />
“We’ve done some search warrants<br />
where she did such great work and didn’t<br />
anticipate a find, and it turned out to be<br />
so phenomenal where we saved a kid,”<br />
Oldani said.<br />
Bonnie’s nose has helped the community<br />
in a myriad of cases. In one instance, the St.<br />
Peters Police Department had requested<br />
help assistance in locating a cell phone,<br />
which was lost during a fatal accident several<br />
days before. The phone belonged to a<br />
Bonnie and her handler have participated in around<br />
300 searches for various law enforcement agencies.<br />
(Photo by Sean White/St. Charles County)<br />
Retired St. Charles County K-9 Bonnie and<br />
her handler, Officer Brigid Oldani.<br />
(St. Charles County photo)<br />
teenager who had died in the accident, and<br />
the family was “desperate” to recover the<br />
device in hopes of saving pictures of their<br />
son, according to the press release. Buried<br />
under mud on a large, vacant lot covered in<br />
three feet of weeds, Bonnie located the cell<br />
phone within 15 minutes.<br />
Bonnie also pulled double-duty as a<br />
community engagement K-9, attending<br />
over 400 events in the area throughout her<br />
career with the county police department.<br />
During the retirement party, Oldani<br />
thanked everyone for supporting Bonnie<br />
and giving her the direction she needed to<br />
do her best work. Despite Bonnie’s ESD<br />
training, Oldani said, “I think her true purpose<br />
was just helping – truly helping mentally<br />
stressed kids.”<br />
“Thank you for supporting us through her<br />
craziest times,” Oldani added, noting the<br />
importance of giving K-9 dogs the time<br />
and effort needed to find their place.<br />
Oldani also recalled Bonnie’s many<br />
moments gaining individual wins with different<br />
kids, and spoke about the<br />
lasting impact that Bonnie has<br />
had on children throughout her<br />
service.<br />
“Her whole career has been<br />
pretty much a highlight,” Oldani<br />
said.<br />
After her retirement, Bonnie<br />
will remain under Oldani’s care.<br />
Oldani has already selected a<br />
new K-9 partner – Chili – who<br />
help assist Oldani in her assignment<br />
as school resource officer<br />
at Becky David Elementary<br />
School.
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MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I NEWS I 15<br />
Wentzville holds public hearing to remove community garden from subdivision<br />
By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER<br />
Residents of The Oaks at Lexington<br />
were invited to speak during a public hearing<br />
regarding a request to have the neighborhood’s<br />
community garden removed at<br />
the Sept. 25 Board of Aldermen meeting.<br />
Resident Daniel Bohn requested the<br />
ordinance that would remove the garden to<br />
be tabled.<br />
“I was led to believe that there was a<br />
majority of residents wanting this to be<br />
removed,” he said. “I have since found<br />
out that there’s only 17 people that (have)<br />
responded to having it removed.” Bohn<br />
explained his concern was that only five<br />
percent of the subdivision responded.<br />
The Oaks at Lexington Homeowners<br />
Association board member Jessica Degrendele<br />
also spoke on the subject.<br />
She said “letters and ballots were distributed<br />
to everyone in the community,” and<br />
“all of those ballots that came in voted to<br />
have it removed.”<br />
Degrendele added that residents were<br />
sent two mailers to weigh in on the subject,<br />
giving them more than one opportunity to<br />
voice their opinion.<br />
The main complaint she addressed was<br />
the garden’s underuse by residents. She<br />
detailed how only four of the eight garden<br />
boxes were rented last year and of those,<br />
only three were used. “The funds could be<br />
better used elsewhere,” Degrendele said.<br />
Degrendele also noted that the HOA<br />
board voted unanimously to remove the<br />
garden and further stated, “Homeowners<br />
are allowed to have gardens in their own<br />
backyards.”<br />
Director of Community Development<br />
Douglas Forbeck explained that the<br />
amended plan has to be approved by the city<br />
to have the garden boxes removed because<br />
they were part of the original final plan, and<br />
the removal was recommended by the Planning<br />
and Zoning Commission. The board<br />
requested confirmation of the documents<br />
involved before the final vote and allowed<br />
the first reading of the ordinance.<br />
NEWS BRIEFS, from page 9<br />
MISSOURI<br />
MDC seeking samples to test<br />
chronic wasting disease<br />
Now that deer hunting season is<br />
underway across the state, the Missouri<br />
Department of Conservation (MDC) is<br />
providing freezers for voluntary Chronic<br />
Wasting Disease (CWD) sampling in<br />
the St. Louis region. Deer heads can<br />
be dropped off at six sites in Crawford,<br />
Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, Warren<br />
and Washington counties. Each site has<br />
a freezer that will preserve the samples,<br />
which will be picked up by MDC staff<br />
for CWD testing.<br />
These self-serve drop sites enable hunters<br />
to submit deer heads for sampling at<br />
their convenience throughout this year’s<br />
deer hunting season.<br />
The sample drop-off site in St. Charles<br />
Count is at the August A. Busch Memorial<br />
Conservation Area. A list of other sites is<br />
available at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZCH.<br />
Hunters will be required to remove the<br />
deer’s head and antlers in advance, leaving<br />
six inches of neck, so it can be left in<br />
the freezer. Materials will be available at<br />
the freezer sites, such as trash bags, zip<br />
ties and data sheets that hunters can use<br />
in labeling the heads. Hunters will record<br />
a Telecheck ID number that allows them<br />
to see test results online within approximately<br />
three weeks at mdc.mo.gov.<br />
CWD is a neurological disease fatal to<br />
deer. A deer may be infected with no visible<br />
symptoms and the only way to identify<br />
the presence of CWD is to have the deer<br />
tested, MDC officials said. According to<br />
MDC, the disease has been confirmed in<br />
Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson and Washington<br />
counties, as well as counties elsewhere<br />
in the state.<br />
Hunters can play an important role in<br />
helping MDC monitor and track the disease<br />
in Missouri by having their deer tested<br />
for CWD, an MDC press release stated.
16 I SCHOOLS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Youth and Government lead at<br />
YMCA Youth National Conference<br />
Timberland Youth and Government delegates to the YMCA Youth Conference on National<br />
Affairs in June. Left to Right: Sabrene Lutfiyya, Sabrina Longwell, Danny Wilson, Will<br />
Bastean, Skai Peterkin and Jade Wilson.<br />
(Source: Wentzville School District)<br />
By BETHANY COAD<br />
A group of six Timberland High students<br />
recently traveled to the YMCA Blue Ridge<br />
Assembly conference center, nestled in the<br />
heart of Black Mountain, North Carolina.<br />
Joined by delegates from over thirty states,<br />
these students gathered to develop leadership<br />
skills and engage in debates and discourse<br />
on current national issues.<br />
Will Bastean, Sabrina Longwell, Sabrene<br />
Lutfiyya, Skai Peterkin, Danny Wilson and<br />
Jade Wilson are all part of Timberland<br />
High’s Youth and Government (YAG) program.<br />
The six helped represent Missouri at<br />
the YMCA Youth Conference on National<br />
Affairs (CONA), June 28-July 4.<br />
Now graduated from Timberland and in<br />
freshman year at University of Missouri,<br />
Bastean first got in involved with Timberland’s<br />
YAG program in his junior year of<br />
high school when fellow CONA delegate<br />
Peterkin convinced him to attend an interest<br />
meeting during the first week of their<br />
public speaking class.<br />
“I was hesitant, but going ended up being<br />
one of the best decisions of my life,” Bastean<br />
said. “I was a pretty soft spoken kid<br />
and up to that point, had somehow convinced<br />
all of my teachers in highschool to<br />
let me abstain from public speaking.”<br />
The program changed that, as he learned<br />
to speak confidently and moved into a<br />
leadership position in his senior year.<br />
Attending CONA was a surprise for Bastean.<br />
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that<br />
when I received the email that I had been<br />
accepted, I jumped out of bed like a cartoon<br />
character,” Bastean said. “Timberland’s<br />
delegation had many who applied,<br />
and many who I thought were far more<br />
qualified than me.”<br />
Chosen as one of 25 delegates from Missouri<br />
to attend, Bastean soaked in the experience<br />
in North Carolina.<br />
“The level of debate and conversation being<br />
held was much higher than at the state level,<br />
and the proposals were complex, thought<br />
out, and most importantly were unique and<br />
highlighted the personality of every author<br />
presenting them,” Bastean said. “I think my<br />
biggest lesson learned there was just another<br />
step up in my public speaking skills.”<br />
At CONA, Peterkin, a second-year delegate,<br />
led debriefing sessions for the Missouri<br />
delegation. Bastean helped to oversee<br />
overall operations and the decision-making<br />
processes of the conference.<br />
“What presented a unique challenge to me<br />
was navigating the inter-delegation conflicts<br />
that occurred,” Bastean said. “I never<br />
wavered in speaking up for my delegates<br />
who came to me with problems or quarrels<br />
they had with delegates of other states, but<br />
where the challenge lay was doing so in a<br />
way that maintained the respect and decorum<br />
of every party involved in front of the<br />
collective committee.”<br />
The range of topics debated at CONA<br />
spans hot topic issues like abortion to<br />
more niche discussions, like IRS protocol.<br />
Though the discussions are handled with<br />
respect, pushback and criticism must be<br />
navigated as well as the topics are debated.<br />
Bastean felt this polite dissent was handled<br />
in a mature and respectful manner.<br />
“What highlights a leader the most is their<br />
ability to motivate others, quash conflict<br />
and establish a clear course of direction for<br />
any obstacle the collective faces,” he said.<br />
Bastean hopes to see more growth and<br />
involvement in YAG.<br />
“Being in YAG emphasizes the importance<br />
that the government and politics<br />
have in our lives and how it will affect you<br />
and your community for better or worse,”<br />
he said. “The biggest thing individuals can<br />
do is to better educate themselves on the<br />
problems that their community is facing,<br />
and who the local candidates are and what<br />
they represent. A community’s needs are<br />
specific, so educating yourself and others<br />
is the best way of ensuring the necessary<br />
changes for the betterment of your community<br />
are able to take place.”
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I SCHOOLS I 17<br />
St. Charles County 4-H clubs thriving, look for more growth<br />
By BETHANY COAD<br />
With the 4-H season kicking off in October,<br />
the 13 active 4-H clubs in St. Charles<br />
County are looking to continue growing.<br />
Averaging upwards of 200 members from<br />
as far as Orchard Farm to Defiance, Boone<br />
County 4-H leader and St. Charles County<br />
4-H Council President Katie Lyons is on a<br />
mission to see growth in the more suburban<br />
and urban parts of the area.<br />
“Traditionally, 4-H has been for the farm<br />
kids,” Lyons said. “But we also want to<br />
heavily engage all youth in all places and<br />
all stages.”<br />
The four “H’s” in the club’s name stand<br />
for the head, heart, hands and health. By<br />
bringing young people and adults together<br />
in various activities, the club members –<br />
young people ages five to 18 – learn life and<br />
problem-solving skills necessary to put the<br />
club’s values into practice.<br />
“Leadership skills are learned during the<br />
monthly club meetings,” Lyons said. “The<br />
members run the meeting with each club<br />
electing their own officers, and we adults<br />
are just there to mentor as needed.”<br />
Club members get public speaking experience<br />
by presenting in front of their peers, as<br />
well as practicing community involvement.<br />
“Our club gets involved in the community<br />
by helping with the sausage and fried<br />
chicken dinners held during the year at St.<br />
John’s United Church of Christ, the church<br />
that hosts our meetings,” Lyons said. “We<br />
also recently participated in the Missouri<br />
River clean-up.”<br />
This annual cleanup saw 4-H club members<br />
working alongside other volunteers on a<br />
<strong>10</strong>-mile stretch of the Missouri River, picking<br />
up trash and debris on Saturday, Sept. 14.<br />
4-H members will also choose projects of<br />
interest to complete during the year. Some<br />
of these are done on an individual level,<br />
while others are state-wide and completed<br />
in groups, supervised by professionals in<br />
the field. Popular life skills explored include<br />
food, arts and crafts, raising animals, woodworking,<br />
horsemanship and shooting sports.<br />
Some topics have expanded in scope.<br />
Foods, for example, shifted to also include<br />
health and nutrition, as well as basic cooking,<br />
Lyons said.<br />
This shift toward more practical skills<br />
for individuals is where Lyons hopes to see<br />
more growth in membership in areas of St.<br />
Charles, St. Peters and O’Fallon. 4-H clubs<br />
have no boundaries, so potential members<br />
are welcome at any club that is close by.<br />
Lyons said club commitments include<br />
attending at least 50% of meetings, and<br />
completing projects for submission into the<br />
St. Charles County Fair.<br />
Opportunities also abound for adults willing<br />
to volunteer.<br />
“All parents are encouraged to participate,<br />
or we find community members (who) have<br />
experience – some who are former 4-H<br />
members – to help share their expertise,”<br />
Lyons said. “While some projects are well<br />
covered, we are on the lookout for professionals<br />
willing to help in areas like photography,<br />
small engine repair, electrical and<br />
sewing.”<br />
To celebrate the national 4-H week, the<br />
St. Charles County 4-H club is hosting a<br />
pancake breakfast from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on<br />
Saturday, Oct. 5, at the University of Missouri<br />
St. Charles County Extension Center<br />
at 260 Brown Road in St. Peters.<br />
Another opportunity to learn about 4-H<br />
is at the MU Extension Expo from noon-7<br />
p.m. on Thursday, Oct. <strong>10</strong> at the MU Extension<br />
Center.<br />
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18 I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
By JEFFRY GREENBERG<br />
& LAURA BROWN<br />
“Do you play pickleball?”<br />
If you’re part of almost any social circle,<br />
chances are you’ve heard those four words<br />
before. Perhaps you’ve been the one to ask<br />
the question.<br />
Regardless, with pickleball on the tip of<br />
everyone’s tongue, it’s easy to believe why<br />
it’s called the fastest-growing sport in the<br />
United States.<br />
While some might have just heard about<br />
it for the first time in the past few years, it’s<br />
only recently that pickleball, invented in<br />
1965, has had its surge in popularity.<br />
The sport was started by a few friends on<br />
a converted badminton court. It combines<br />
elements of tennis, badminton and pingpong.<br />
In 2003, there were only 150 known<br />
individual courts to play pickleball in<br />
North America. By 2015, it had grown to<br />
over <strong>10</strong>,000 courts and 2 million pickleball<br />
players. In 2023 there were a reported 8.9<br />
million players – 4.8 million of which had<br />
joined the sport over the last year alone.<br />
According to USA Pickleball, this exponential<br />
growth of the sport is a national<br />
phenomenon, though the St. Louis region<br />
certainly accounts for some of that player<br />
base. John Callahan, St. Louis pickleball<br />
hall-of-famer, said his Callahan Pickleball<br />
Academy has over 300 clinics in the St.<br />
Louis area.<br />
“It is so popular that we teach pickleball<br />
clinics five days a week at Chesterfield<br />
Valley Athletic Center,” Callahan said.<br />
“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport<br />
in the U.S. with over <strong>10</strong> million players.<br />
And St. Louis is ranked as one of the top<br />
ten pickleball cities; not surprising given<br />
St. Louis’ history as one of the top tennis<br />
cities.”<br />
Picklers aplenty<br />
Locals relish the sport for various reasons.<br />
Manchester resident Martha Roper,<br />
75, was primarily a tennis player for 30<br />
years.<br />
“Tennis began to hurt my neck as I did<br />
the hard, up-and-over serve,” Roper said.<br />
She said her husband, Dr. Peter Scales, a<br />
professional tennis coach, adapted well to<br />
her picking up a new sport.<br />
“Suddenly, I felt like I was sneaking off<br />
to do something that wasn’t in line with<br />
that when I found out there was pickleball<br />
at The Pointe (at Ballwin Commons) just<br />
<strong>10</strong> minutes from us,” Roper said. “I didn’t<br />
tell him I was going. But I fell in love with<br />
it the first week, and he adapted well to me<br />
being a pickleball player. It was so joyful<br />
and it has an underhanded serve. So, nothing<br />
hurts when I play.”<br />
Meanwhile, Ray Slama, former Twin<br />
Oaks mayor, became aware of area pickleball<br />
around 2015 after his retirement<br />
from coaching lacrosse at Cor Jesu Academy.<br />
While he was on the fence for a bit, a<br />
neighbor convinced Slama to try the sport<br />
in 2019. He doesn’t regret the decision.<br />
“I was never a fan of tennis,” Slama<br />
said. “I played some when I first retired. I<br />
find tennis doubles much too slow. I have<br />
been a ping pong player from an early age.<br />
Pickleball and ping pong are much more<br />
closely related. The speed of the game and<br />
the eye-hand coordination are very similar.<br />
“Pickleball is the perfect sport for people<br />
who played handball and racquetball. Strategies<br />
are very similar.”<br />
Slama added that pickleball is suitable<br />
for all ages and playing ability, and its<br />
community of experienced players readily<br />
accepts beginners to their games. He added<br />
that many courts have open play and the<br />
cost of equipment and play is minimal.<br />
“It’s so addictive, but at the end of the day<br />
nobody cares if they don’t win,” said St.<br />
Charles area pickleball player Linda Kersten.<br />
“I’m competitive, though, because<br />
I’ve played sports my whole life.”<br />
Kersten, of St. Peters, started playing<br />
pickleball three years ago with her husband<br />
when they both turned 65 and qualified<br />
for Silver Sneakers memberships at<br />
the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Kersten still plays<br />
at least three times a week, splitting her<br />
time between pickleball and golf. Last<br />
year, after her husband died, she said the<br />
pickleball community has been a big support<br />
for her.<br />
“Some people play every day,” Kersten<br />
said. “It’s a great group of people. Sometimes<br />
they bring their grandkids to come<br />
play with them. So many are willing to<br />
help others learn how to score and how to<br />
play, so you try to pass that along the way<br />
to other new people.”<br />
Kersten mentioned there are smartphone<br />
apps out there that players can use to find<br />
local match times and sign up to play.<br />
“It doesn’t cost a lot to play,” Kersten<br />
said. “You just need a paddle, ball and<br />
shoes. You can play in a park for free. I<br />
plan on playing until I can’t anymore. If<br />
you’re curious about it, just show up somewhere<br />
and ask for help.”<br />
The pull of pickleball<br />
Chesterfield Recreational Specialist<br />
AnnaBeth Batson is amazed at how pickleball<br />
has caught on. She attributes its popularity<br />
to accessibility for all skill levels.<br />
She believes this trend will continue, with<br />
younger players and schools potentially<br />
adopting the sport competitively.<br />
“Pickleball is a sport that encourages<br />
individuals of all skill levels to play and<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Pickleball fever: How a niche sport became a national obsession<br />
PICKLEBALL TERMS<br />
PICKLER<br />
A pickleball player<br />
PICKLED<br />
When a team scores zero points<br />
COOKIE<br />
An easy shot one should enjoy<br />
DINK<br />
A soft, arching shot that<br />
bounces in the non-volley zone<br />
BERT<br />
The partner shot to an Erne. A<br />
shot where a player jumps to hit<br />
the ball, but rather than jumping<br />
on their own side, the player<br />
jumps to the partner’s side<br />
or cross-court.<br />
ERNE<br />
A leaping shot made by a player<br />
legally traveling over the kitchen,<br />
as they hit the ball mid-air<br />
before landing out of bounds.<br />
FALAFEL<br />
A shot that doesn’t reach its full<br />
potential due to lack of power.<br />
FLAPJACK<br />
A shot that must bounce before<br />
being hit.<br />
KITCHEN<br />
Also called the non-volley<br />
zone. This marked court area<br />
is a 7-foot by 20-foot section<br />
adjacent to the net. Players may<br />
legally enter this zone at any<br />
time, but cannot hit a ball out of<br />
the air in this zone.<br />
*Source: Big Dill Pickleball Co.<br />
easily groups these skill levels together,<br />
so you grow with others to become more<br />
advanced,” Batson said. “We have noticed<br />
that more females participate in pickleball<br />
than males. In terms of the players’ ages,<br />
a large percentage range from 50-65 years<br />
old.”<br />
Ballwin Recreation/Sports Specialist<br />
Jacob Briscuso has also noticed monumental<br />
changes in the number of players and<br />
the demographics in just the past two years.<br />
“What first started out as a retiree game<br />
has evolved into something more,” Briscuso<br />
said. “Plenty of high school/collegeaged<br />
kids play on a regular basis now. I<br />
think COVID had a big impact on the game.<br />
It was an easy way for people to get outside<br />
and play at a distance from each other.”<br />
Risks and rewards?<br />
Many community and senior retirement<br />
centers have added pickleball courts as<br />
an amenity for residents. Municipal parks<br />
also are addings them, or striping tennis<br />
courts to accommodate pickleball. While<br />
the elevated age range of the pickleball<br />
playing group has led to health and safety<br />
questions, local EMS personnel haven’t<br />
seen much change in their calls since pickleball<br />
has exploded in the 65-and-older age<br />
group.<br />
“What’s important for people to remember<br />
is the same thing we talk about when<br />
shoveling snow,” said Matt Coppin, captain<br />
of external affairs and community<br />
health for the Metro West Fire Protection<br />
District. “People need to realize their limitations<br />
and work inside of those. But a lot<br />
of 70-year-olds have a very diverse sense<br />
of athletic ability. We have some who still<br />
run marathons while others struggle to get<br />
the mail at the end of the driveway.”<br />
“If you’re able to play and have no health<br />
restrictions, the benefits to play are only<br />
going to strengthen your heart and make<br />
you healthier and more agile,” said Coppin.<br />
“The key for older adults is to maintain<br />
your mobility to limit the number of falls<br />
around the home.”<br />
Knowing when to call 911 for help, in<br />
any sport, is important.<br />
“If you’re playing and you have a sprain<br />
or a strain, or maybe you fall on the court<br />
and hurt your arm; and if you’re having<br />
trouble breathing, experience any kind of<br />
chest pain, any of the signs of stroke that<br />
we talk about, that’s the time to call 911<br />
immediately,” Coppin said. “Those are the<br />
things for which you don’t want to just go<br />
home and see what happens in an hour.”<br />
Another benefit of pickleball for seniors,<br />
Coppin added, is the social interaction.<br />
“Those interactions are a lot more impor-<br />
See PICKLEBALL, page 34
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I SPORTS I 19<br />
St. Charles West’s Krueger wins big at Forest Park Festival race<br />
By WARREN MAYES<br />
St. Charles West sophomore Brianna<br />
Krueger admitted she was thinking of<br />
how she was going to celebrate before she<br />
reached the finish line.<br />
Krueger ran a personal-best time of 18<br />
minutes and 26.9 seconds on the 5-kilometer<br />
course in the 19th Forest Park Festival<br />
cross country meet. That time was best in<br />
the Green Division, which is the top group<br />
of runners.<br />
“On the home stretch, I was just thinking<br />
to myself, I have to celebrate,” Krueger<br />
said. “This is my first big win. When I got<br />
to the finish, I held up the ‘one.’ I was just<br />
so happy I think I was on top of the world<br />
in that moment.<br />
school record time of 18:21.<br />
“I was only five seconds off, so hopefully<br />
I will be able to get it,” Krueger said.<br />
Cor Jesu junior Mary McKenzie came in<br />
second at 18:35.9. St. Joseph’s Academy<br />
junior Savannah Amann finished third at<br />
18:38.7.<br />
Krueger was aware there was going to<br />
be good competition in the race.<br />
“Coming into the race, I knew there were<br />
going to be some really talented girls in the<br />
field, especially Mary, Savannah and even<br />
some really talented girls coming in from<br />
out of town that I knew were going to give<br />
me a run for my money,” Krueger said. “I<br />
was definitely looking forward to getting<br />
to really compete in the field, instead of<br />
just running for time.”<br />
She wanted to keep it simple. Krueger<br />
decided to “not overthink things,” and<br />
have fun with her friends in the race.<br />
Krueger and McKenzie are “good<br />
friends,” but each wants to win.<br />
“It’s an interesting story. We first raced<br />
each other when I was in seventh grade<br />
and she was in eighth grade, but we didn’t<br />
really become good friends until this<br />
summer,” Krueger said. “We run together<br />
often, and I have made some of my best<br />
memories of running with her.<br />
“We always have a lot of fun and I am<br />
looking forward to running with her more<br />
in the future. It’s so much more fun to run<br />
with your best friends and I always have<br />
See KRUEGER, page 28<br />
Opening<br />
St. Charles West sophomore Brianna<br />
Krueger ran a personal-best time of<br />
18 minutes and 26.9 seconds on the<br />
5-kilometer course in the 19th Forest Park<br />
Festival cross country meet. That time was<br />
best in the Green Division, which was the<br />
top group of runners. (Photo by Greg Horstmann)<br />
“There are two meanings to the celebration,<br />
though. One is because I won, but<br />
also giving glory to my Lord and savior<br />
Jesus Christ.”<br />
Second-year head coach and St. Charles<br />
West graduate Sheldon Keence said he<br />
was “extremely proud” of the way Krueger<br />
competed in the race.<br />
“The field was very good, as most of the<br />
St. Louis region competed at the meet,”<br />
Keence said. “There were also some standout<br />
teams and athletes from out of state at<br />
the meet as well.”<br />
Her time was a personal best, but it was<br />
not a school record. She’s close to the<br />
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©20<strong>24</strong> SSM Health. All rights reserved. GSC-STL-<strong>24</strong>-21177<strong>10</strong> 8/<strong>24</strong><br />
Fall 20<strong>24</strong>!
20 I ST. LOUIS BLUES I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Blues defenseman Krug undergoes surgery, will miss entire season<br />
By WARREN MAYES<br />
St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug<br />
knew when to say when.<br />
Krug will miss the entire 20<strong>24</strong>-25 season.<br />
He made the difficult decision to have surgery<br />
on his left ankle. The recent operation<br />
was successful. He had screws inserted<br />
into his troublesome ankle.<br />
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey<br />
Operations and General Manager Doug<br />
Armstrong said the surgery “went well.”<br />
The decision to have surgery was made<br />
following an effort to rehabilitate the injury<br />
through non-surgical interventions. It was<br />
a choice without a lot of options, and it left<br />
Krug emotional.<br />
“It’s a big part of the people that are<br />
around you,” Krug said, fighting back tears<br />
when he spoke to the media. “The Blues<br />
have been amazing; my teammates have<br />
been great. I’ll be around for sure. That’s<br />
what I’ve known and loved for so long.”<br />
Krug was hoping for a different ending<br />
to the ankle saga.<br />
“You always try to hold out hope that<br />
you get healthy,” Krug said. “Obviously,<br />
at some point, you do have to commit to<br />
fixing it. Before that, I was just kind of<br />
holding out hope and trying to be as honest<br />
(Lou Countryman photo)<br />
as possible with the Blues.”<br />
There were things he tried, like riding<br />
the stationary bike. That helped with his<br />
conditioning level. But little else could be<br />
accomplished.<br />
“It was one of those things where I realized<br />
it wasn’t going to work,” Krug said.<br />
“We had to make plans otherwise.”<br />
Armstrong agreed.<br />
“I think it was something he played with,<br />
he hoped he could get over it, and that rest<br />
would heal things,” Armstrong said. “Then<br />
he started to train and skate, and it wasn’t<br />
getting better.”<br />
Krug gave in to the inevitable.<br />
“It’s something I was going to have to<br />
do regardless at some point in my life,”<br />
Krug said. “I thought I would have to do it<br />
when I was 50, down the road, and retired.<br />
I always knew it was one of those things<br />
that would have to be done. It’s just disappointing<br />
and sad that it has to be now.”<br />
Krug, 33, was originally signed by the<br />
Blues on Oct. 9, 2020 as a free agent. Last<br />
season, the Livonia, Michigan, native<br />
posted 39 points (four goals, 35 assists)<br />
and 32 penalty minutes in 77 regular-season<br />
games.<br />
Through four seasons with the Blues,<br />
Krug has recorded 146 points (22 goals,<br />
1<strong>24</strong> assists) and 154 penalty minutes in 255<br />
regular-season games.<br />
In total, he has appeared in 778 career<br />
regular-season games with both Boston<br />
and St. Louis, totaling 483 points (89 goals,<br />
394 assists) and 374 penalty minutes.<br />
He has been playing with pain for some<br />
time. The injury happened in the 2018<br />
Stanley Cup playoffs in a game against the<br />
Tampa Bay Lightning when Krug played<br />
for the Boston Bruins.<br />
“Over the last few years, it’s starting to<br />
get worse and worse,” Krug said. “I’ve<br />
been able to manage it for so long now.<br />
Last year was definitely tough trying to<br />
manage the pain level.”<br />
In the season following his injury, the<br />
Bruins met the Blues in the Stanley Cup<br />
final. The Blues won.<br />
After another season with the Bruins,<br />
Krug signed a seven-year, $45.5 million<br />
contract with the Blues.<br />
In his four seasons with St. Louis, Krug<br />
hasn’t played an entire campaign. Last<br />
year, he saw time in 77 games, the most<br />
since coming to play for the Blues.<br />
Armstrong admires Krug.<br />
“He’s a truly highly competitive player.<br />
To play that position at his stature in the<br />
league for a number of years, you’re getting<br />
exposed to big hits, and you’re playing<br />
against bigger men,” Armstrong said. “He<br />
has a lot of fight inside of him and that’s<br />
what got him to this level and has made<br />
him a good player.”<br />
As one of the team’s best puck-moving<br />
and offensive defensemen, Krug’s absence<br />
from the Blues lineup leaves a particularly<br />
big hole for the club.<br />
To help fill the gap this season, St. Louis<br />
See KRUG, page 23<br />
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22 I ST. LOUIS BLUES I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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20<strong>24</strong>-2025 Regular Season Schedule<br />
HOME AWAY<br />
OCTOBER<br />
Oct. 8 at Seattle • 3:30 p.m.<br />
Oct. <strong>10</strong> at San Jose • 9:30 p.m.<br />
Oct. 11 at Vegas • 9 p.m.<br />
Oct. 15 vs. Minnesota • 6:30 p.m.<br />
Oct. 17 vs. New York • 7 p.m.<br />
Oct. 19 vs. Carolina • 6 p.m.<br />
Oct. 22 vs. Winnipeg • 7 p.m.<br />
Oct. <strong>24</strong> at Toronto • 6 p.m.<br />
Oct. 26 at Montréal • 6 p.m.<br />
Oct. 29 at Ottawa • 6 p.m.<br />
Oct. 31 at Philadelphia • 6 p.m.<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
Nov. 2 vs. Toronto • 6 p.m.<br />
Nov. 5 vs. Tampa Bay • 7 p.m.<br />
Nov. 7 vs. Utah • 7 p.m.<br />
Nov. 9 vs. Washington • 6 p.m.<br />
Nov. 12 vs. Boston • 7 p.m.<br />
Nov. 14 at Buffalo • 6:30 p.m.<br />
Nov. 16 at Boston • 12 p.m.<br />
Nov. 17 at Carolina • 4 p.m.<br />
Nov. 19 vs. Minnesota • 7 p.m.<br />
Nov. 21 vs. San Jose • 7 p.m.<br />
Nov. 23 at New York • 6:30 p.m.<br />
Nov. 25 at New York • 6 p.m.<br />
Nov. 27 at New Jersey • 6 p.m.<br />
Nov. 30 vs. Philadelphia • 6 p.m.<br />
DECEMBER<br />
Dec. 3 at Winnipeg • 7 p.m.<br />
Dec. 5 at Calgary • 8 p.m.<br />
Dec. 7 at Edmonton • 9 p.m.<br />
Dec. <strong>10</strong> at Vancouver • 9 p.m.<br />
Dec. 12 vs. San Jose • 7 p.m.<br />
Dec. 14 at Dallas • 7 p.m.<br />
Dec. 15 vs. New York • 5 p.m.<br />
Dec. 17 vs. New Jersey • 7 p.m.<br />
(Lou Countryman photo)<br />
Dec. 19 at Tampa Bay • 6 p.m.<br />
Dec. 20 at Florida • 6 p.m.<br />
Dec. 23 at Detroit • 6 p.m.<br />
Dec. 27 vs. Nashville • 7 p.m.<br />
Dec. 29 vs. Buffalo • 2 p.m.<br />
JANUARY<br />
Jan. 3 vs. Ottawa • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 4 at Columbus • 6 p.m.<br />
Jan. 7 at Minnesota • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 9 vs. Anaheim • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 11 vs. Columbus • 6 p.m.<br />
Jan. 14 vs. Calgary • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 16 vs. Calgary • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 18 at Utah • 8 p.m.<br />
Jan. 20 at Vegas • 5 p.m.<br />
Jan. 23 vs. Vegas • 7 p.m.<br />
Jan. 25 vs. Dallas • 6 p.m.<br />
Jan. 27 vs. Vancouver • 6:30 p.m.<br />
Jan. 31 at Colorado • 8 p.m.<br />
FEBRUARY<br />
Feb. 2 at Utah • 6 p.m.<br />
Feb. 4 vs. Edmonton • 7 p.m.<br />
Feb. 6 vs. Florida • 7 p.m.<br />
Feb. 8 vs. Chicago • 6 p.m.<br />
Feb. 22 vs. Winnipeg • 6 p.m.<br />
Feb. 23 vs. Colorado • 5 p.m.
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I ST. LOUIS BLUES I 23<br />
Feb. 25 vs. Seattle • 7 p.m.<br />
Feb. 27 at Washington • 6 p.m.<br />
MARCH<br />
March 1 vs. Los Angeles • 7 p.m.<br />
March 2 at Dallas • 5 p.m.<br />
March 5 at Los Angeles • 9:30 p.m.<br />
March 7 at Anaheim • 9 p.m.<br />
March 8 at Los Angeles • 7 p.m.<br />
March 13 at Pittsburgh • 6 p.m.<br />
March 15 at Minnesota • 7 p.m.<br />
March 16 vs. Anaheim • 5 p.m.<br />
March 18 at Nashville • 8 p.m.<br />
March 20 vs. Vancouver • 6:30 p.m.<br />
March 22 vs. Chicago • 2 p.m.<br />
(Lou Countryman photo)<br />
March 23 vs. Nashville • 5 p.m.<br />
March 25 vs. Montréal • 7 p.m.<br />
March 27 at Nashville • 7 p.m.<br />
March 29 at Colorado • 3:30 p.m.<br />
APRIL<br />
April 1 vs. Detroit • 7 p.m.<br />
April 3 vs. Pittsburgh • 7 p.m.<br />
April 5 vs. Colorado • 6 p.m.<br />
April 7 at Winnipeg • 6:30 p.m.<br />
April 9 at Edmonton • 9 p.m.<br />
April 12 at Seattle • 9 p.m.<br />
April 15 vs. Utah • 7 p.m.<br />
All games are Central Standard Time<br />
and subject to change.<br />
KRUG, from page 20<br />
signed veteran Ryan Suter to a one-year,<br />
incentive-laden contract. The Blues also<br />
brought Edmonton’s Philip Broberg via<br />
an offer sheet.<br />
Members of the St. Louis defensemen<br />
corps include Colton Parayko, Nick<br />
Leddy, Suter, Matthew Kessel, Justin<br />
Faulk and Scott Perunovich, along with<br />
newly acquired players Broberg and<br />
Pierre-Olivier Joseph.<br />
Some possibilities to fill Krug’s role<br />
are Perunovich, Broberg and Joseph.<br />
Perunovich won the Hobey Baker<br />
Award with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.<br />
The 26-year-old Perunovich<br />
contributed to their third pair of<br />
defensemen occasionally on the power<br />
play last season.<br />
The Edmonton Oilers did not match<br />
the two-year, $9.16 million deal that St.<br />
Louis gave the 23-year-old Broberg. He<br />
has the size for a defenseman at 6-foot-3<br />
and is known as a fast skater.<br />
Joseph, 25, signed a one-year contract<br />
worth $950,000. The Laval, Quebec,<br />
native appeared in 52 regular-season<br />
games last season with the Pittsburgh<br />
Penguins, where he clocked 11 points<br />
(two goals, nine assists) and 14 penalty<br />
minutes. Joseph was drafted by the Arizona<br />
Coyotes in the first round, 23rd<br />
overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.<br />
In his 147 career NHL regular-season<br />
games, Joseph has totaled 37 points<br />
(eight goals, 29 assists) and 66 penalty<br />
minutes.<br />
Blues coach Drew Bannister said he<br />
has choices in the lineup and he’ll be<br />
able to sort it out during the training<br />
camp.<br />
“Not having him (Krug) is going to<br />
be tough, and we’re going to ask some<br />
guys to have to step up,” Bannister said.<br />
“A guy like Matthew Kessel, we believe,<br />
is going to take a step for us. We bring<br />
in Ryan Suter, who’s a veteran presence,<br />
has played a lot in this league, that’s<br />
going to be able to bring some of our<br />
young players along.<br />
“Where does P.O. Joseph fit in? Where<br />
does Scotty Perunovich fit in? Where<br />
does Tyler Tucker fit in? I’m excited to<br />
see that competition, and they’re going<br />
to sort it out themselves.”<br />
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<strong>24</strong> I ST. LOUIS BLUES I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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By WARREN MAYES<br />
INTERIM COACH NO MORE<br />
During the offseason, the St. Louis Blues<br />
removed the interim tag from coach Drew<br />
Bannister and signed him to a two-year<br />
contract, making him the 27th head coach<br />
in the franchise’s history.<br />
Bannister, 50, was originally named<br />
Blues interim head coach on Dec. 12,<br />
2023. In 54 regular-season games, he led<br />
the Blues to a 30-19-5 record (65 points),<br />
which stood as the 12th-best points percentage<br />
overall during that timespan. The<br />
Blues also posted an 18-9-2 record at<br />
Enterprise Center, which ranked as the<br />
<strong>10</strong>th-best home mark.<br />
Craig Berube, who was the interim coach<br />
when the Blues won the Stanley Cup in<br />
2019, was fired following a 6-4 loss against<br />
the Detroit Red Wings last December. Bannister<br />
was brought up from Springfield, out<br />
of the American Hockey League.<br />
In Bannister’s first game at the tiller, the<br />
Blues scored a 4-2 win against the Ottawa<br />
Senators.<br />
Bannister guided the team to significant<br />
improvements in several categories,<br />
including a climb from 23rd to 12th (2.87)<br />
in goals-against per game, 31st to 13th<br />
(22.8) in power play, 20th to 13th (79.4%)<br />
in penalty kill and 21st to 16th in the final<br />
regular-season standings (43-33-6, 92 pts).<br />
Overall the Blues saw an 11-point<br />
improvement from 2022-23 (37-38-7, 81<br />
pts), finishing with their 15th winning<br />
season in the past 16 years and their 21st<br />
campaign of 90 points or better.<br />
“I believe in myself and the process that<br />
I’ve gone through for almost nine, <strong>10</strong> years<br />
now as a coach and continue to grow and<br />
continue to be better,” Bannister said.<br />
NEW ADDITIONS<br />
The St. Louis Blues have missed reaching<br />
the postseason the past two seasons.<br />
St. Louis finished 43-33-6 for 92 points<br />
last season. That was seven points short of<br />
gaining a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs.<br />
With the new season almost here, optimism<br />
is high. Helping this are several new<br />
additions to the club.<br />
The Blues signed restricted free agent<br />
defenseman Philip Broberg and forward<br />
Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton<br />
Oilers, to a two-year contract. St. Louis<br />
also added forwards Radek Faksa in a<br />
trade with the Dallas Stars, Mathieu Joseph<br />
in a trade with the Ottawa Senators and<br />
Alexandre Texier in a trade with Columbus<br />
Blue Jackets.<br />
St. Louis also signed two free agents<br />
– Ryan Suter, who was with Dallas, and<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Blues Notes: no more ‘interim’ •<br />
new additions • dual goalies<br />
(Lou Countryman photo)<br />
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who was with the<br />
Pittsburgh Penguins.<br />
“We’re certainly faster. I think we’re<br />
bigger, we’re heavier,” head coach Drew<br />
Bannister said. “It’s certainly going to<br />
allow us to play a more aggressive game,<br />
which we wanted to do.”<br />
St. Louis President of Hockey Operations<br />
and General Manager Doug Armstrong<br />
believes the Blues can break that<br />
two-year absence from postseason play.<br />
“I think that we’ve changed the outlook<br />
of our team,” Armstrong said. “We have<br />
a lot of NHL-caliber players that have<br />
experience at a young age in our group<br />
right now and they’re going to push to take<br />
ice time and to play up the lineup. I think<br />
we’re in a good spot right now where we<br />
expect to compete.”<br />
The team has a good mix of veterans and<br />
youth. There is varied experience but it’s<br />
all good, Armstrong said.<br />
GOALIE TANDEM<br />
The Blues have veteran Jordan Binnington<br />
back in goal with Joel Hofer backing<br />
him up.<br />
Binnington rebounded with a solid<br />
season last year. He posted a 28-21-5<br />
record with a 2.84 goals-against average<br />
and .913 save percentage last season.<br />
Hofer went 15-12-1 with a 2.65 GAA,<br />
and a .914 save percentage.<br />
The <strong>24</strong>-year-old Hofer might be pushing<br />
Binnington for more playing time.<br />
That’s what Armstrong wants to see.<br />
“Yeah, I think competition is strong for<br />
any organization,” Armstrong said. “We<br />
have it now in all positions: forward,<br />
defense and goalies. I think ‘Binner’ and<br />
‘Hof’ have a really great working relationship<br />
together and Joel is going to push,<br />
Binner is going to push.”<br />
Binnington, the 6-foot-5 netminder, led<br />
the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup championship.
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I WOMEN IN BUSINESS I 25<br />
WOMEN<br />
IN<br />
BUSINESS<br />
A special section featuring<br />
St. Charles County’s best<br />
and brightest female<br />
entrepreneurs and<br />
professionals.<br />
Barb Lampe<br />
Interior Designer/Owner<br />
Barb Lampe has a lifetime of experience creating<br />
beautiful interiors for homes throughout St. Louis.<br />
Today, her passion and expertise are on full display in<br />
every nook and cranny at B’s Home Gallery.<br />
“We have furniture, home decor and gifts – a little<br />
something for everyone,” Barb said, of herself and her<br />
partner, Brian Grabowski. “We carry furniture, area rugs,<br />
cocktail tables, end tables, artwork, statement lighting and gifts. I could go one and on.”<br />
Located in a surprisingly spacious yet somehow cozy corner storefront in the Meadows at<br />
Lake Saint Louis, B’s Home Gallery features high-end consignment, new items and custom<br />
furniture. However, you’d never guess that any of the stunning items are consignment.<br />
“I’m very selective about the limited number of consignment items I accept because we<br />
want the caliber of our inventory to be exceptionally high and always fabulous,” Barb said.<br />
Working as an interior designer since 1987, Barb delights in helping customers find the<br />
perfect pieces for their home.<br />
“Even if we don’t have the exact piece, once I<br />
know what they want, I can keep my eye out for<br />
what they want and I will. I delight in helping<br />
people. My customers become friends!”<br />
Barb said she is glad that her new gallery is so<br />
convenient to both St. Charles and St. Louis<br />
counties. She invites people to stop in and visit<br />
Tuesday through Sunday. The gallery is open<br />
from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; <strong>10</strong> a.m.-5<br />
p.m on Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. on Sundays.<br />
21 Meadows Circle Drive, #317<br />
Lake Saint Louis<br />
(636) 265-0015 • barb@BHomeGallery.com<br />
bhomegallery.com<br />
Kathryn Hoover<br />
Co-owner<br />
Kathryn Hoover became a restaurateur<br />
three years ago when she and her<br />
husband, Rex, purchased Monical’s Pizza<br />
in O’Fallon. Her husband has 30 years<br />
with the company and has taught her “so<br />
much about offering great food and great<br />
customer service” – both of which are<br />
hallmarks of Monical’s Pizza in O’Fallon.<br />
“We have a very dedicated and friendly<br />
staff who work really hard to make and<br />
serve great pizza, appetizers, sandwiches,<br />
salads and pasta,” Kathryn said. “One of<br />
our unique creations is our Point Pizza.<br />
It’s a triangle-shaped pizza with a medium<br />
crust and a sweeter sauce. It’s so delicious!<br />
We also have Pepperollies – fresh baked<br />
rolls with pepperoni, puree sauce, four<br />
cheeses and marinara on the side. All can<br />
be enjoyed as dine-in or carry-out.”<br />
12<strong>24</strong> Hwy. K • O’Fallon<br />
(636) 980-1212 • monicals.com<br />
CONNECTIONS. IMPACT. SUCCESS. StCharlesRegionalChamber.com<br />
Wendy Rackovan, IOM<br />
VP of Marketing & Communications<br />
St. Charles Regional Chamber<br />
5988 <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> Mall Drive • St. Charles<br />
(636) 946-0633<br />
Shivani Bass, PT, DPT, CBIS • CEO<br />
The Rehabilitation Institute<br />
of St. Louis- St. Peters<br />
<strong>10</strong> Hospital Drive • St. Peters<br />
636-317-4000<br />
Nicole Collora, COTA/L, Owner<br />
Forget Me Not Adult Day Services<br />
1225 Jungermann Road • St. Peters<br />
(636) <strong>24</strong>4-0291<br />
forgetmenotadultdayservices.com<br />
Rep. Wendy Hausman<br />
Missouri House of Representatives<br />
St. Charles County District 65<br />
wendyhausman.com<br />
Paid for by Hausman for Missouri - Molly Dempsey, Treasurer<br />
Cathy Lenihan • Gateway Fiber<br />
Commercial Sales<br />
(636) 297-7355<br />
cathy.lenihan@gatewayfiber.com<br />
gatewayfiber.com<br />
Anna Meurer, MBA, CFP®, BFA, CHFC ®<br />
Sommer Investments, LLC<br />
1395 Triad Center Drive, Ste 4 • St Peters<br />
(636) 441-1700<br />
Anna@sommerinvestments.com<br />
Jannette Neely, Owner<br />
Nothing Bundt Cakes<br />
6123 <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> Mall Blvd. • St. Peters<br />
(314) 492-2325<br />
nothingbundtcakes.com<br />
Leslie Payne M.A., Director<br />
Little Guppy Child Development Center<br />
3151 Elm Point Industrial • St. Charles<br />
(636) 916-4280<br />
littleguppy.com<br />
Susan Sommer, CFS®, CFP®<br />
Sommer Investments, LLC<br />
1395 Triad Center Drive, Ste 4 • St Peters<br />
(636) 441-1700<br />
Susan@sommerinvestments.com<br />
Terri Violet<br />
Candidate for State Representative<br />
District <strong>10</strong>4<br />
(636) 734-1883<br />
violetformissouri.com<br />
Paid for by Violet for Missouri - Cynthia Priesmeyer, Treasurer
®<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
of Cottleville-Weldon Spring<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
Celebrating Women<br />
Celebrating Women
Celebrating Women<br />
of Cottleville-Weldon Spring<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Paid for by Hausman for Missouri -<br />
Molly Dempsey Treasurer
28 I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Kristi Quinn<br />
Client<br />
Outreach Director<br />
Kristi Quinn’s passion is to assist people.<br />
As the client outreach director at Quinn<br />
Estate and Elder Law, she helps individuals<br />
and families navigate the complexities that<br />
come with aging by evaluating senior living<br />
options, VA and Medicaid benefits eligibility.<br />
Though she holds several degrees,<br />
including an MBA from Washington<br />
University, she said her dedication to<br />
helping people began at age 15 when<br />
she worked as a receptionist at Gambrill<br />
Gardens Retirement Community. That’s<br />
where she learned the value of humble<br />
service.<br />
“Superior customer service is the<br />
fundamental strength of Quinn Estate and<br />
Elder Law. Our staff puts our clients first,”<br />
she said, “and our exceptional referrals<br />
are a testament to what we do here.”<br />
(636) 394-7<strong>24</strong>2<br />
kquinn@quinnestatelaw.com<br />
quinnestatelaw.com<br />
Kathy Beaven<br />
Independent<br />
Broker<br />
Kathy Beaven of Beaven Insurance<br />
LLC has been helping clients with<br />
Medicare insurance planning for more<br />
than 18 years. She can help seniors<br />
understand the difference between<br />
Medicare supplements and a Medicare<br />
Advantage Plan, the importance of drug<br />
plans and the details of dental and vision<br />
insurance.<br />
“Many people are bombarded with<br />
information from different carriers about<br />
the Medicare products they offer, and it<br />
can be hard to sort through it all,” Kathy<br />
said. Her goal is to get to know her<br />
clients and advise them on the Medicare<br />
Products that will best fit their lifestyle and<br />
budget. Do you have questions about<br />
Medicare? Call today for an appointment.<br />
160<strong>24</strong> Manchester Road • Ellisville<br />
(636) 549-3800<br />
www.kathybeaven.com<br />
Be the first to know.<br />
Local news, sports, schools stories, health and events<br />
delivered directly to your inbox.<br />
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KRUEGER, from page 19<br />
fun when racing with her.”<br />
Keence said the pair train together frequently,<br />
so “it was really cool to see them<br />
get to battle it out.”<br />
“Mary is a phenomenal runner and<br />
someone that Bri has really looked up to.”<br />
Keence said. “There will be many more<br />
times to see the two of them compete, and<br />
I can’t wait to watch and cheer them both<br />
on.”<br />
At the start, Krueger settled in, saying<br />
she does not like to lead in the first mile.<br />
So, she hung with the lead pack.<br />
“Then Mary made her move and I just<br />
matched it,” Krueger said. “Then we ran<br />
side by side until maybe 800 (yards) to<br />
go, then I pulled away to win it. My finish<br />
wasn’t bad, although I would have liked to<br />
have a little more in the tank.”<br />
Krueger ran a smart race, Keence said.<br />
“Brianna is a natural front-runner, so I<br />
was really proud of her for being patient<br />
and letting Mary make the first move. After<br />
that, Mary and Bri really pulled away from<br />
the rest of the field,” Keence said. “Bri’s<br />
strength really showed over the last mile<br />
as she was able to maintain the fast pace<br />
and naturally put some distance between<br />
herself and Mary.<br />
“It is the first really big win of her career,<br />
and I think the confidence that she gained<br />
from this race will be huge moving forward.<br />
I was pretty close to the finish line<br />
and I let out a pretty big ‘Heck ya.’ I was<br />
just so proud of her and instantly started<br />
thinking about how much confidence this<br />
would bring her.”<br />
Krueger has been running since the<br />
fifth grade. She started having success<br />
in seventh grade. That was when she<br />
decided that she “wanted to have a future<br />
Krueger (right) with Wildcats coach<br />
Sheldon Keence. (Photo by Greg Horstmann)<br />
in running.”<br />
She just loves to run.<br />
“Distance running is definitely not easy,<br />
but I am a very energetic person. I would<br />
probably be bouncing off the walls if I<br />
wasn’t running,” Krueger said. “I feel<br />
that running comes naturally to me, and<br />
it’s a part of my daily routine, just like<br />
brushing your teeth. Mentally, it does<br />
get tough sometimes, but I honestly love<br />
what I do.”<br />
This past summer, Krueger stepped up<br />
her training. Her coach said she is focusing<br />
on the little things to improve.<br />
She wants to run in college.<br />
“If you have a dream, chase it,” Krueger<br />
said. “We only have one life to live and<br />
one chance to be the best possible version<br />
of ourselves.”<br />
St. Charles West won the Class 3 state championship last fall. From left: Melaina Beilsmith,<br />
Reagan Govero, Genna Wacker and Brianna Krueger.<br />
(Photo by Greg Horstmann)
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I MATURE FOCUS I 29<br />
As older adults schedule annual flu vaccinations, it’s important to know that higher-dose<br />
shots are recommended for those over age 65.<br />
(Adobe Stock photo)<br />
News & Notes<br />
By LISA RUSSELL<br />
Higher dose equals<br />
better protection<br />
It’s once again time to schedule your<br />
annual flu shot – an especially important<br />
task for seniors, who typically account for<br />
most hospitalizations due to influenza and<br />
up to 85% of flu-related deaths.<br />
People over 65 have a few different<br />
options for those shots. In addition to the<br />
standard dose vaccine, they can choose<br />
either a high-dose vaccine containing<br />
four times the antiviral ingredients, or an<br />
“adjuvanted” vaccine which includes an<br />
additional ingredient to boost the body’s<br />
immune system. In 2022, the CDC’s Advisory<br />
Committee on Immunization Practices<br />
(ACIP) issued an official recommendation<br />
that over-65 adults should receive one of<br />
the two latter vaccine types.<br />
A recent large study by Kaiser Permanente<br />
backs up ACIP’s recommendation. The<br />
study included nearly a half million seniors<br />
who received one or more doses of flu vaccine<br />
during the 2022-2023 flu season.<br />
It found that, compared to standard-dose<br />
vaccines, high-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines’<br />
protectiveness against hospitalization<br />
for flu was much higher … estimated at<br />
25% and 62%, respectively. Effectiveness<br />
of high-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccine for<br />
preventing healthcare visits to doctors and<br />
urgent care centers due to the flu was estimated<br />
at 9% and 17% higher, respectively.<br />
“Our research showed that there were<br />
advantages for older people to receive<br />
high-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccines over<br />
the standard vaccine,” said Jennifer Ku,<br />
Ph.D., MPH, an infectious disease epidemiologist<br />
with Kaiser Permanente’s<br />
Department of Research & Evaluation.<br />
“While seasonal variation exists, it is<br />
expected that seniors will continue to benefit<br />
from flu vaccines that are stronger than<br />
the traditional standard-dose vaccines.”<br />
While side effects of high-dose or adjuvanted<br />
vaccines may occur slightly more<br />
often, they are similar to those of standard<br />
dose vaccines and include pain or redness<br />
at the injection site, headache, muscle<br />
aches and fatigue. The study was recently<br />
published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.<br />
Health issues in the<br />
20<strong>24</strong> election<br />
Adults over age 50 are expected to cast<br />
more than half of all ballots in the 20<strong>24</strong><br />
election, making them a critically important<br />
voting group. Issues related to healthcare,<br />
which have been key factors for older<br />
voters in the past, will again be in the forefront<br />
this November, according to an ongoing<br />
University of Michigan poll.<br />
The National Poll on Healthy Aging’s<br />
most recent findings make it clear that<br />
rising costs of healthcare, along with the<br />
risk of scams and fraud, weigh heavily on<br />
the minds of older Americans. Out of a total<br />
of 26 topics respondents were asked about,<br />
those topics ranked as their top concerns.<br />
In this nationally representative survey<br />
regarding health-related issues, older adults<br />
reported being most concerned about costs<br />
of healthcare and health insurance, as well<br />
as financial fraud. More than half of older<br />
adults in nearly all demographic groups<br />
reported being “very concerned” about the<br />
costs of medical care and prescription drugs.<br />
Women reported being more concerned<br />
than men overall, and those describing their<br />
views as liberal or moderate more concerned<br />
than conservatives, about these issues.<br />
The poll’s leaders say it’s clear that federal<br />
and state efforts to contain healthcare<br />
costs for seniors will remain a top priority.<br />
Healthcare and insurance assistance pro-<br />
See MATURE FOCUS, page 30<br />
an ESSENTIAL part of your<br />
DAILY ROUTINE<br />
<strong>Mid</strong><strong>Rivers</strong><strong>Newsmagazine</strong>.com<br />
is updated daily<br />
with the local news,<br />
events and information that<br />
impact your world.
30 I MATURE FOCUS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
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MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Melissa Q. Leavy<br />
Owner/Attorney<br />
ZOOM<br />
Meetings<br />
Available<br />
For Your<br />
Convenience<br />
PRACTICE AREAS:<br />
• Trusts, Wills and Powers of Attorney<br />
• Long-term Care Planning<br />
• Medicaid, Veterans Administration,<br />
and other government benefits<br />
• Special Needs Planning<br />
• Probate and Trust Administration<br />
• Guardianships and<br />
Conservatorships<br />
A caring approach to legal planning,<br />
representation and advocacy for<br />
older and disabled persons.<br />
220 Salt Lick Road • St. Peters<br />
(In the “Legal Center” Building)<br />
636-333-9160 or 83-ELDERLAW<br />
info@yourelderlawyers.com • yourelderlawyers.com<br />
live life to the fullest<br />
Breeze Park has been a wonderful<br />
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professional and compassionate,<br />
and I feel secure knowing that she is<br />
receiving good care.<br />
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Schedule a personal tour for Assisted Living<br />
or Memory Support at 636.<strong>24</strong>2.8944<br />
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Our special section featuring issues,<br />
events, products and services<br />
of interest to our<br />
50-plus readers.<br />
COMING<br />
November 6th<br />
Weldon Spring | Independent Living | Assisted Living<br />
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MATURE FOCUS, from page 29<br />
viders should also be equipped to counsel<br />
older adults about their health expenses,<br />
and guide them on ways to potentially<br />
reduce these costs.<br />
The National Poll on Healthy Aging, cosponsored<br />
by the University of Michigan<br />
and AARP, is a random survey of adults<br />
between 50 and <strong>10</strong>0 years of age conducted<br />
online and by phone. The recent survey<br />
was based on focus groups and pilot testing<br />
to identify the 26 health-related policy<br />
issues most important to older adults.<br />
On the calendar<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital offers Medicare<br />
counseling sessions on Tuesdays, Oct. 8<br />
and Nov. 12, at the St. Luke’s Resource<br />
Center, <strong>10</strong>1 St. Luke’s Center Drive in<br />
Chesterfield. Missouri SHIP services are<br />
free, unbiased, and confidential. Sign-up<br />
for a 60-minute session to learn more about<br />
your options and to select the right coverage<br />
to meet your needs. Appointment times<br />
are available at <strong>10</strong> a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1<br />
p.m. Sign up online at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital hosts a<br />
Stroke Support Group in-person meeting<br />
on Thursday, Oct. <strong>10</strong> from noon-2 p.m.<br />
in the hospital’s Clinical Learning Institute,<br />
3015 N. Ballas Road in St. Louis, in Room<br />
416. Whether you are a stroke survivor or<br />
taking care of a loved one, you are invited<br />
to join the support community. Light<br />
refreshments and snacks will be provided.<br />
There is no cost to participate. Register at<br />
classes-events.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Coffee<br />
and Conversations on Wednesday, Oct.<br />
16 from <strong>10</strong>-11 a.m. at the Desloge Outpatient<br />
Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive<br />
in Chesterfield, in Building A, Conference<br />
Room 3. Join monthly for a free cup of joe<br />
and a conversation with St. Luke’s health<br />
professionals about health and wellness<br />
topics. This month’s topic is Know Your<br />
Meds; learn about proper medication management,<br />
how to understand your personal<br />
medication list and gain confidence to<br />
discuss it with your healthcare providers.<br />
Register at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC Missouri Baptist Medical Center<br />
sponsors a Living a Healthy Life virtual<br />
class on Wednesdays, Oct. 16-Nov. 27, from<br />
1-3:30 p.m. All sessions will be held online<br />
via Zoom. This self-management course is<br />
for adults with chronic conditions. Participants<br />
learn and practice skills such as problem-solving<br />
and goal setting, how to cope<br />
with common symptoms, and dealing with<br />
the frustrations of living with chronic illness.<br />
The free class is presented by St. Louis Oasis.<br />
Register at classes-events.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital hosts a<br />
Today’s Grandparents class on Thursday,<br />
Oct. <strong>24</strong> from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Missouri<br />
Baptist Medical Center Clinical Learning<br />
Institute, 3005 N. Ballas Road. This handson<br />
class offers updates on current trends in<br />
infant care and feeding, and provides tips<br />
on local and long-distance grandparenting.<br />
The course fee is $20 per person (each<br />
person attending must register separately).<br />
Registration is available online at classesevents.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
The city of Chesterfield and St. Luke’s<br />
Hospital are teaming up for a Healthy<br />
Seniors Series this fall, beginning on Thursday,<br />
Oct. <strong>24</strong> from <strong>10</strong>-11 a.m. at Chesterfield<br />
City Hall, 690 Chesterfield Parkway West.<br />
Each free session will feature expert advice<br />
and practical tips you can use to improve<br />
your health. This month’s topic is Ensuring<br />
Safe Supplement Use; Oversight,<br />
Risks and Drug Interactions. Led by the<br />
St. Luke’s Pharmacy team, the event will<br />
examine current safety oversight of dietary<br />
supplements, discuss potential benefits and<br />
harms, and share strategies to safely manage<br />
supplements alongside prescription medications.<br />
To register, email olderadults@chesterfield.mo.us<br />
or call (636) 812-9500.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC Missouri Baptist Medical Center<br />
sponsors a Better Choices-Better Health<br />
Diabetes Virtual Class on Mondays, Nov.<br />
4-Dec. 16, from 9:30-noon. The free course,<br />
presented by St. Louis Oasis, is held online<br />
via Zoom. This workshop helps those<br />
living with diabetes to manage nutrition,<br />
family support and other daily challenges.<br />
Register online at classes-events.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Beyond Blood<br />
Sugar: Understanding the Heart-Diabetes<br />
Connection on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from<br />
5:30-7:30 p.m. at the hospital’s Institute for<br />
Health Education, 232 S. Woods Mill Road<br />
in Chesterfield. This free in-person program<br />
will start with a health fair featuring vendors,<br />
health experts, screenings and healthy snacks,<br />
followed by a speaker panel of St. Luke’s<br />
clinicians to answer your questions. (The<br />
speaker panel will also be streamed live via<br />
Microsoft Teams.) In-person attendees will<br />
have a chance to win attendance prizes. Register<br />
at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Stay in the<br />
Game: Preventing Pickleball Injuries on<br />
Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the<br />
St. Luke’s Institute for Health Education, 232<br />
S. Woods Mill Road in Chesterfield. Join<br />
for an informative session with Dr. Devon<br />
Myers, an orthopedic sports medicine physician<br />
with St. Luke’s Medical Group, to learn<br />
about common pickleball injuries, prevention<br />
strategies and rehabilitation tips. The<br />
program is free. Register at stlukes-stl.com.
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I MATURE FOCUS I 31<br />
You get better with age!<br />
Join our club designed for customers 50 and better<br />
• Exclusive perks and opportunities<br />
• Special rates on banking<br />
• Discounted world travel<br />
• Organized day trips<br />
• Monthly newsletters<br />
• And so much more!<br />
We’re redefining senior living<br />
with independence at the forefront.<br />
Senior living at Clarendale of St. Peters is anything but traditional.<br />
Why? We encourage and celebrate the independence of<br />
residents instead of focusing solely on their limitations. All are<br />
welcome to be themselves and make the most out of life.<br />
Discover an integrated environment between independent living<br />
and assisted living, where residents share amenities,<br />
life-enriching experiences, and many laughs. It’s the perfect<br />
balance of freedom and support.<br />
To learn more or schedule a visit, call 636-<strong>24</strong>2-6096<br />
or visit ClarendaleOfStPeters.com.<br />
INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE<br />
1700 O’Fallon Road • 636.638.2585 • mrvbanks.com<br />
Serving the St. Charles Community<br />
<strong>10</strong> DuBray Drive | St. Peters, MO 63376 em ClarendaleOfStPetersLIFE@ClarendaleOfStPeters.com<br />
LOVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST<br />
AT THE EMERSON AT ST. PETERS<br />
Now managed by Life Care Services®,<br />
an LCS® Company<br />
At The Emerson at St. Peters, we take everything independent<br />
seniors love about living in beautiful St. Peters, Missouri,<br />
and amplify it! Your best life awaits in our welcoming,<br />
vibrant community – now under the security of new expert<br />
management – with a variety of exceptional services, amenities,<br />
and floor plans that help make each day truly worry-free.<br />
THE EMERSON<br />
at St. Peters<br />
To learn more about the excitement taking place at our<br />
community and to schedule an in-person experience,<br />
call 636-355-8387.<br />
363 Jungermann Road | St. Peters, MO 63376 | TheEmersonSeniorLiving.com
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32 I HEALTH I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
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HEALTH<br />
CAPSULES<br />
By LISA RUSSELL<br />
A University of Missouri research<br />
team is advancing a groundbreaking<br />
treatment for arterial<br />
stiffening, a common condition<br />
leading to heart disease.<br />
(Adobe Stock photo)<br />
MU team advances<br />
groundbreaking heart<br />
disease treatment<br />
Three University of Missouri-Columbia<br />
medical researchers are making exciting<br />
progress toward treating – or even preventing<br />
– arterial stiffness, a condition that commonly<br />
leads to cardiovascular disease. Camila Manrique-Acevedo,<br />
M.D., Luis Martinez-Lemus,<br />
DVM, Ph.D., and Jaume Padilla, Ph.D.,<br />
have pioneered a molecular therapeutic that<br />
appears to reduce arterial stiffening and<br />
improve blood vessel function, which could<br />
eventually benefit millions of Americans.<br />
“We know that conditions such as diabetes,<br />
hypertension and obesity, as well as<br />
factors such as age, cause the vasculature to<br />
stiffen, and there have been no treatments<br />
to address that up to this point,” explained<br />
Martinez-Lemus, a professor of medical<br />
pharmacology and physiology in the MU<br />
School of Medicine.<br />
The team has received a $3 million grant<br />
from the National Institutes of Health to<br />
fund their research, which is based at Mizzou’s<br />
Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health<br />
building. Over the next five years, they will<br />
explore the mechanisms that drive arterial<br />
stiffening in people over age 60. They will<br />
also study the effectiveness of therapeutics<br />
such as empagliflozin (Empa), a medication<br />
currently used to lower blood sugar in people<br />
with type 2 diabetes, which has been shown<br />
to reduce artery stiffness and improve vascular<br />
function in other populations.<br />
While developing new treatments for<br />
complicated diseases typically takes years,<br />
several phases of the team’s research can<br />
take place simultaneously thanks to the<br />
university’s state-of-the-art facility.<br />
“The process of translating findings from<br />
animal models to humans is made seamless<br />
in part because of the resources available<br />
at the NextGen Precision Health building,”<br />
said Padilla, a professor in Mizzou’s<br />
College of Agriculture, Food and Natural<br />
Resources and the MU School of Medicine.<br />
Padilla added that although there is not<br />
yet a pharmacological treatment for vascular<br />
aging, everyone can maximize their<br />
vascular health by prioritizing a few key<br />
lifestyle habits.<br />
“Because arterial stiffening can start as<br />
early as adolescence, it’s vital that people<br />
commit to a healthy lifestyle, which will<br />
minimize their risk for cardiovascular<br />
disease,” he said. “That means exercising<br />
regularly, reducing sedentary time and<br />
maintaining a healthy body weight.”<br />
Is your doctor judging you?<br />
Most people would agree that being<br />
honest with your doctor is important to<br />
staying healthy – and critical to getting<br />
diagnosed accurately when something is<br />
wrong. But if you’ve ever felt reluctant<br />
to share personal beliefs with your doctor<br />
about your own health, medical conditions<br />
or conclusions you’ve reached after consulting<br />
“Dr. Google”… your instincts are<br />
right, according to a recent study.<br />
A survey of both physicians and patients<br />
conducted at Stevens Institute of Technology,<br />
a private research university in New<br />
Jersey, shows that doctors take strongly<br />
negative views of patients who share<br />
beliefs which are incorrect or unreasonable.<br />
“People worry about their doctors looking<br />
down on them – and it turns out that’s<br />
an entirely rational concern,” said Samantha<br />
Kleinberg, Ph.D., an associate professor<br />
at Stevens who led the project. “Our<br />
study suggests that doctors really do judge<br />
patients harshly if they share information<br />
or beliefs that they disagree with.”<br />
Kleinberg’s team randomly surveyed<br />
more than 200 physicians and 350 patients<br />
between ages 18-65, asking them how they<br />
would view people who held a range of<br />
different medical beliefs. Some were correct;<br />
some were incorrect but reasonable<br />
(like believing that eating sugar causes<br />
diabetes); some were both incorrect and<br />
unreasonable (like believing that drinking<br />
carrot juice can cure diabetes); and some<br />
were incorrect and conspiracy-based (like<br />
believing that pharmaceutical companies<br />
deliberately cause diabetes to create more<br />
customers for insulin).<br />
The more unreasonable a person’s health<br />
beliefs were considered, the more negatively<br />
those people were viewed, by both<br />
healthcare professionals and other patients.<br />
“We found that our subjects viewed people<br />
negatively if they held mistaken beliefs …<br />
but viewed them much more negatively if<br />
they held more unreasonable or conspiratorial<br />
beliefs,” Kleinberg said.<br />
“The degree to which healthcare professionals<br />
held negative perceptions towards<br />
patients espousing misinformation surprised<br />
us, and suggests doctors may need additional<br />
support and resources to effectively treat such<br />
patients.” While more research is needed, it’s<br />
clear that these physicians need to be doing<br />
more to make their patients feel safe and<br />
comfortable sharing information, she said.<br />
“If we want to have clear communication<br />
between patients and healthcare professionals,<br />
we need to change the way that doctors<br />
think about patients who are misinformed,”<br />
Kleinberg added. “Doctors need to overcome<br />
their tendency to judge patients, and<br />
actively encourage patients to share their<br />
thoughts – even their incorrect ones – much<br />
more freely than they currently do.”<br />
The study was published in Medical<br />
Decision Making.<br />
Millions use potentially<br />
liver-damaging supplements<br />
Well over half of American adults use<br />
nutritional supplements, according to<br />
data from a large ongoing study called<br />
the National Health and Nutrition Survey<br />
(NHANES). Although their goal is to<br />
improve their health, millions are taking<br />
one of six herbal supplements that could<br />
actually damage their livers, say scientists<br />
at the University of Michigan.<br />
The six supplements determined from<br />
past research to be potentially hepatoxic,<br />
or harmful to the liver, are turmeric, green<br />
tea extract, ashwagandha, black cohosh,<br />
A new survey found that doctors may judge patients negatively for expressing incorrect or<br />
unreasonable beliefs about their health.<br />
(Adobe Stock photo)
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garcinia cambogia and red yeast rice.<br />
“As a practicing hepatologist, I have seen<br />
patients who had liver injury from taking<br />
dietary supplements … and some were<br />
fatal which required emergency liver transplant.<br />
Data (has) reported the rates of liver<br />
injury due to botanical products has been<br />
on the rise, from 7% in 2004-2005 to 20%<br />
in 2013-2014,” said Alisa Likhitsup, M.D.,<br />
the study’s lead author. “Therefore, I had<br />
(an) interest to analyze the prevalence and<br />
see how many Americans were consuming<br />
these products.”<br />
The Michigan team focused on NHANES<br />
participants who reported using one of these<br />
supplements over a 30-day period. Their<br />
analysis found that just under 5%, or a total<br />
of 15.6 million Americans, were doing so.<br />
A major issue with all nutritional supplements<br />
is that the industry is not strictly regulated<br />
like prescription drugs are, and at least<br />
half have been shown to contain unlisted<br />
ingredients. That’s why these potentially<br />
hepatoxic supplements were so concerning<br />
to Likhitsup and her team, she explained.<br />
“How these products cause liver damage<br />
is not yet known but it is likely due to<br />
metabolism that occurs in the liver after the<br />
products were consumed,” she added. “We<br />
hope our results will increase awareness<br />
among patients and providers about these<br />
potentially liver toxic ingredients being<br />
consumed regularly among Americans.”<br />
The study’s results were recently published<br />
in JAMA, the journal of the American<br />
Medical Association.<br />
On the calendar<br />
BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers a<br />
Family & Friends CPR course on Saturday,<br />
Oct. 5 from 9 a.m.-noon at Missouri Baptist<br />
Medical Center, 3015 N. Ballas Road, in<br />
Auditorium Rooms 1, 2 and 3. This class uses<br />
the American Heart Association’s curriculum<br />
to teach hands-on CPR skills. Course does<br />
not include certification upon completion.<br />
Registration for a seat in this class is for two<br />
people. The cost is $50. Register at classesevents.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers<br />
a Babysitting <strong>10</strong>1 course on Saturday, Oct.<br />
5 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the SLCH Specialty<br />
Care Center West County, 13001 North<br />
Outer Forty Road in Town & Country. This<br />
interactive class, recommended for kids age<br />
<strong>10</strong> and above is a great introduction to the<br />
basics of babysitting. Participants are asked<br />
to bring a baby doll or stuffed animal, small<br />
swaddling blanket or light towel, baby bottle<br />
or water bottle, and a snack and closed drink.<br />
The cost is $25 per child. Advance registration<br />
is required at classes-events.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Let’s Cook!<br />
Power Protein Breakfasts on Tuesday,<br />
Oct. 15 from 9-<strong>10</strong> a.m. in Suite <strong>10</strong>4 of the<br />
Des Peres Medical Arts Pavilion II, 2315<br />
Dougherty Ferry Road in St. Louis. Join a<br />
St. Luke’s dietitian to learn about various<br />
high-protein breakfast options, and sample<br />
a delicious high-protein breakfast bowl<br />
during this free program. Register online<br />
at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
The St. Luke’s Book Club meets on<br />
Monday, Oct. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at<br />
the Desloge Outpatient Center, 121 St.<br />
Luke’s Center Drive, in Conference Room<br />
3 of Building A. Join a discussion of David<br />
Kim’s book, “Made to Belong: Five Practices<br />
for Cultivating Community in a Disconnected<br />
World.” The registration fee is<br />
$5 per person; all those who register will<br />
be sent a copy of Kim’s book. Register at<br />
stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital<br />
offers a Bariatric Surgery Information<br />
Session on Monday, Oct. 21 from 5:30-<br />
6:30 p.m., live via Zoom. Join a Washington<br />
University bariatric physician to learn<br />
more about surgical treatment options<br />
available at BJC for patients who meet<br />
certain criteria. To register for this free session,<br />
visit classes-events.bjc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital hosts Mom & Baby<br />
Expo on Thursday, Oct. <strong>24</strong> from 5-8 p.m.<br />
in the hospital’s Institute for Health Education,<br />
232 S. Woods Mill Road in Chesterfield.<br />
Join us for this free event designed<br />
to help parents in pregnancy planning<br />
through the transition to parenthood. New<br />
or future parents can ask questions to our<br />
expert speaker panel; visit vendor booths;<br />
meet our maternity nurse navigator; learn<br />
about our Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic<br />
for high-risk pregnancies; take a Birth<br />
Care Suite tour, and get tdap and flu shots<br />
(insurance card required). The event also<br />
includes light refreshments and attendance<br />
prizes. Register at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital and Schnucks offer a<br />
nutrition class on Monday, Oct. 28 from 2-3<br />
p.m. at Schnucks Kehrs Mill, 2511 Kehrs<br />
Mill Road in Ballwin. A St. Luke’s dietitian<br />
will discuss how to find and make healthier<br />
choices at the grocery store; how to read a<br />
food label; and nutrition recommendations<br />
for optimal health. Participants will also<br />
receive wellness resources, samples and a<br />
$<strong>10</strong> Schnucks gift card. The cost is $5 per<br />
person. Register at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Be Still to<br />
Chill: Basics of Meditation on Thursday,<br />
Nov. 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Desloge<br />
Outpatient Center Building A, 121 St.<br />
Luke’s Center Drive in Chesterfield, in Conference<br />
Room 3. Come to this free program<br />
to learn the basics of meditation in person,<br />
along with tips to support your meditation<br />
practice. Register at stlukes-stl.com.<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
BUSINESS<br />
BRIEFS<br />
PLACES<br />
O2B Kids, which provides care and education<br />
for children from infancy through prekindergarten,<br />
has opened its newest location<br />
at 2041 Bluestone Drive in St. Charles. The<br />
location features state-of-the-art classrooms,<br />
secure outdoor play areas and a dedicated<br />
team of experienced educators. Children will<br />
have the opportunity to explore, learn and<br />
grow through engaging activities and playbased<br />
learning experiences. For more information,<br />
visit O2BKids.com or call (636)<br />
306-5319.<br />
• • •<br />
Pink Willow Café has opened in historic<br />
Cottleville. The 1,200-square-foot boutique<br />
brunch restaurant is located at 5523 Oak<br />
Street and specializes in chef-prepared foods<br />
and ethically sourced hand-crafted coffee.<br />
The Lawrence Group provided the interior<br />
design. Visit pinkwillowcafe.com to learn<br />
more.<br />
• • •<br />
Boone Center, Inc. (BCI) joined forces<br />
with Emerson, Watlow Electric Manufacturing<br />
Co., and the Wentzville School<br />
District to establish three new vocational<br />
training programs for adults with intellectual<br />
and developmental disabilities. These<br />
programs provide participants essential<br />
St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer joins board members and ambassadors of<br />
the St. Charles Regional Chamber at the recent grand opening of O2B Kids,<br />
located at 2041 Bluestone Drive.<br />
(Photo provided)<br />
skills and hands-on experience for competitive<br />
careers in high-demand fields. The<br />
Emerson and Watlow programs are part of<br />
the Skills Center’s manufacturing curriculum.<br />
Emerson students will train to work as<br />
shop assistants at the company’s engineering<br />
facility on its Ferguson campus in St. Louis<br />
County. They will learn to build kits, stock<br />
lines, pack materials and prepare shipments.<br />
Students in the Watlow program will train to<br />
work as operators at the company’s Maryland<br />
Heights location in St. Louis County.<br />
They will learn to use an electronic sewing<br />
machine, sew by hand, read schematics and<br />
drawings, and cut materials using a laser<br />
cutter. The Wentzville School District course<br />
marks the launch of the Skills Center’s new<br />
custodial curriculum across any of the district’s<br />
21 schools. To learn more, call (636)<br />
875-5267 or visit boonecenter.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles<br />
County received the Program Impact Award<br />
at the Missouri Area Council Annual Conference<br />
in September. This award recognizes<br />
the nonprofit’s ACT Prep Program, which<br />
provides no-cost assistance to high school<br />
members who want to improve their ACT<br />
scores and build college and career readiness<br />
skills. Alongside ACT prep, students can<br />
learn resume building, receive help in class<br />
selection and learn college application strategies.<br />
Learn more at bgcstc.org.<br />
• • •<br />
BJC HealthCare, was named St. Louis<br />
Mosaic Project’s 56th Mosaic Ambassador<br />
Company. The recognition comes from BJC<br />
HealthCare’s efforts to foster a diverse and<br />
inclusive workplace by hiring foreign workers<br />
with a range of clinical specialties. In the<br />
last few years, BJC HealthCare has hired<br />
more than <strong>10</strong>0 international staff. The company<br />
plans to engage the Mosaic Project’s<br />
foreign-born community for recruitment<br />
opportunities to expand its talent pool. Additionally,<br />
it supports St. Louis’ growing international<br />
community by providing diversity<br />
and inclusion training, celebrating multicultural<br />
events/holidays and providing resource<br />
groups for its diverse associate groups.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Louis-based design/build general contractor<br />
Keystone Construction Company<br />
has completed the construction of corporate<br />
headquarters for both Tubular USA<br />
and SourceOne Solutions. Keystone built<br />
Tubular USA’s new 131,000-square-foot<br />
headquarters and manufacturing facility<br />
in Chesterfield and a 37,500-square-foot<br />
headquarters for SourceOne Solutions, LLC.<br />
Tubular USA is one of the largest suppliers<br />
of in-line galvanized pipe and tubing in<br />
the United States. SourceOne, located in<br />
O’Fallon, produces design, construction,<br />
maintenance and renovation of commercial<br />
lighting solutions. The architect on both projects<br />
was Gray Design Group. The engineers<br />
were Knapp Engineering and Civil & Environmental<br />
Consultants.<br />
PEOPLE<br />
Long-time board member and advocate of<br />
Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County<br />
Mike Plackemeier was inducted into Boys<br />
& Girls Club’s Missouri Area Council Hall<br />
of Fame on Sept. 17.<br />
PICKLEBALL, from page 18<br />
tant to older adults,” Coppin said. “It’s the<br />
ability to have something to look forward<br />
to. That’s important to mental health and<br />
leads to physical health as well.”<br />
“It would be very difficult to figure out<br />
how many calls we have run related specifically<br />
to pickleball,” said John Romeo,<br />
deputy chief medical officer for the St.<br />
Charles County Ambulance District. “This<br />
is not to say we have not run some calls<br />
related to folks playing it, just that nothing<br />
really jumps out.”<br />
Romeo pointed out that any kind of<br />
activity can lead to injuries, that is why<br />
he recommends all athletes follow general<br />
safety guidelines.<br />
“(They should be sure to) stretch, warm<br />
up your muscles appropriately before<br />
participating and stay hydrated,” Romeo<br />
said. “If they have the opportunity to, get<br />
checked by and get the blessing of their<br />
primary (healthcare) provider before participating.”<br />
But even with the risk of injury, Romeo<br />
said he believes the benefits of picking up<br />
a new physical activity usually outweighs<br />
the risk.<br />
“Any activity where older adults can<br />
safely participate that leads to physical<br />
activity is a win,” Romeo said. “When<br />
an activity such as pickleball leads to an<br />
individual being less sedentary, it is generally<br />
a healthy activity. I still consider it a<br />
very overall attractive physical activity if<br />
it leads to older adults, or any one for that<br />
matter, being more physically active.”<br />
Romeo added that he and his wife have<br />
been considering giving pickleball a try.<br />
Playing professionally<br />
Dylan Frazier didn’t expect pickleball to<br />
become such a huge part of his life when<br />
his mom introduced him to the game in<br />
2016. At the time, he was 14 years old and,<br />
unlike a lot of pickleball players, didn’t<br />
have a tennis background. But, like many<br />
gherkin (newbie) pickleball players, Frazier<br />
quickly became hooked. In 2021 he<br />
officially turned pro.<br />
“At the beginning you couldn’t make<br />
a career out of it. In 2016 pro pickleball<br />
didn’t really exist,” Frazier said. “Now you<br />
can make a living out of just playing tournaments<br />
on the tour. It turned more into a<br />
career once money started pouring into it.”<br />
Now, at the age of 22, Frazier, of Ashland,<br />
Missouri, is ranked number one in the<br />
world in Men’s Doubles. He is currently<br />
also a business student at Mizzou and<br />
splits his time between Columbia and Boca<br />
Raton, Florida. He said in 2019 and 2020,<br />
things changed as professional tours, like<br />
the Professional Pickleball Association<br />
(PPA) that Frazier plays under, emerged<br />
and pickleball began gaining serious traction.<br />
Frazier competes in 25-30 tournaments a<br />
year, including doubles, mixed doubles and<br />
singles events. The once small, niche sport<br />
has exploded, with international stops on<br />
the tournament schedule for 2025 in Australia,<br />
India, Europe and Canada.<br />
“The goal is to have it in the Olympics<br />
by 2032 with the UPA (United Pickleball<br />
Association) expanding internationally,”<br />
Frazier said. “I think we’re on the brink<br />
of an explosion of pickleball in Southeast<br />
Asia. I predict that it’s going to be as big<br />
over there soon as it is in the United States.”<br />
Pickleball is so popular in the United<br />
States that entertainment venues dedicated<br />
to playing the sport have been popping up.<br />
Earlier this year Frazier attended the grand<br />
opening for the St. Charles location of<br />
Chicken N Pickle. The company is a sponsor<br />
of his.<br />
While Frazier said most of his professional<br />
competitors are under the age of<br />
30, he said he thinks the sport is popular<br />
amongst older adults because it’s an active<br />
sport, but not too demanding.<br />
“Contrary to other racquet sports, it’s<br />
physically easier. The court is smaller,”<br />
Frazier said. “Unless you’re playing singles.<br />
But it’s a great combination of physical<br />
competition and social interaction. It’s<br />
kind of like the new golf, but for younger<br />
age groups. You can win and be competitive,<br />
but you can also socialize, have a few<br />
drinks and hang out. The game itself is<br />
pretty easy to learn.”<br />
Frazier did have one warning:<br />
“Don’t get started if you’re not ready for<br />
it to take over a large portion of your life<br />
and activities because, once you get started,<br />
it will take over your life,” Frazier said.
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 35<br />
New Perspective opens with independent, assisted and memory care options<br />
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The goal of New Perspective, now<br />
open in Weldon Spring, is to provide<br />
older adults with everything they need<br />
to “Live Life on Purpose!”<br />
“There are three things that are critical<br />
to thriving as older adults: nutrition,<br />
physical activity and socialization,”<br />
Doug Anderson, senior vice president of<br />
marketing and culinary. “New Perspective<br />
provides all three for older adults in<br />
independent living, assisted living and<br />
memory care.”<br />
Anderson says one of the biggest concerns<br />
families face is whether to allow<br />
an aging family member to live alone at<br />
home. He suggests older adults do better<br />
when they live in a community of their<br />
peers, where nutrition, physical activity<br />
and socialization are built in.<br />
“Seniors who live at home can grow<br />
tired of cooking,” Anderson explained.<br />
“Appetites also tend to decline as we age,<br />
so an older adult who is living at home<br />
might take the easier and less nutritional<br />
path of eating pre-packaged, highly<br />
processed options that can be high in<br />
sodium, fat and sugar.”<br />
At New Perspective, great care<br />
has been taken in crafting a dining<br />
program that is nutritionally sound,<br />
beautifully appetizing and tastes like<br />
(New Perspective photo)<br />
a chef-prepared, restaurant-quality meal,<br />
which is exactly what it is.<br />
“There is quite a process that goes into<br />
creating the menu that our residents enjoy,”<br />
Anderson explained. “In addition to a dining<br />
room menu that has 15 to 20 unique selections,<br />
there is a new special feature every<br />
day. Dining room guests can choose from<br />
a variety of options including pastas, homey<br />
favorites and seafood.<br />
“Our executive chefs are also given days<br />
when they can respond to special requests<br />
from the residents or maybe they’ll prepare<br />
a special recipe that a resident used to make.<br />
We also have a Bistro that’s available for<br />
grab-and-go items both for the residents and<br />
the team members.”<br />
The Bistro also doubles as a pub in the<br />
afternoon where complimentary happy<br />
hours for residents who want to participate<br />
are held.<br />
New Perspective offers plenty of options<br />
for socializing and staying physically active.<br />
Amenities include on-site workout facilities,<br />
a network of physical and occupational<br />
therapy providers, and on-site nurses and<br />
rounding doctors, who are ready to help<br />
residents achieve their goals and stay active.<br />
Group fitness classes provide both physical<br />
and mental health benefits for residents of<br />
all abilities.<br />
Pets also play a vital role in keeping<br />
older adults physically and socially<br />
engaged, which is why New Perspective<br />
is pet-friendly. Being able to move-in with<br />
a beloved animal companion also removes<br />
one of the most frequent reasons older<br />
adults list when asked why they are living<br />
at home.<br />
“Isolation and loneliness are major players<br />
when it comes to hastening overall decline,”<br />
Anderson noted.<br />
In a community like New Perspective, it’s<br />
easy for like-minded adults to make new<br />
social connections over dinner, during conversation<br />
in the common areas, while playing<br />
cards or other games, in fitness classes<br />
or while working the dog. The list goes on<br />
and on.<br />
“Our staff also really has a passion for<br />
serving older adults,” Anderson said,<br />
“which provides a depth of social interaction<br />
from day one.”<br />
For older adults who are in need of<br />
memory care, New Perspective offers a<br />
one-of-a-kind approach that turns its large<br />
facility into a cozy neighborhood.<br />
“We call our memory care Betty’s<br />
Harbor,” explained Anderson, “in honor of<br />
the woman who inspired New Perspective’s<br />
creation. What we’ve done is we’ve taken<br />
this big building where we can provide all<br />
sorts of resources, and within it created an<br />
environment for our memory care residents<br />
that is very homelike, small and cozy and<br />
comfortable.<br />
“Inside Betty’s Harbor, we have individual<br />
neighborhoods. Even the dining room is<br />
very small and intimate. There’s an undeniable<br />
warmth and home-like quality at New<br />
Perspective, of which we are very proud.”<br />
Learn more and schedule a tour by calling<br />
(636) 229-1311 today.<br />
New Perspective<br />
400 Siedentop Road • Weldon Spring<br />
(636) 229-1311 • npseniorliving.com<br />
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754 Spirit 40 Park Drive • Chesterfield, MO 63005
36 I EVENTS I<br />
BE INFORMED, MEET ELECTED OFFICIALS<br />
Oct. 4 | Rep. Tricia Byrnes –<br />
Undocumented Worker Crime<br />
Oct. 11 | Rep. Wendy Hausman –<br />
Border Observance Trip<br />
Oct. 18 I Denny Hoskins –<br />
Running for Secretary of State<br />
Oct. 25 I Sen. Bill Eigel –<br />
The Campaign for Governor/What’s Next<br />
MEETING LOCATION:<br />
B. Hall’s Family Grill | 3782 Monticello Plaza Dr I O’Fallon 63304<br />
FRIDAY LUNCH MEETINGS AT NOON<br />
FOLLOW US<br />
St. Charles County<br />
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NOW<br />
OFFERING<br />
DOOR DASH<br />
AND<br />
UBEREATS<br />
Ask about our new lunch specials!<br />
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Limit 1 coupon per customer per visit.<br />
Must present ad. Expires 11/5/<strong>24</strong><br />
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October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
LOCAL<br />
EVENTS<br />
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT<br />
First Fridays are from 5-8 p.m. on the<br />
first Friday of every month at the Foundry<br />
Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in St.<br />
Charles. Visitors can spend time in the galleries,<br />
meet resident studio artists, engage<br />
with the community and enjoy a wide array<br />
of art programming, entertainment and<br />
special events. For details, visit foundryartcentre.org/first-fridays.<br />
• • •<br />
Twilight Market is from 3-7 p.m. on the<br />
second Saturday of every month through<br />
November at 301 Main St. in St. Peters,<br />
featuring artists, makers, vendors, musicians,<br />
food and drink. Free event. For<br />
details, visit stpetersmo.net.<br />
• • •<br />
The St. Charles Flea and Artisan Market<br />
is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Saturday<br />
of every month through December at St.<br />
Charles City Hall (Upper Level of City Hall<br />
Parking Garage), 200 N. Second St. This<br />
is an open-air market with various vendors<br />
including antiques, artwork, crafts and food.<br />
Erio’s<br />
Ristorante<br />
Since 1971<br />
Fresh Fish Daily • Certified Angus Beef<br />
Veal • Pasta • Hand-tossed Pizza<br />
951 Jungermann Rd • St. Peters<br />
928-0112<br />
For details, visit stcharlesflea.com.<br />
• • •<br />
October Exhibition – “Earth, Wind,<br />
Fire and Water” is on view at the Crossroads<br />
Arts Council, 3<strong>10</strong> West Pearce in<br />
Wentzville. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m.-<br />
3 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. For details, visit<br />
crossroadsartscouncil.org.<br />
• • •<br />
“Afield” by Linnea Ryshke, “In Plain<br />
Sight” by Gregg Louis and “Along the<br />
Way” by Abbi Ruppert are in the main<br />
gallery through Oct. 19 at The Foundry Art<br />
Centre, 520 N. Main Center in St. Charles.<br />
Details at foundryartcentre.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Wayne Newton Concert is at 3 p.m. on<br />
Sunday, Oct. 13 at Lindenwood’s J. Scheidegger<br />
Center For The Arts, 2300 West<br />
Clay St. in St. Charles. Tickets start at $45.<br />
For details, visit LUBoxOffice.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Pieces of the Heart Quilt Show is Oct.<br />
17-19 at the Wentzville Community Club,<br />
500 W. Main St. in Wentzville. Times vary.<br />
Details at crossroadsartscouncil.org/20<strong>24</strong>-<br />
quilt-show.<br />
• • •<br />
Relive St. Louis Revolutionary War<br />
History from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday,<br />
Oct. 19 at the St. Charles County Heritage<br />
Museum, 1630 Heritage Landing in St.<br />
The Best In Italian Cuisine<br />
Special Daily Features<br />
Chilean Sea Bass<br />
Sicilian Chops • Chicken Spedini<br />
Deep Fried Lobster Tails<br />
Includes Salad & Side Dish<br />
PVISIT US ON<br />
P<br />
Open Monday - Thursday 4 - 9 pm<br />
Friday and Saturday 11:30 am - <strong>10</strong> pm<br />
Closed Sunday<br />
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED<br />
Ask about Catering!<br />
FREE DRINK<br />
Only one and it has to be a<br />
house wine or house drink.<br />
Yes it can be a non Coke or non liquor thing.<br />
Limit one per table (Dom made me say that). Expires <strong>10</strong>/30/<strong>24</strong><br />
3072 Winghaven Blvd.<br />
Lakeside Shoppes Plaza<br />
636-561-5202<br />
3761 New Town Blvd.<br />
Right at the Hwy. 370<br />
636-925-2961<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Peters, featuring five tabletop miniature<br />
wargames of local battles of the American<br />
War of Independence in the West. Meet<br />
Steve Kling, local historian, author and<br />
game designer of The Attack on Cahokia.<br />
This event is free of charge and open to the<br />
public. For details, email info@bmhga.com.<br />
BENEFITS<br />
Quilt Show and Craft Sale is from <strong>10</strong><br />
a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Cornerstone<br />
United Methodist Church, 1151 Tom<br />
Ginnever Ave. in O’Fallon. Admission is<br />
free, but donations are accepted. Details at<br />
cornerstoneofallon.org.<br />
• • •<br />
The Tom Shaw Freedom Walk for<br />
Charities is at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13<br />
at Good News Brewery, 2886 S. Hwy. 94<br />
in Defiance. Tickets are $25 now or $30 at<br />
the door. For details, visit tomshawfoundation.org<br />
or call (314) 283-5064.<br />
• • •<br />
Weldon Springs Women’s Connection<br />
Luncheon is from noon-1:30 p.m. on<br />
Thursday, Oct. 17 at Whitmoor Country<br />
Club, 1<strong>10</strong>0 Whitmoor Drive in Weldon<br />
Spring. Speaker Audrey Hessler and a<br />
Chico fashion show are featured. The cost<br />
is $22 at the door. For reservations, call<br />
(314) 680-6060 or email mary_stremlau3@hotmail.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Mouse Races are at 7 p.m. (doors open<br />
at 6 p.m.) on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Pezold<br />
Banquet Center, 5701 Hwy. N in St.<br />
Charles. Cost is $20 per person or $160<br />
for a table of eight. Cash bar. Bring your<br />
own food. Must be 21 to attend. Proceeds<br />
benefit Marcy’s Project. For details, email<br />
LadiesAux7198@gmail.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Fort Zumwalt West Grad Night Golf<br />
Tournament is at 11 a.m. (registration at<br />
9:30 a.m.) on Monday, Nov. 4 at the Winghaven<br />
Country Club, 7777 Winghaven Blvd.<br />
in O’Fallon. Support the Class of 2025.<br />
$125 per person or $500 per four person<br />
team. Hole sponsorships are $<strong>10</strong>0. For<br />
details, email fzwgradnight@gmail.com.<br />
FAMILY & KIDS<br />
Family Fridays are from 2-4 p.m. on the<br />
second Friday of every month at the Heritage<br />
Park Museum, 1630 Heritage Landing<br />
in St. Peters. Each session has games and<br />
crafts, storytime and hands-on displays.<br />
Free event. Details at stccparks.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Art Start is at <strong>10</strong> a.m. every Tuesday<br />
at The Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main<br />
Center in St. Charles. Children create<br />
small art projects that pair with a story.<br />
See EVENTS, page 38
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I 37<br />
Inside or out, Magpie’s Café on Main is a not-to-be-missed dining destination<br />
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
By KATE UPTERGROVE<br />
There’s nothing quite like Historic<br />
Saint Charles in the fall, especially when<br />
a trip to Main Street includes Magpie’s<br />
Café. Choose to dine inside the picturesque<br />
home that once belonged to the<br />
city’s Spanish governor or outside on the<br />
restaurant’s ample patio. Multiple fireplaces<br />
add to the patio’s ambiance and<br />
make it an ideal location to gather with<br />
friends after taking in Legends & Lanterns<br />
on Main Street or to listen to live<br />
music on Fridays and Saturdays from Oct.<br />
4 through Oct. 19. View the schedule of<br />
musical guests at magpiesonmain.com.<br />
Regardless of which day and time you<br />
visit, one dish can’t be missed – Magpie’s<br />
legendary Baked Potato Soup, loaded with<br />
potatoes and topped with cheddar cheese,<br />
bacon and green onions. For more than 40<br />
years, it’s been a customer favorite, especially<br />
when a chill kisses the air. The rich<br />
and creamy soup is available as a standalone<br />
dish or better still, paired with quiche<br />
Magpie’s Café<br />
or as a starter to a full meal from the grill.<br />
The grill is available weather permitting<br />
and features menu offerings such<br />
as Beef Medallions in Mushroom Wine<br />
Sauce, a perfectly seared and seasoned<br />
<strong>10</strong>-ounce New York Strip Steak with<br />
Magpie’s signature herb compound butter,<br />
Ginger Glazed Salmon, Lemon Artichoke<br />
Chicken or Mediterranean Chicken with<br />
homemade tomato basil pico and feta<br />
cheese. All grill entrees come with a<br />
choice of two sides.<br />
“Everything is prepared to order using<br />
the freshest ingredients,” explained Magpie’s<br />
owner Bill Pieper.<br />
If you crave Mediterranean flavors<br />
but are visiting when the grill is closed,<br />
choose to indulge in the restaurant’s classic<br />
Mediterranean Salad. Mixed greens,<br />
kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes,<br />
cucumber, feta cheese, roasted red peppers<br />
and red onions are served on a bed of<br />
hummus and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.<br />
Or try the Mediterranean Pizza,<br />
which trades the mixed greens for spinach<br />
903 S. Main St. • St. Charles • magpiesonmain.com • (636) 947-3883<br />
Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays;<br />
and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays<br />
and the hummus for flatbread. Instead<br />
of the balsamic vinaigrette, the flatbread<br />
is brushed with garlic and olive oil and<br />
topped with jack cheese.<br />
Another popular flatbread combination<br />
might put you in the mood for football and<br />
tailgates. The Chicken Bacon Flatbread<br />
is loaded with grilled chicken, both jack<br />
and cheddar cheeses, bacon, tomatoes and<br />
green onions. Guests can choose to finish<br />
it with ranch and BBQ or Buffalo sauce.<br />
Hint: there are no wrong choices.<br />
If pasta is your pleasure, two great<br />
choices are Lasagna Florentine, made<br />
in-house with spinach, ricotta cheese and<br />
Italian sausage meat sauce, or a classic<br />
Cajun Shrimp & Andouille Sausage featuring<br />
roasted red pepper in a lick-yourbowl<br />
clean cream sauce.<br />
Top off lunch or dinner with a dessert<br />
that is undeniably “fall on a fork” – Grandmother’s<br />
Bread Pudding. Served warm and<br />
topped with caramel sauce, it’s studded<br />
with apples, raisins and dried cranberries.<br />
“We may not have originated Magpie’s<br />
Café, but we’re still using<br />
many of the original recipes<br />
– and bringing new and<br />
exciting menu items to the<br />
table,” Pieper said.<br />
Speaking of recipes, the<br />
A trio of favorites: Mediterranean Flatbread<br />
(above), Magpie’s famous Potato Soup and<br />
a slice of quiche.<br />
(Photos provided)<br />
Magpie’s Restaurant Cookbook is available<br />
at the café for just $19.95. The collection<br />
features more than 80 recipes and<br />
makes a great holiday gift. Gift certificates<br />
are also available in the café or by<br />
calling (636) 947-3883.<br />
Dine in, dine out or get it to go, but<br />
don’t miss the chance to enjoy Magpie’s<br />
Café on Main this fall.<br />
SPOOKTACULAR FOOD<br />
Pizza<br />
Appetizers<br />
Pasta<br />
Sandwiches<br />
Salad<br />
Beer & Wine<br />
ENJOY DELICIOUS FOOD & DRINKS<br />
ON MAIN STREET IN HISTORIC ST. CHARLES<br />
• Patio Dining<br />
• Live Music<br />
• Open 7 Days a Week<br />
SUN-TUES | 11am-3 pm<br />
WED&THURS | 11am-8pm<br />
FRI&SAT | 11am-9pm<br />
• Follow Us<br />
@MagpiesStCharles<br />
@magpiesonmain<br />
903 S. MAIN STREET | MAGPIESONMAIN.COM | 636-947-3883<br />
LIVE MUSIC<br />
EVERY FRIDAY<br />
& SATURDAY<br />
5:30PM-8:30PM<br />
O’FALLON<br />
October Special ...A Fang-tastic Value!<br />
16” Thin Crust<br />
OR 14” Pan Pizza<br />
with 1 topping<br />
ONLY<br />
$16<br />
Dine In and Carry Out Only.<br />
Must mention coupon. May not combine<br />
with other offers. Expires <strong>10</strong>/31/<strong>24</strong><br />
Order Online for Delivery<br />
12<strong>24</strong> Hwy K O’Fallon, MO 63366 | 636-980-1212<br />
@ Monical’s Pizza of O’Fallon, MO | Follow Us for Specials!<br />
We cater all your events!<br />
LUNCH EXPRESS<br />
11AM-4PM<br />
Large Slice of Cheese Pizza & Salad<br />
$8.45<br />
Chicken Sandwich with Salad<br />
$9.95<br />
$4.00 OFF<br />
Any Large Pizza<br />
or Pasta Dinner<br />
Sunday - Thursday.<br />
Dine in or Carryout. Not valid with any other<br />
offer. Expires <strong>10</strong>/31/<strong>24</strong>.<br />
Pizza, Pasta, Steaks Seafood, Salad<br />
Carryout & Delivery • Catering<br />
Large One<br />
Topping Pizza,<br />
any appetizer, large<br />
combination salad<br />
$8.95 OFF<br />
Sunday - Thursday.<br />
Dine in or Carryout. Not valid with<br />
any other offer. Expires <strong>10</strong>/31/<strong>24</strong>.<br />
$5 OFF<br />
W/ ANY PURCHASE<br />
$25.00<br />
OR MORE<br />
CARRYOUT<br />
Sunday - Thursday.<br />
Dine in or Carryout. Not valid with<br />
any other offer. Expires <strong>10</strong>/31/<strong>24</strong>.
38 I EVENTS I<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
EVENTS, from page 36<br />
Free event. For ages 2-5 with a caregiver.<br />
Details at foundryartcentre.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Little Nature Explorer Program is<br />
from <strong>10</strong>-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6<br />
at Broemmelsiek Park, 1795 Hwy. DD in<br />
Defiance. Enjoy a short hike, storytime,<br />
activities and a snack. Different themes<br />
each month. Topics include birds, mammals,<br />
reptiles, insects and more. For children<br />
5 and under, cost is $5. Children<br />
should dress for the weather and must be<br />
accompanied by an adult during the entire<br />
program. Pre-registration is required at<br />
sccmo.org or call (636) 949-7535.<br />
SPECIAL INTEREST<br />
The Kiwanis Club of Cottleville/<br />
Weldon Spring meets at noon on the first<br />
Monday of the month at Bandanas, 3446<br />
Pheasant Meadow Drive in O’Fallon. All<br />
are welcome. For details, email cwskiwanisclub@gmail.com.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Charles Riverwalk Market is from<br />
7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday mornings<br />
through Nov. 30 at the Foundry Art Centre<br />
Parking Lot, 520 N. Main Center in St.<br />
Charles, featuring fresh produce and crafts<br />
from local vendors, live music and more.<br />
For details, visit stcharlescitymo.gov.<br />
• • •<br />
The Rough Writers meet from 7-9 p.m.<br />
on the second Tuesday of the month at the<br />
Crossroads Arts Center, 3<strong>10</strong> W. Pearce<br />
Blvd. in Wentzville. Join this writing<br />
group to share writing, encourage others,<br />
and improve your skills. For details, contact<br />
deborahbowman12@yahoo.com.<br />
• • •<br />
The Wentzville Veteran’s Coffee<br />
Group meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday<br />
at the Wentzville Senior Center. Join<br />
for friendship and a cup of coffee.<br />
• • •<br />
Wheelers & Dealers of St. Charles<br />
Square Dance Lessons are from 7-9 p.m.<br />
on Thursdays through March at Friedens<br />
UCC, 1703 S Old Hwy 94 in St. Charles.<br />
$5 per lesson.<br />
• • •<br />
Friday Night Public Stargazing begins<br />
at sunset or 7 p.m. on clear Friday nights<br />
at the Broemmelsiek Park Astronomy Site,<br />
1593 Schwede Road in Wentzville. Free<br />
event. Advanced registration is requested<br />
for groups of <strong>10</strong> or more.<br />
• • •<br />
Vintage Market Days is from <strong>10</strong> a.m.- 4<br />
p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4; <strong>10</strong> a.m.-4 p.m. on<br />
Saturday, Oct. 5 and from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-3 p.m. on<br />
Sunday, Oct. 6 at The Lake St. Louis Equestrian<br />
Center, 6880 Lake St. Louis Blvd. This<br />
vintage-inspired market features original<br />
art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade<br />
treasures, home décor, outdoor furnishings,<br />
food, seasonal plantings and more. Tickets<br />
are $15 on Friday, $<strong>10</strong> on Saturday and $7<br />
on Sunday. Pre-purchased ticket holders<br />
will be let in an hour early on all three days.<br />
For tickets and details, visit vintagemarketdays.com/market/st.-louis.<br />
• • •<br />
Well Read Wonderers is from noon-2<br />
p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Broemmelsiek<br />
Park, 1795 Hwy. DD in Defiance. A<br />
nature-based book is selected each month<br />
to discuss and venture out on a nature hike,<br />
weather permitting. Free event, but preregistration<br />
is requested. For ages 18 and<br />
up. October’s book is “A Pocket Guide to<br />
Pigeon Watching” by Rosemary Mosco.<br />
For details, visit sccmo.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Heritage Museum Revolutionary<br />
War Lecture Series is from 6-7 p.m.<br />
on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the St. Charles<br />
County Heritage Museum, 1630 Heritage<br />
Landing in St. Peters. “The Life of<br />
Matchekewis,” presented by Kate Huffman.<br />
Ages 14 and up. Free event, but preregistration<br />
is required at sccmo.org or call<br />
(636) 255-6000.<br />
• • •<br />
Ranger-Guided Bird Walks is from<br />
8-9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 at The Park<br />
at New Melle Lakes, 400 Foristell Road in<br />
New Melle. Join park rangers on a 1-mile<br />
hike to observe the birds and learn about<br />
migration patterns. All ages are welcome.<br />
Wear weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy<br />
shoes and bring a water bottle. Free program,<br />
but pre-registration is required. For details,<br />
visit sccmo.org or call (636) 949-7535.<br />
• • •<br />
Figure Drawing is from 6-8 p.m.<br />
Wednesday, Oct. 17 at The Foundry Art<br />
Centre, 520 N. Main Centre in St. Charles.<br />
Draw from a live model without instruction.<br />
Practice figure drawing at your own<br />
pace. $15 per session. For details, visit<br />
foundryartcentre.org.<br />
• • •<br />
St. Charles Comic & Toy Show is<br />
from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20<br />
at the Steel Shop Athletics & Events, 49<br />
Lawrence St. in St. Charles. Celebrating<br />
the 35th anniversary of the 1989 “Batman”<br />
movie. Entry is $5. Free entry for kids 12<br />
and under and for military with photo ID.<br />
Free entry after 2:30 p.m.<br />
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• 1 Room or Entire Basement<br />
• FREE Design Service<br />
• Finish What You Started<br />
• As Low as $25 sq. ft.<br />
• Professional Painters, Drywall Hangers,<br />
Tapers, Licensed Plumbers and Electricians<br />
POWER WASHING<br />
Removal of Mold & Dirt from Siding Gutters Whitened<br />
Also Available: Window & Gutter Cleaning<br />
Call Now!<br />
636.<strong>24</strong>4.0461<br />
JetStreamCleaningServices.com Serving the area since 2003<br />
TOP GUNN FAMILY<br />
CONSTRUCTION INC.<br />
Build and Repair Decks & Fences,<br />
All Painting, Wallpaper Removal,<br />
Powerwash/Stain Decks, Finish Basements,<br />
Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths<br />
Senior Discounts • Military Discounts<br />
First responders must show ID<br />
Call Today • 636-466-3956<br />
www.topgunnfamilyconstruction.com<br />
DECK STAINING<br />
NEAT • ON TIME • AFFORDABLE<br />
• NO Spraying or Rolling Mess!<br />
• NO Money Down!<br />
• Fully Insured • References<br />
NOW ACCEPTING:<br />
BRUSH ONLY<br />
BY BRUSH ONLY<br />
314-852-5467<br />
www.deckstainingbybrushonly.com<br />
43 Years!<br />
PRESSURE TREADED, CEDAR AND HARDWOODS<br />
Serving the St. Charles, St. Louis & Surrounding Counties<br />
• Tree Trimming • Stump Grinding • Bobcat Work<br />
• Concrete Work • Storm Damage Clean Up<br />
Fully Insured!<br />
All Work Guaranteed!<br />
Call Today for a FREE ESTIMATE!<br />
636-373-1387<br />
Military & Senior<br />
Discounts Available!<br />
Tree Removal<br />
$<strong>10</strong>0 OFF<br />
or<br />
<strong>10</strong>% OFF<br />
Any other Service<br />
TREE SERVICE<br />
Any tree removal estimated value of<br />
$999 or more. Must Mention ad the<br />
same time as estimate. Not valid<br />
with other discounts. Exp: <strong>10</strong>/31/<strong>24</strong><br />
THE FAN MAN<br />
INSTAllATIoN ProFESSIoNAlS<br />
Ceiling Fans • Wholehouse Fans<br />
Gable Vent Fans • Recessed Lighting<br />
Specializing in installation for two story homes<br />
with no wiring on first floor.<br />
When Handyman Quality Just Won't Do.<br />
(314) 518-0231<br />
ROOFING<br />
TUCKPOINTING<br />
GUTTERS • LEAFGARD<br />
314-968-7848<br />
stlroofing.com<br />
30+ YEARS<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
County House Washing<br />
& Painting<br />
A+<br />
RATED<br />
INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR<br />
PAINTING SPECIALIST<br />
PAINTING • STAINING • POWERWASHING<br />
Mike Lynch 636.394.0013<br />
WWW.COUNTYHOUSEWASHING.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE<br />
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
October 2, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I EVENTS I 39<br />
Old Fashioned Hay Rides are Fridays<br />
and Saturdays from Friday, Oct. 4 through<br />
Saturday, Nov. 9 at Broemmelsiek Park, 1795<br />
Hwy. DD in Defiance. Bring friends and<br />
enjoy a 45-minute scenic hayride through<br />
the park ending with a campfire to roast<br />
your own treats. All ages welcome. The cost<br />
is $125 per wagon. Groups of up to 20 may<br />
reserve a wagon at 5,6,7 or 8 p.m. To register,<br />
visit sccmo.org or call (636) 949-7535.<br />
• • •<br />
Fall Harvest Festival is from 9 a.m.-3<br />
p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Broemmelsiek<br />
Park, 1795 Hwy. DD in Defiance. Enjoy<br />
music, vendors, a corn maze, hayrides, historical<br />
demonstrations and more. Free event.<br />
For details, visit sccmo.org or call (636) 949-<br />
7535.<br />
• • •<br />
The Assumption Parish Fall Festival is<br />
noon-11 p.m. on Oct. 5 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m<br />
on Oct. 6 on the church grounds, 403 North<br />
Main St. in O’Fallon. The event features<br />
15-minute haunted hayrides, a raffle of a oneyear<br />
Assumption School tuition, food, live<br />
music from Polly and the Pocket and Whiskey<br />
Bent and many more activities. Learn<br />
more at assumptionabvm.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Witches in Cottleville is from 3-<strong>10</strong> p.m.<br />
on Saturday, Oct. 5 in Historic Cottleville,<br />
5342 Hwy N., for a frightening evening of<br />
entertainment, cocktails, food, shopping,<br />
dancing, costume contests, and more. Leave<br />
husbands, kids, and pets at home. Must be 21<br />
and older. Rain or shine. No outside coolers,<br />
cans, or bottles are allowed. Tickets start at<br />
$45. No refunds. To purchase tickets, visit<br />
witchesincottleville.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Old-Fashioned Hayrides are at 6:30 p.m.<br />
on Thursdays and Fridays and 5 p.m. and<br />
6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, Oct.<br />
<strong>10</strong>-27 at Fort Zumwalt Park, <strong>10</strong>00 Jessup<br />
Drive West in O’Fallon, featuring a tractorpulled<br />
hayride through the historic park.<br />
Guest are welcome to bring their own food.<br />
Rides last about 30 minutes. Prices start at<br />
$175 for groups of 20 and are scheduled on<br />
a first-come, first-served basis – at least twoweeks<br />
notice is required. To submit a hayride<br />
request form, visit ofallon.mo.us/hayrides.<br />
• • •<br />
Trunk-or-Treat is from <strong>10</strong> a.m.-2 p.m. on<br />
Saturday, Oct. 12 at the St. Charles County<br />
Police Department, <strong>10</strong>1 Sheriff Dierker<br />
Court in O’Fallon. For children ages 12 and<br />
younger accompanied by parents or guardians.<br />
Free drop-in event. Details at sccmo.org.<br />
• • •<br />
Legends & Lanterns takes place each<br />
weekend from Saturday, Oct. 12 through<br />
Sunday, Oct. 27 on Main Street in Historic<br />
St. Charles. Seasonal characters share<br />
haunted tales, music, games, spooky history<br />
and more. Details at discoverstcharles.com/<br />
events/legends-lanterns.<br />
• • •<br />
Spirits of the Past is from 6-<strong>10</strong> p.m. on<br />
Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Historic Daniel<br />
Boone Home, 868 Hwy. F in Defiance.<br />
Dark tales and superstitions of the 1800s<br />
are brought to life. Walk through lanternlit<br />
paths in the historic park and listen to<br />
stories of the past. Limited tickets will be<br />
available to reserve between 6 and 9 p.m.<br />
When you arrive, a specific time will be<br />
assigned to tour the Boone Home; each<br />
tour is limited to 15 guests at a time. Each<br />
vignette will repeat every 8-<strong>10</strong> minutes.<br />
Tickets are $15 per person. To register,<br />
visit stccparks.com.<br />
• • •<br />
Trunk or Treat is at 6 p.m. on Thursday,<br />
Oct. 17 at St. Peters Justice Center, corner of<br />
Suemandy and Grand Teton Drive. Meet St.<br />
Peters Police and other area first responders.<br />
Participants should bring a candy-collecting<br />
container. Free drop-in event. Details at stpetersmo.net.<br />
• • •<br />
Halloween Concert is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday,<br />
Oct. 22 at the Cultural Arts Centre, 1 St.<br />
Peters Centre Blvd. The St. Charles County<br />
Symphony will play spooky tunes. Kids are<br />
invited to dress in their costumes for a parade<br />
and candy. Free event but seating is limited.<br />
Details at stpetersmo.net.<br />
• • •<br />
Halloween Trivia Night is at 7 p.m.<br />
(doors open at 6 p.m.) on Friday, Oct. 25 at<br />
the Foundry Arts Centre, 520 N. Main Center<br />
in Saint Charles. General trivia themes with<br />
a twist. Includes prizes, surprises, a silent<br />
auction, a raffle and more. Bring snacks<br />
and table decorations. Costumes welcome.<br />
Tables of <strong>10</strong> cost is $250. Singles is $25.<br />
Reserve online at aohtrivianight.com.<br />
MID RIVERS CLASSIFIEDS • 636.591.00<strong>10</strong> • CLASSIFIEDS@NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM<br />
COLLECTIBLES<br />
WANTED TO BUY<br />
• SPORTS MEMORABILIA •<br />
Baseball Cards, Sports Cards,<br />
Cardinals Souvenirs and<br />
Memorabilia. Pre-1975 Only.<br />
Private Collector:<br />
314-302-1785<br />
DECKS<br />
Deck Staining<br />
Brushed & Rolled Only<br />
No money up front/Warranty<br />
Free Estimates<br />
Insured/A+BBB<br />
EverythingDecks.net<br />
(636) 337-7733<br />
ELECTRICAL<br />
ERIC'S ELECTRIC<br />
Licensed, Bonded and Insured:<br />
Service upgrades, fans, can lights,<br />
switches, outlets, basements,<br />
code violations fixed, we do it<br />
all. Emergency calls & back-up<br />
generators. No job too small.<br />
Competitively priced.<br />
Free Estimates.<br />
Just call 636-262-5840<br />
GARAGE DOORS<br />
DSI/Door Solutions, Inc.<br />
Garage Doors, Electric Openers.<br />
Fast Repairs. All makes & models.<br />
Same day service. Free Estimates.<br />
Custom Wood and Steel Doors.<br />
BBB Member • Angie's List<br />
Call 314-550-4071<br />
www.dsi-stl.com<br />
HAULING<br />
J & J HAULING<br />
WE HAUL IT ALL<br />
Service 7 days. Debris, furniture,<br />
appliances, household trash, yard<br />
debris, railroad ties, fencing, decks.<br />
Garage & Basement Clean-up<br />
Neat, courteous, affordable rates.<br />
Call: 636-515-6611<br />
Email: jandjhaul@aol.com<br />
HOME IMPROVEMENT<br />
HAPPY HANDYMAN SERVICE<br />
"Don't Worry Get Happy"<br />
Complete home remodel/<br />
repair kitchen & bath, plumbing,<br />
electrical, carpentry. <strong>24</strong>HR<br />
Emergency Service. Commercial<br />
and Residential. Discount for<br />
Seniors/Veterans.<br />
636-541-9432<br />
AFFORDABLE CARPENTRY<br />
Kitchen Remodeling, Wainscoting,<br />
Cabinets, Crown Molding, Trim,<br />
Framing, Basement Finishing,<br />
Custom Decks, Doors, Windows.<br />
Free estimates!<br />
Anything inside & out!<br />
Call Joe 636-699-8316<br />
REMODEL & REPAIR<br />
Rotted wood, Painting, Tile,<br />
Drywall, Floors, Electrical,<br />
Carpentry, Plumbing,<br />
Power Washing. Insured.<br />
FREE ESTIMATES<br />
Tom Streckfuss 314-9<strong>10</strong>-7458<br />
sbacontractingllc@gmail.com<br />
THE YARD GUY<br />
Flower Bed Maintenance<br />
We Pull Weeds<br />
CALL OR TEXT<br />
636•358•8800<br />
WE ARE THE GROUNDS KEEPERS<br />
HELP WANTED<br />
Direct Support Professionals<br />
$18/hour<br />
Must have license, car, insurance<br />
and diploma.<br />
www.sevitahealth.com<br />
HELP WANTED<br />
SEEKING QUALIFIED SALES EXECUTIVES<br />
Job Requirements include: Meet deadlines & multi-task in<br />
fast-paced environment; genere advertising revenue from existing<br />
& new clients; strong communication & closing skills<br />
* EXCELLENT EARNINGS POTENTIAL *<br />
Interested candidates, please email resumes to:<br />
info@newsmagazinenetwork.com<br />
LANDSCAPING<br />
Aeration and over<br />
seeding, cleanup<br />
leaves and gum balls,<br />
erosion work,<br />
landscaping and sod<br />
HOLIDAY LIGHTING<br />
314-568-4870<br />
PAINTING<br />
DEFINO’S<br />
PAINTING SERVICES<br />
EST. 2006<br />
Interior & Exterior Painting<br />
Deck Staining<br />
- Insured & Free Estimates -<br />
definospainting.com<br />
314-707-3094<br />
PLUMBING<br />
ANYTHING IN PLUMBING<br />
Good Prices! Basement<br />
bathrooms, small repairs & code<br />
violations repaired. Fast Service.<br />
Certified, licensed plumber - MBC<br />
Plumbing - Call or text anytime:<br />
314-409-5051<br />
PET SERVICES<br />
Yucko’s<br />
Your Poop Scoop ‘n Service<br />
FREE Estimates<br />
314-291-7667<br />
www.yuckos.com<br />
TREE SERVICES<br />
Complete Tree Service for<br />
Residential & Commercial<br />
Tree Pruning & Removal<br />
Plant Health Care Program<br />
Deadwooding • Stump Grinding<br />
Deep Root Fertilization<br />
Cabling & Storm Clean Up<br />
ISA Certified Arborists<br />
Doug Beckmann MW-5255A<br />
Teresa Hessel MW-5754A • Brad Meyer MW-5286A<br />
Free Estimates • Fully Insured<br />
314-426-2911<br />
meyertreecare.com<br />
WEDDING SERVICES<br />
ANYTIME ANYWHERE<br />
- CEREMONIES -<br />
• Marriage Ceremonies<br />
• Vow Renewals • Baptisms<br />
• Pastoral & Graveside Visits<br />
Full Service Ministry<br />
(314) 703-7456<br />
To place a Classified ad, go to midriversnewsmagazine.com<br />
or call 636.591.00<strong>10</strong> ext. 21
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*$1 share deposit required. Must qualify for membership. Federally insured by NCUA. APY=Annual Percentage Yield. APYs accurate as of 8/1/2023. Rates may change after account is<br />
opened. To qualify for the 3.51% APY, you must perform the following each calendar month (statement cycle): (1) Have a minimum of 25 debit card purchases post to the account; (2) have at<br />
*$1 share least deposit one direct required. deposit Must or one qualify ACH for debit/credit membership. post to Federally the account; insured and (3) by receive NCUA. your APY=Annual monthly statement Percentage electronically. Yield. APYs If qualifications accurate are as of met 8/1/2023. each calendar Rates month may (statement change after cycle): account (1) is<br />
opened. balances To qualify up for to $25,000 the 3.51% receive APY, APY you of must 3.51%; perform and (2) the balances following over each $25,000 calendar earn 0.<strong>10</strong>% month dividend (statement rate on cycle): the portion (1) Have of the a balance minimum over of $25,000. debit If card qualifications purchases are post not met, to the all account; balances (2) have at<br />
least one earn direct 0.<strong>10</strong>% deposit APY. Domestic or one ACH ATM debit/credit fees incurred post using to debit the account; card during and calendar (3) receive month your (statement monthly cycle) statement will be electronically. reimbursed up to If qualifications $25.00 and credited are met to account each calendar on the last month day (statement cycle): (1)<br />
of monthly statement cycle. See firstcommunity.com for full disclosure.<br />
balances up to $25,000 receive APY of 3.51%; and (2) balances over $25,000 earn 0.<strong>10</strong>% dividend rate on the portion of the balance over $25,000. If qualifications are not met, all balances<br />
earn 0.<strong>10</strong>% APY. Domestic ATM fees incurred using debit card during calendar month (statement cycle) will be reimbursed up to $25.00 and credited to account on the last day<br />
of monthly statement cycle. See firstcommunity.com for full disclosure.