Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-18-22

Vol. 19 No. 10 • May 18, 2022 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

Melissa Liang named 

Teacher of the Year 

PLUS: Riverpointe Update ■ Your Guide to Summer Concerts ■ St. Peters Road Improvements

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STAR PARKER 

Students must take 

responsibility for their debt 

Lending money is not, as they say, rocket 

science. 

According to the Federal Reserve Bank 

of St. Louis, in the last quarter of 2021, of 

the total of all outstanding business loans 

from all commercial banks, 1.08% were 

delinquent. 

Per the Federal Reserve Bank of New 

York, as of second quarter 2021, a little 

over 2% of the $1.4 trillion outstanding in 

auto loans were delinquent. 

Yet in the student loan market, totaling 

around $1.6 trillion, not that different from 

the total size of the auto loan market, an 

average of 15% are in default at any given 

time, per the Education Data Initiative. 

It should be clear what the problem is. 

Auto lenders make sure that those to 

whom they lend can and will pay back the 

loan. They are careful because if the borrower 

defaults, the lender loses. 

But if, tomorrow, President Joe Biden 

or Sens. Elizabeth Warren or Bernie 

Sanders decide that it is not fair that 

there are Americans without new cars 

and managed to get government guarantees 

for auto loans, is there any doubt 

that there would be a dramatic rise in 

defaults on car loans? 

Those lending wouldn’t care who they 

lend to because they wouldn’t take the 

loss on a default. You and I, we taxpayers, 

would, as we will if Biden and his party 

have their way to wipe out student loans. 

Of course, “wipe out” is not the right terminology. 

Debts don’t get wiped out. They 

just get transferred to someone else. In the 

case of government guarantees, that someone 

else is taxpayers. 

The concept of student loans backed 

by the government is another child of the 

allegedly compassionate 1960s. 

Doesn’t it make sense to help the less 

fortunate obtain funds to pay for college? 

But as many theologians and philosophers 

have noted, the greatest charitable 

act is to help another individual take control 

of their own life. Teaching personal 

responsibility is the most valuable gift that 

one can provide another. 

Our American compassion, our moral 

compass, has gone awry. 

A child growing up in America today 

looks around and finds himself or herself in 

a nation where debt is larger than the entire 

economy, and still growing. 

But just as inflation shows that the costs 

of fiscal irresponsibility cannot be hidden, 

so the costs of teaching our youth that personal 

responsibility is irrelevant cannot 

be hidden. It manifests in the destructive 

behavior we see now. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that one 

student loan adviser told them, “I’m seeing 

them say, ‘I’m going to take out more loans 

now and go buy GameStop stock with it 

because it’s going to get forgiven anyway.’” 

A new Gallup survey reports “32% of 

currently enrolled students pursuing a 

bachelor’s degree report they have considered 

withdrawing from their program for a 

semester or more in the past six months.” 

Thirty-six percent attribute this to financial 

reasons. But 76% attribute to “emotional 

stress.” 

Of course, the universities love this. 

What business wouldn’t think the government 

subsidizing purchase of its product is 

a great idea? 

Per the American Enterprise Institute, 

from January 2000 to December 2021, college 

tuition costs increased 175% and college 

textbook costs increased 150%. Over 

the same period, the consumer price index 

for all items increased 65.5%; prices of 

cars, household furnishings and clothing 

remained relatively unchanged; and cellphone 

services were down 40%, computer 

software down 71% and television sets 

down 97%. 

Per Education Data Initiative, highest 

default rate – 26.33% – is among arts and 

humanities majors attending nonselective 

schools. Can anyone really think such 

loans make sense? 

We need to help our youth who want 

education to get it. But it must be done 

prudently. 

Teaching our youth that they don’t need 

to pay back debts is not a good start. 

Misguided efforts by Biden and his party 

to cancel obligations on student loans 

should be vigorously opposed. 

• • • 

Star Parker is president of the Center 

for Urban Renewal and Education and 

host of the weekly television show “Cure 

America with Star Parker.” 

© 2022 Creators.com 

Read more on midriversnewsmagazine.com 

May 18, 2022 

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

I OPINION I 3 

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6 I OPINION I 



EDITORIAL 

We need to talk about Kim Gardner 

@MIDRIVERSNEWS 


We generally stay away from discussing 

St. Louis City. O’Fallon, Wentzville and 

Weldon Spring are all a good way from 

downtown. That said, when we travel to 

Chicago, or Nashville, or Indianapolis, and 

people ask where we are from, we generally 

respond with “St. Louis.” 

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner 

is doing as much as anybody to make that 

answer embarrassing. 

Gardner took office in January 2017. 

She campaigned on a progressive, reformoriented 

platform. That is perfectly fine, 

the criminal justice system could benefit 

from some fresh ideas. Reform, however, 

is not enough for Kim Gardner. She joined 

four other female, Black prosecutors in 

penning a 2020 opinion piece for Politico. 

In the essay, Gardner and her colleagues 

stated, “Unless we stop trying to reform 

the system and instead work to transform 

it, we will never achieve the kind of 

change needed to upend a system rooted 

in slavery.” 

Gardner has indeed transformed her 

office. She has overseen a 100% staff 

turnover. Prior to Gardner, the circuit 

attorney’s office included a staff of 60 

attorneys with an average tenure of around 

eight years. Today, the office has just 30 

attorneys with an average tenure of around 

four years. 

With fewer attorneys comes fewer cases. 

In 2019, Gardner’s office prosecuted just 

1,641 of the 7,045 felony charges sought 

by the St. Louis Police Department. Last 

summer, Gardner’s office had to dismiss 

three murder cases in a single week due 

largely to unprepared prosecutors. That is 

not reformation or transformation; that is 

an abomination. These were murder cases, 

not parking tickets. 

Gardner did find the time to sue the city 

of St. Louis, a.k.a. her employer, in federal 

court. In 2020, Gardner alleged a “racist 

conspiracy” among “entrenched interests” 

that was impeding her ability to reform her 

office. Her suit alleged violations of the 

Ku Klux Klan act of 1871. A federal judge 

quickly dismissed the case. U.S. District 

Judge John Ross described her suit as “a 

conglomeration of unrelated claims and 

conclusory statements supported by very 

few facts, which do not plead any recognizable 

cause of action.” 

Then, there is the recent reprimand that 

Gardner received for her office’s handling 

of the Eric Greitens case. She admitted to 

withholding documents from the defense 

in the case. The public reprimand feels 

like a slap on the wrist. Seven members 

of a grand jury that indicted an investigator 

from Gardner’s office in relation to the 

Greitens case clearly hoped for stronger 

punishment. They sent the disciplinary 

panel looking into Gardner a letter that 

described her actions as “calculated deceit 

and/or outright incompetence; neither of 

which is acceptable behavior for a person 

holding this public office.” 

Kim Gardner is the city of St. Louis’ first 

Black circuit attorney. She is an intelligent, 

ambitious woman with innovative ideas 

around criminal justice reform. She is also 

a terrible prosecutor, who has brought disgrace 

to the office. 

Does this or should this matter to residents 

of St. Peters, St. Charles and Lake 

Saint Louis? Yes, it should and yes, it 

does. We are all residents of the St. Louis 

metro area just as we are residents of the 

state of Missouri and the United States 

of America. A recent City Journal article 

listed Gardner as one of the five worst 

prosecutors in the country. Jeff Roorda, 

business manager from the St. Louis 

Police Officer’s Association, described 

Gardner as “the worst prosecutor in the 

United States.” That brings shame down 

on all of us. 

The virtue of progress must be weighed 

against the costs, and Gardner’s receipts 

are way too high. 

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

Bethany Coad 

Suzanne Corbett 

Robin S. Jefferson 

DeAnne LeBlanc 

John Tremmel 

Responding to ‘You’re 

debt to me’ 

To the editor: 

The writer of the editorial “You’re debt 

to me” probably has never incurred a student 

loan, if the writer can only see a debt 

cancellation as a bribe. That is both cynical 

and insensitive. 

“Debt cancellation is an interesting 

phrase. Our parents called it bribery.” Yes 

it could be bribery if the person receiving 

the $10,000 was not in debt at all, but just 

added it as a surplus to his or her bank 

account. But debt cancellation means that 

the student already has a loan debt to the 

university of $10,000 or more, and the 

money is merely lightening a debt load 

that could be $100,000 or $200,000. It is 

merely a gesture to cover a few months of 

payments. 

The writer already admits that the cost 

of a college eduction is exorbitant and 

claims to solve the problem of student 

debt by lowering college budgets. That is 

a completely different problem than owing 

$100,000. 

Graduating students often do not find 

entry level jobs with a lot of discretionary 

funds in their salaries. They struggle to find 

the funds to pay their loans and may carry 

them for a decade or more. Meanwhile 

their parents are warning them to save for 

their retirement. The writer clearly has not 

experienced this kind of financial pressure. 

It is highly cynical to call a college debt 

cancellation “a bribe.” Walk a mile in the 

shoes of the indebted college student and 

experience the pressure of college loans, 

and you will understand the need for debt 

cancellation of $10,000, or even $50,000. 

William Tucker 

In favor of Star Parker 

To the editor: 

First and foremost I thoroughly enjoy 

Ms. Parker’s columns. Great work. 

And, like always, she was spot on with 

her comments on the mischief that the 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has 

been involved with since its inception. It’s 

a tool that Washington players will use to 

no good whenever they can. The Massachusetts 

Mob headed by Barney Frank and 

now Elizabeth Warren know that controlling 

the banking system is the quickest 

way to control the money and control the 

donors. 

But bankers put themselves in this 

position by not working together to keep 

government out of their businesses. Pushing 

up the FDIC minimum to $250,000 

from $100,000 during the crisis benefitted 

the banks – and did they really think 

that Washington wasn’t going to use that 

against them? While Frank was using his 

leverage to ratchet down lending standards 

it was George Bush that greased the skids 

with his near-sighted policies designed to 

get everyone into a home of their own. 

I agree with Ms. Parker that progressive 

politics are disastrous to a well functioning 

banking system, but it takes mixing them 

with fuzzy brained Republicans and gladhanded 

bankers to really screw things up. 

Joe Gallagher 

754 Spirit 40 Park Drive 

Chesterfield, MO 63005 

(636) 591-0010 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

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I 7 

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8 I NEWS I 





St. Louis Pen Show 

Modern & Vintage Pens • Notebooks • Paper • Ink 

Accessories • Ehemera • Cursive Handwriting • Auction and Much More! 

Friday, June 24 • 11:00am-6:00pm | Saturday, June 25 • 9:00am - 5:00 pm 

Sunday, June 26 • 10:00am - 3:00pm 

Over 100 vendors with pens from all over the world! 

Trader Day, June 23 • 11:00am-5:00pm | Trader 4-day pass $30 

June 23 to June 26, 2022 

Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet • St. Louis, MO 

One-Day Admission $5 • Three-Day Pass: $10 

Free Parking 

Everyone 

Welcome! 

www.stlpenshow.com 

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) continues to experience 

delays in its ability to complete epoxy deck sealing scheduled as part 

of the rehabilitation of the eastbound lanes of the Blanchette Bridge. Delays 

to date have been attributed to nationwide supply shortages and local 

weather. Motorists affected by the lane closures can follow MoDOT on Twitter 

for project updates. 

(Source: MoDOT) 

news 

briefs 

O’FALLON 

Tickets on sale soon for 

St. Jude Dream Home 

The 13th St. Jude Dream Home in St. 

Louis is taking shape at the Streets of Caledonia. 

The home’s construction and sale will 

benefit children served by the renowned 

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The 

2,457-square-foot, two-story home which 

carries an estimated value of $565,000 

is being built by Fischer Homes with 

electrical services being donated by The 

Electrical Connection, a partnership of the 

International Brotherhood of Electrical 

Workers (IBEW) Local 1 and the St. Louis 

Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors 

Association. 

Located at the intersection of Dalriada 

Boulevard and Long Haven Drive, the 

home features a morning room adjacent 

to the kitchen, flexible space for a living 

room, dining room or study, a first-floor 

owner’s suite, a two-story family room, 

three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a 

two-car garage. 

“The purpose of the home is truly special,” 

said Frank Jacobs, IBEW business 

manager. “St. Jude’s critical research and 

treatment of childhood cancer and other 

life-threatening diseases inspires and compels 

our IBEW/NECA partnership to help 

with this worthy cause.” 

The home is built with the generosity 

and support of sponsors, trade partners, 

and the local community. Every dollar 

raised goes straight to St. Jude for funding 

research and providing care. 

Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude. 

org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook. 

com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@ 

stjude). 

Tickets will be available in June at a cost 

of $100 each for a chance to win the home. 

A total of 16,000 tickets will be offered. 

Last year, tickets to win the home sold out 

in 10 days. For more information on the 

home or to purchase tickets, visit stjude. 

org/give/dream-home/st-louis.html. 

Summer pool hours restricted 

In response to unprecedented part-time 

staff shortages in St. Charles County, the 

city of O’Fallon is announcing new pool 

hours for aquatics facilities during the 

summer months. Both Alligator’s Creek 

Aquatic Center and the Renaud Center will 

be impacted by these restricted hours. 

Alligator’s Creek Aquatic Center 

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, 

Alligator’s Creek Aquatic Center will open 

for the season as originally scheduled. Following 

the opening, Alligator’s Creek will 

be open noon-6 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, 

Saturdays and Sundays. 

These hours may be subject to change 

depending on pool rentals, Torpedoes Swim 

Team meets and special events. Pool concessions 

will remain available during pool hours. 

Birthday parties at Alligator’s Creek have 

been suspended and will not be available. 

Promotional days and scheduled special 

events, like the Duckie Dive and the 

Cardboard Boat Races, will continue as 

scheduled. 

Renaud Center 

Also beginning Memorial Day weekend, 

the Renaud Center natatorium will transition 

to restricted summer hours. The pool 

will be open daily for regularly-scheduled 

lap swimming and Aqua Aerobics programming. 

The pool additionally will be 

open on Mondays (excluding Memorial 

Day), Tuesdays and Wednesdays for recreational 

swimming, which will be offered 

on Monday and Wednesday from noon to 

6:30 p.m., and on Tuesday from noon-4 

p.m. Birthday parties at the Renaud Center 

have been suspended and will not be available 

during the summer months. 

O’Fallon Swim Academy 

O’Fallon Swim Academy swim lessons 

and private swim lessons will continue to 

be offered as scheduled at both facilities. 

“Communities are facing staffing challenges 

all across the country, and O’Fallon 

is no exception” said Craig Feldt, recreation 

director. “Providing a safe environment 

for our guests is our foremost priority, 

and these hours allow our current staffing 

levels to maintain the high degree of professionalism 

and service Alligator’s Creek 

patrons and Renaud Center members have 

come to expect from our facilities. We 

appreciate our residents’ understanding 

and their continued support of our Parks 

and Recreation activities, and we look forward 

to continuing to offer the best possible 

service to our residents.” 

City retains ‘most livable 

small city’ moniker 

For the second year in a row, financial 

website SmartAsset.com has named the 

City of O’Fallon, Missouri, as the “Most 

Livable Small City in the United States.” 

SmartAsset compared nearly 300 cities 

with populations between 65,000 and 

100,000 to identify and rank 2022’s most 

livable small cities. O’Fallon was joined 

on the SmartAsset “Top 10” by neighboring 

Saint Charles, which ranked number 

nine on the list. 

SmartAsset analyzed data across the 

following metrics: concentration of entertainment 

establishments, restaurants, bars 

and healthcare establishments, income 

inequality, home affordability, housing 

costs as a percentage of median income, 

percentage of residents below the poverty 

line, unemployment rate, percentage 

of residents without health insurance and 

average commute time. 

O’Fallon landed at the top of the list 

primarily due to its relatively low proportion 

of residents living below the poverty 

line, at 4.6%; low median housing costs, 

equaling just 18.01% of median household 

income in O’Fallon; and its close proximity 

to jobs and entertainment both within 

the city limits and throughout the St. Louis 

Metro Area. 

“Being named America’s ‘most livable’ 

city is already an incredible honor,” said 

Mayor Bill Hennessy. “To take home the 

top spot two years in a row is a testament 

to our residents, businesses, police and first 

responders, educators, faith leaders and 

elected officials who all play a key part in 

making O’Fallon a great place to live, work 

and play. This listing is yet another indicator 

that O’Fallon is a city with momentum, 

with wonderful recreational opportunities, 

a thriving economy and a wonderful, safe 

environment for families.” 

Storage facility fails 

to secure CUP 

The O’Fallon City Council considered a 

bill (No. 7427) that would grant a conditional 

use permit (CUP) for a self-storage 

facility in a C3/commercial highway dis-





I NEWS I 9 

trict, on property located at the southeast 

corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway at 

West O’Fallon Drive. The business would 

be known as “Chuck It In Storage.” 

After receiving a first reading at the 

council meeting on April 14, the bill was 

given a second reading and vote for passage 

at the meeting on April 28. The council 

voted 4 yes and 6 no, defeating the bill. 

Voting no were council members Deana 

Smith (Ward 1), Nathan Bibb (Ward 3), 

Jeff Kuehn and Dr. Jim Ottomeyer (both of 

Ward 4), and Debbie Cook and Ron Connell 

(both of Ward 5). Voting yes were council 

members Dave Hinman (Ward 1), Tom 

“Duke” Herweck and Lisa Thompson (both 

of Ward 2), and Steve Koskela (Ward 3). 

Population Health Institute. Those institutions 

have ranked the county as among the 

state’s best for both Health Outcomes and 

Health Factors. 

Numbers released by the county help to 

explain why: 

• 14% of St. Charles County residents 

reported being in poor or fair health – a 

percentage that placed among the top 10th 

percentile for all counties studied. Missouri’s 

average is 18%. 

• 7% of St. Charles County babies were 

born with low birthweight (less than 5 

pounds, 8 ounces). Missouri’s average is 9%. 

• The county has a lower rate for premature 

death than the Missouri average. 

• The county has a lower rate for injury 

deaths per 100,000 residents than the Missouri 

average. 


report themselves as current smokers. Missouri’s 

average is 20%. 


have a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater. Missouri’s 

average is 35%. 


received a flu vaccination in 2018 and 

2019 – an increase over the previously 

studied periods and placing among the top 

10th percentile in the U.S. Missouri’s average 

is 47%. 

• Documented recent improvements in 

the air quality within the county, focusing 

on a decrease in air pollutants. 

“This recognition is something the entire 

community can be proud of,” Sara Evers, 

acting director of the county’s department 

of public health said. “It means the vast 

majority of our population is focused on 

being healthy through exercise and good 

eating habits and are practicing prevention, 

such as hand-washing and vaccination. 

Consistently receiving high rankings as a 

See NEWS BRIEFS, page 11 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

Squirrels urgently seek 

warehouse space 

Each year, thanks to the dedicated 

efforts of members of The Loyal Order of 

the Squirrels, hundreds of children receive 

bicycles for Christmas through the Sts. 

Joachim and Ann Care Service Adopt-A- 

Family Program. 

However, in order for this program to continue 

in 2022, the Squirrels must find new 

warehouse space by June 1. The civic organization 

needs a location with 7,000 square 

feet available for the clean up, repair, and 

refurbishing of donated bicycles. The space 

is needed from June 1 through Jan. 1. A location 

within St. Charles County is preferred. 

Companies or individuals that can help 

meet this need are urged to email the Care 

Service at info@jacares.org. 

County relocates document 

drop box 

St. Charles County Government has 

relocated its drive-up drop boxes from the 

island on Second Street and has placed one 

drive-up box on the north side of Monroe 

Street near the corner of Second Street 

in St. Charles. The secure box is a safe, 

convenient alternative to entering the St. 

Charles County Administration building; 

however, payments still can be made in the 

lobby of the building at 201 N. Second St. 

The box is for Real Estate and Personal 

Property Tax payments, Personal Property 

Assessment forms and original permit 

bonds. It is checked and emptied by county 

staff every weekday, excluding holidays. 

For questions, call (636) 949-7900. 

County receives high health marks 

For the 13th consecutive year, St. 

Charles County has been named as one 

of Missouri’s healthiest counties as recognized 

by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 

and the University of Wisconsin’s 

NUMBER ONE 

Garden View Care Center – number one in the state of 

Missouri for having its health care staff fully vaccinated 

- Center for Disease Control 

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636-537-3333 | CHESTERFIELD 

636-861-0500 | DOUGHERTY FERRY

10 I NEWS I 





Riverpointe continues to move forward with new lead developer 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

The Riverpointe, Bangert Island and 

Katy Trail areas just south of Interstate 70 

in the city of Saint Charles, along the western 

bank of the Missouri River, have visibly 

and significantly changed during the past 

six months – and changes will continue 

over the next 12 to 18 months. Another 

aspect of Riverpointe that has changed 

significantly is that CRG has taken over 

the lead for development of Phase I and 

Phase III. A nationwide large developer 

headquartered in St. Louis, with a total of 

seven offices across North America, CRG 

is Clayco’s development company. 

The overall Riverpointe development 

starts at the south lot line of the Drury 

Plaza Hotel at the Streets of St. Charles, 

where the two-story parking structure 

ends and continues south to the Family 

Arena. As originally envisioned, it is to be 

a mixed-use development that, according 

to the city, “will entail building parking, 

retail, restaurants, office space, entertainment 

and multifamily dwellings.” It predicts 

that once development is completed it 

will “provide roughly 4,000 jobs, increase 

the annual visitors by a million people, and 

produce an annual revenue of an estimated 

$1.5 billion.” 

But progress on the development has 

been slow. 

While it wasn’t until 2018 that Saint 

Charles first sought funding for the Riverpointe 

project, the city had begun its efforts 

to reinvigorate the 1.6 miles of riverfront 

located south of I-70 to the Family Arena 

in 2008. In that early effort, the city partnered 

with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

to do “extensive river modeling and 

hydraulic design to ensure that the project 

will improve both the economic activity of 

the region and the environmental resources 

along the Missouri River.” 

Originally, the river restoration plan 

called for creating a water-quality basin at 

the outflow of Crystal Springs Creek and 

elevating over 100 acres above the 500- 

year floodplain. Additionally, the Corps of 

Engineers had planned to remove decades 

of sediment deposits from a side chute of 

the Missouri River that had essentially tied 

the 160-acre Bangert Island, currently a 

St. Charles County park, to the St. Charles 

riverfront. As a result, Bangert Island 

would become an island once more. Those 

measures were expected to prevent the 

catastrophic flooding experienced by the 

area in recent years. However, that plan 

changed over time to one that would raise 

the entire Riverpointe project above the 

floodplain, enhancing the area’s existing 

habitat and foregoing the creation of the 

water-quality basin. 

Pilings are being poured for future development at Riverpointe 

Early on the city also sought to reconstruct 

what it referred to as an “existing 

inadequate roadway infrastructure 

located along Arena Parkway which runs 

the perimeter of the project, [and] create 

stormwater control and protection from 

the Missouri River.” 

To do so, the city proposed the creation 

of: 

• 4 miles of new roadway, including an 

extension of Lombard Street from South 

Main Street, which borders the Streets of 

St. Charles, to a roundabout to be built 

along the edge of the water quality basin, 

and the construction of a new loop road 

connecting Old South River Road to the 

Lombard Street roundabout. 

• 5.8 miles of reconstructed roadway, 

including improvements to the existing 

Old South River Road. 

• 14 miles of new ADA accessible sidewalks. 

• 1.6 miles of new or improved trails, 

including raising the Katy Trail to an elevation 

above the 500-year floodplain. 

• 1.6 miles of new transit facilities, 

including a trolley connection from the 

development to the St. Charles Area Transit 

[SCAT] hub, located at Clark Street and 

Riverside Drive in historic St. Charles. 

• 100 acres of high-value development 

area elevated above the floodplain, creating 

6.7 million square feet of usable space. 

Some of those improvements have happened 

and some continue to be under construction 

and the water basin, which was 

taken off the drawing board by the city in 

2020, is back on. 

CRG Director of Development Natasha 

Das, who handles the day-to-day requirements 

of CRG’s real estate developments 

from site selection to stabilization, 

explained that the company is “working 

on the initial phase of infrastructure during 

this time, including filling, grading and 

(John Tremmel photo) 

paving the Lombard Street and Old South 

River Road extensions, and extending 

utilities.” 

“We anticipate that Chicken N Pickle 

will be open by fourth quarter ‘22 or early 

2023,” she added. 

Chicken N Pickle is the first brick and 

mortar to be confirmed for Riverpointe. 

The Kansas City-based company currently 

has six locations in Missouri, Kansas and 

Texas and anticipates opening three more 

venues in late 2022, including the Riverpointe 

facility. 

According to its website, “Chicken N 

Pickle Saint Charles will be equipped with 

bars, pavilions, multiple dining areas on 

the main floor and a rooftop dining experience, 

along with outdoor tables for guests 

to enjoy. The venue will feature numerous 

indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, 

shuffleboard and Bocce ball courts, and a 

variety of lawn games.” 

Asked what else might be completed by 

the first and second quarter of 2023, Das 

responded that CRG is currently in discussions 

with various other potential users; 

however, at this time they are focusing 

Rendering of the projected development of Riverpointe 

on the project’s extensive infrastructure 

updates. 

While mostly seen as positive, those 

updates have caused concern for users 

of the Katy Trail, which runs through 

the development area along the Missouri 

River. Relocation of the trail and changes 

to the habitat which surround it have been 

a hot button for many residents and environmental 

groups. Currently, the trail has 

detours around sections near the Blanchette 

(I-70) Bridge to the south and past 

Bangert Island to near Friedens Road. 

“The Katy Trail is still open,” Das said, 

“but we anticipate being complete with 

the Katy Trail relocations approximately 

24 months after receipt of the remaining 

approvals.” 

Regarding the lake feature, Das 

explained that it provides essential benefits 

to the area, such as: 

• Improving water quality by removing 

pollutants that would eventually reach the 

Missouri River. 

• Providing flood relief along Crystal 

Springs Creek. 

• Achieving environmental restoration 

that creates biodiversity and habitat lift. 

• Providing an aquatic recreational feature 

for Bangert Island Park. 

With the future development of Riverpointe 

transferred to CRG, the city of Saint 

Charles is in the process of updating its 

website in regard to the project and deferring 

all inquiries to the company. 

According to its website, CRG has developed 

$13 billion in assets, 10,000 acres of 

land, and 210 million square feet in projects 

during the 29 years since its founding. 

The company is privately held, with 

reported $755 million revenue in 2021. In 

addition to Riverpointe, CRG is developing 

or has developed Wildhorse Village in 

Chesterfield, Chapter at the Streets in the 

Streets of St. Charles, Everly on the Loop 

(Delmar) in St. Louis and Delmar DiVine 

in St. Louis. 

(Source: CRG)





I NEWS I 11 

NEWS BRIEFS, from page 9 

community for 13 consecutive years further 

demonstrates why St. Charles County 

is a great place to raise a family and to start, 

or grow, a business.” 

The 2022 County Health Rankings are 

based upon public data collected from vital 

statistics and government surveys from 

2007-2020. The complete nationwide and 

Missouri-specific rankings may be viewed 

at countyhealthrankings.org. 

MISSOURI 

Applicants sought for state 

fellowship program 

The State Historical Society of Missouri 

is seeking proposals for two Center 

for Missouri Studies fellowships to begin 

to Jan. 1, 2023. Each fellowship carries a 

stipend of $5,000 for a project that results 

in the completion of a 6,000 to 8,000-word 

scholarly essay on one of the two topics 

listed below. The deadline for submitting 

proposals is Sept. 6. The competition is 

open to both academic and independent 

scholars. 

Topics for the 2023 Center for Missouri 

Studies Fellowships are: 

• Rural-urban conflicts in Missouri. Proposed 

projects should examine a conflict, 

or perhaps two or more related conflicts, 

that have divided the state’s rural and urban 

populations. Any time period in Missouri’s 

history may be considered. Proposals will 

be judged on their potential to increase 

understanding of how and why rural-urban 

divisions persist within Missouri. 

• Missouri and the arts. Proposals should 

consider the history of some aspect of aesthetic 

sensibility and explore how it has 

shaped Missouri’s cultural or artistic identity. 

This fellowship opportunity invites a 

broad range of potential topics: art/artists, 

music/musicians, literature/authors, architecture/architects, 

etc. Other possibilities 

might include Missouri’s association with 

foodways, industrial design, dress, fashion, 

pageants, theater, concerts, gardens or park 

design, or any other subject that illuminates 

how Missouri and Missourians have 

perceived, defined, and created beauty, 

style, and taste. 

The fellowship awards will be announced 

in December. The chosen projects will be 

considered for publication in the Missouri 

Historical Review, the only quarterly journal 

devoted to scholarship on Missouri’s 

history. Fellowship recipients will also 

have an opportunity to make a public presentation 

of their work. 

For further information regarding the 

fellowships and how to apply, visit shsmo. 

org/awards/center-fellowship. 

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12 I NEWS I 



St. Peters looks toward improving roads, 

bridges using federal funding 



By ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON 

The St. Peters Board of Aldermen in 

April approved $4.3 million in federal 

funding agreements for road and bridge 

work in the city. 

The Missouri Highway and Transportation 

Commission agreements will provide 

some $3.8 million in reimbursement funding 

to the city for design, property acquisition 

and construction costs through the 

East-West Gateway Council of Governments. 

Funded as part of the Transportation 

Trust Fund, the projects include the reconstruction 

of Barkwood Trails Drive and 

Jungs Station Road, and improvements to 

Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge. 

The projects are part of St. Peters’ fiveyear 

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for 

fiscal years 2021 through 2026 – a tool 

city staff uses to assess and fund the 

long term capital needs of the city such 

as replacing and repairing deteriorating 

infrastructure. 

According to Burt Benesek, the city’s 

transportation and development services 

manager, these funding agreements 

allow St. Peters to be reimbursed through 

the federal Surface Transportation Program 

(STP). The funds are administered 

through the East-West Gateway and the 

Missouri Department of Transportation 

(MoDOT). 

“We have a transportation sales tax,” 

Benesek said. “So, along with funds 

from the federal government and the St. 

Charles County Road Board, St. Peters is 

able to stretch that dollar (from the sales 

tax) and make the best use of the taxpayer’s 

dollar. We try to be good stewards of 

taxpayer money.” 

Benesek said the CIP lists and outlines 

the projects, estimates their costs 

and describes how they will be funded. 

Projects in the plan are identified by city 

departments and reviewed by city staff 

and elected officials. Cost estimates are 

also provided by city departments. 

“There are roughly 547 lane miles of 

pavement in the city,” Benesek said. “We 

have a pavement management program to 

identify our priorities.” 

St. Peters adopted the Pavement Surface 

Evaluation and Rating 

(PASER) system several 

years ago. Developed by 

the University of Wisconsin, 

PASER is a visual 

inspection rating system 

wherein staff examines 

roadways and rates them 

on a scale ranging from 1 

to 10. For example, a designation 

of 1 may point to 

failed concrete or asphalt, 

while 10 may indicate a 

new freshly paved roadway. 

The city then uses 

that rating to correlate 

what kind of maintenance 

activity should take place. 

Often, upon annual 

review, roads may get the 

same ratings. However, 

certain considerations for how funds are 

directed to road and bridge projects can 

“break those ties,” Benesek said. They 

might include whether the road is part 

of a school route or whether it is a major 

thoroughfare as well as concerns lodged 

Jungs Station Road Resurfacing Project 

(Source: City of St. Peters) 

by citizens. 

St. Peters’ transportation and development 

services is responsible for the 

maintenance of approximately 195 lane 

miles of asphalt and 353 lane miles of 

concrete. As the city’s pavement con- 

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I NEWS I 13 

tinues to age, that team is continually 

assessing the quality of those miles. The 

American Concrete Pavement Association 

estimates the average useful life of 

properly installed concrete pavement is 

35 years, and for asphalt pavements is 

17 years. Both organizations recommend 

periodic crack sealing and miscellaneous 

spot repairs before full replacement or 

resurfacing is required. 

Benesek said it has been the city’s experience 

that major maintenance is generally 

required for asphalt streets, between 

the ages of 10 to 12 years, and for concrete 

streets, between the ages of 15 to 20 

years. The majority of the city’s roadways 

are concrete. 

It is this maintenance that East-West 

Gateway considers when giving out the 

money, Benesek said. As a federal grant 

recipient, the council’s local funds are 

provided from the member jurisdictions 

and are generally used as matching funds 

for its state and federal grants. 

“East-West Gateway wants communities 

to reinvest in their roadways before 

they become replacement projects,” Benesek 

explained. 

Jungs Station Road Resurfacing Project 

Estimated at about $1.2 million, the 

Jungs Station Road resurfacing project is 

planned to be completed in 2025. Benesek 

said concrete pavement would be replaced 

and diamond grinding will be used to 

smooth the surface of Jungs Station Road, 

and the sidewalk from Kings Crossing 

to Country Mill Road would be replaced 

on both sides. The traffic signal at Plum 

Creek Drive would also be replaced, and 

a sidewalk would be installed on the east 

side of the road, from Roberts Automotive 

to Windwood Trail. Additional ADA 

improvements will be made throughout 

the project including curb ramps at intersections, 

and accessible sidewalks and 

crosswalks. 

Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek 

Bridge Rehabilitation Project 

The rehabilitation project for Mexico 

Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge is slated 

to be completed in September 2024 at an 

estimated cost of $447,036. City officials 

hope the project will extend the life of 

the Mexico Road bridge over Dardenne 

Creek by addressing maintenance needs 

identified by the bi-annual 2020 MoDOT 

Bridge Inspection. According to the city’s 

website, the project will include updating 

the existing guardrail, an epoxy polymer 

bridge deck overlay to preserve the deck, 

and replacement of the concrete bridge 

approach slabs. The existing concrete 

sidewalk will be replaced with an ADA 

compliant sidewalk, and the pedestrian 

fence will be upgraded. 

If all goes well, the city will adopt its 

CIP at the end of June or early July. 

“These are all maintenance projects that 

will up the safety of roadways and bridges 

in the city that have reached the end of 

their useful life,” Benesek said. “We want 

folks to know we do have a plan.” 

“There are roughly 

547 lane miles of 

pavement in the city.” 

– Burt Benesek, 

St. Peters’ transportation manager 

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Barkwood Trails Drive Reconstruction 

Project 

St. Peters officials hope to complete 

the Barkwood Trails Drive reconstruction 

project, east of Jungermann Road 

to Maple Tree Drive, by 2025. At an 

estimated cost of about $2.2 million, this 

project will replace all pavement and 

sidewalks along Barkwood Trails Drive. 

Benesek said traffic-calming measures 

may be included, with mini-roundabouts 

replacing stop signs. Four pedestrian 

refugee islands may also be constructed. 

Barkwood Trails Drive, a residential 

road, was constructed in segments in 

the 1970s and the 1980s, and was not 

designed to support the volume of traffic 

it experiences today. According to 

the Transportation Improvement Projects 

section of the city’s website, “the project 

will provide pavement designed to handle 

larger traffic volumes and incorporate 

intersection and roadway design concepts 

to control speed and improve safety while 

limiting stops and traffic congestion.” The 

project will also include the replacement 

of the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk with 

a 6-foot-wide ADA compliant sidewalk. 

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14 I NEWS I 





History at Home: Kicking off a summer of exploration this Memorial Day 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

with TRACEY BRUCE 

The monuments of the National Mall in 

Washington, D.C., are definitely sights to 

see. Lofty and grand, they remind us of the 

sacrifices made to preserve our collective 

freedoms. They pay homage to the men 

and women who gave their all in both the 

creation and defense of these United States. 

But looking closer to home reveals 

equally impressive memorials, including 

the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in 

downtown St. Louis at 1315 Chestnut St., 

and Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial 

(Vietnam Veterans Memorial) in Perryville, 

Missouri. 

At the Soldiers Memorial Military 

Museum, there are over 5,000 names 

engraved on the walls of the museum’s 

Cenotaph (a monument to someone buried 

elsewhere) and its Court of Honor. Those 

names represent St. Louis men and women 

from every branch of service who gave 

their lives for their country. 

Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial 

(about a 1.5-hour drive down I-55) features 

an exact replica of the Vietnam Veterans 

Memorial in Washington, D.C., bearing all 

58,272 names engraved there. Impressive in 

their size and scope, these memorials also 

are rich in history – and are great places at 

which to begin a “history at home” tour. 

So, too, is Jefferson Barracks National 

Cemetery, especially with Memorial Day 

fast approaching. 

Did you know that the first Memorial 

Day (then known as Decoration Day) 

was held on May 30, 1868, at Arlington 

National Cemetery? 

Arlington is known for many things, 

including being home to the Tomb of the 

Unknown Soldier, which celebrated its 

100th anniversary last November. Watching 

the silent march of the Sentinels as they 

guard the tomb in which three unknown 

American service members are interned, is 

both humbling and mesmerizing. 

The Sentinels are members of the 3rd 

U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old 

Guard,” who volunteer for this duty. To qualify 

as a Tomb Guard, they must undergo a 

strict selection process and intensive training. 

According to the commemorative guide published 

by the U.S. Army Center of Military 

History: “Sentinels guard the Tomb 24 hours 

a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather. 

The military’s highest ceremonial honor – the 

21-gun salute – is the basis of the Sentinel’s 

ritual walk. The Sentinel takes 21 steps, and 

Jefferson Barrack National Cemetery 

pauses for 21 seconds between movements. 

After executing a facing movement and 

before walking to the next point, the Sentinel 

executes “shoulder-arms” to place the rifle 

on the shoulder farthest from the Tomb.” 

While there is no changing of the guard 

ceremony for visitors to witness at Jefferson 

Barracks National Cemetery, the 

experience of viewing all those precisely 

aligned headstones and journeying among 

them as the history of our nation unfolds 

from the American Revolution through 

(Source: Tracey Bruce) 

present day is no less awe-inspiring. 

Located on rolling hills that overlook the 

Mississippi River, row upon row of white 

marble and granite headstones stretch for as 

far as your eyes can see. Established and dedicated 

as a national military cemetery in 1866, 

its first recorded burial actually occurred not 

long after the establishment of Jefferson Barracks, 

which has served as a military post 

since 1826. Ironically, that first burial was 

See HISTORY AT HOME, page 30 

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Obstetrical Associates of St. Luke’s 

5551 WingHaven Blvd.• O’Fallon, MO 63368 

You are invited to an open house to meet the physicians, their team and 

visit the office. Enjoy light refreshments, giveaways and sign up for 

a register to win drawing! 

For over 40 years, Obstetrical Associates of St. Luke’s has provided quality 

healthcare for women in the Greater St. Louis Area. In addition to wellness 

exams and prenatal care, our physicians specialize in the treatment of 

more complicated conditions, such as endometriosis, infertility, uterine 

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We are accepting new patients. If you would like to schedule an 

appointment, call 314-576-9797. 

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Bialko & Chaudhry Ad 2-4017.indd 1 

5/9/22 1:04 PM



Lutheran’s Roboteers win Engineering Inspiration 

Award, participate in World Championships 



I SCHOOLS I 15 

The Lutheran Roboteers prepare to head to World’s 

(Source: LHS/Facebook) 

By BETHANY COAD 

“More Than Robots.” That’s the tagline 

Lutheran High St. Charles Roboteers have 

taken to heart to help their community and 

ultimately earn an invitation to the FIRST 

World Championship in Houston, Texas, 

last month. 

“The FIRST World Championship is like 

‘The World Series’ for FIRST Robotics 

teams,” said David Zilz, team mentor and 

Stem2U program director at Lutheran. “It 

is a huge honor to be at this capstone event 

with thousands of students from around 

the world participating in all levels of the 

FIRST Robotics progression of programs.” 

An invitation to the World Championships 

comes from robot performance on 

the field and overall program impact and 

performance as assessed by judges through 

student interviews. Students are required 

to fully explain the program and provide 

evidence of its impact to the school and 

community outside the team. 

“Our robot performed well at both regional 

events we attended in 2022 and allowed 

the team to advance to the quarterfinal and 

semifinal rounds of those events,” Zilz said. 

“However, the highlight was the off-field 

judged portion of the competition.” 

The team received the Regional Engineering 

Inspiration Award, and an invitation 

to Worlds, in part for its “Help From 

Home” initiative, which created over 

7,000 face shields donated to over 40 area 

organizations during the first COVID-19 

shutdowns and quarantines in the spring of 

2020. Students began to work from home 

with Zoom meets and emails, and scheduled 

weekly “parking lot” sessions to hand 

off materials and make job assignments for 

the next week (following proper social distancing 

protocols, of course). 

The World’s event is for any level student 

involved in FIRST robotics, from 

grade schoolers to world-class high school 

teams fielding machines comparable to 

some of NASA’s finest Mars rovers. The 

Champs Event includes a diverse array 

of educational conference sessions and 

STEM Expo exhibits from industry leaders 

and STEM influencers. 

“Our team set the goal to experience the 

entire event and compete on the field to 

the best of our ability,” Zilz said. “All our 

goals were met or exceeded with the robot 

performing well and finishing in the top 

one-third of the pack, and we successfully 

told our ‘More Than Robots’ story, which 

ultimately garnered the Championship 

Engineering Inspiration Award.” 

Sophomore Tegan Hay, design lead and 

chairman’s award presenter, said her experience 

taught her how to be a leader and 

plan for the future. 

“I lead a group of eight peers in the 

design crew to prototype, manufacture 

parts and 3D model the robot. My ambition 

for the crew to improve grew as the 

build season went on, so during my time at 

the World’s Championship I was inspired 

to see how other teams design their robots 

and go through the build season,” Hay said. 

“This opportunity allowed me to come out 

of my shell and pursue new ways to help 

the team grow through the things learned 

at championships and through my time as 

design lead.” 

In 2012, Lutheran created a STEM Pipeline 

for kindergarten-grade 12 students in 

the county, using the progression of robotics 

programs in the FIRST robotics organization 

to attract and engage students across the 

area. The Roboteers became the cornerstone 

in the primary execution of various STEM 

related opportunities. 

The team’s highest achievement this 

season was beginning its second decade as 

a team with the largest student roster that 

effectively produced a respectable robot 

while sharing their story of being “More 

Than Robots.” 

“We came away with loads of new ideas 

to work on this summer and next build 

season,” said junior Matt Zilz, team first 

officer and robot driver. “This season has 

allowed me to develop closer relationships 

with underclassmen and become better 

equipped to support the needs of others, 

not just my own. Above all, this experience 

taught me the importance of balancing 

confidence with humility.” 

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16 I SCHOOLS I 





Mid Rivers Newsmagazine names Melissa Liang as Teacher of the Year 

Melissa Liang and her Progress South Elementary students 

BY TRACEY BRUCE 

Third-grade teacher Melissa Liang is 

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine’s Teacher of the 

Year for 2022. 

In a surprise visit to her classroom at 

Progress South Elementary in the Fort 

Zumwalt School District on May 4, Liang 

was presented with an iPad, flowers and 

cake for her students. The children cheered 

and hugged her. 

“She is the best teacher!” declared Eli 

Schreiber. 

Liang was nominated by former student 

Hayden Davis, who expressed her gratitude 

for Liang’s patience and guidance 

during a difficult year. 

“My favorite teacher I have ever had is 

Mrs. Liang,” Hayden wrote. “Third grade 

was a very tough year for me. It started out 

well, but I later found out that I wasn’t doing 

too well. My bad temper didn’t help either. I 

often found myself getting frustrated about 

topics I couldn’t understand in school, and 

instead of expressing it in a mature way and 

asking for assistance, I lashed out a lot … 

But Mrs. Liang helped me through it all. 

After school, she would take time out of 

her evening just to help me understand the 

material. She also set up a journal for me to 

write in so I didn’t have to express my feelings 

verbally. It helped out a lot. She truly 

understood what I was going through ... I 

will never forget her or her efforts to make 

me the person I am today.” 

A Fort Zumwalt North High graduate, 

Liang has been teaching third grade at 

Progress South for the past eight years. Her 

passion for teaching, however, has been a 

part of her identity for as long as she can 

(Source: Tracey Bruce) 

remember. 

“I wanted to be a teacher my whole life,” 

Liang said. “I always want to help people, 

and I had some really great teachers growing 

up.” 

Liang said she remembered her thirdgrade 

teacher well. “I always felt safe there. 

I always felt loved,” Liang said. 

Another call to education was Liang’s 

own fascination for learning. 

“If I can instill life-long learning into the 

children, they will always be open to new 

things,” she said. 

However, there are challenges that come 

with teaching. 

“Sometimes there are some behaviors 

and some disrespect,” Liang said. “It’s 

important to just get the kids to understand 

what’s expected and what the definition of 

respect is. We throw that word around a lot, 

and I don’t know that we really take the 

time to really tell what it means, so we talk 

a lot about ‘What does respect look like? 

What does respect sound like? What does 

respect feel like?’ 

“They are all different. They are all 

people. And the hardest thing to remember 

is probably that they are only 8 or 9 years 

old because some of the kids know more 

than what we would have known at 8 or 9 

years old and have to deal with things we 

never had to deal with. They are coming 

from a different place every day. 

“They are going to remember who was 

there for them. Hopefully, they are going 

to learn. They will love learning and continue 

to question and be curious, but they’ll 

also know there is someone in their corner 

and if they need something, they can come 

back. I always tell them once you’re in this 

classroom, you are mine forever. If you 

need something when you are in college 

you can come back and visit and see what I 

can do to help you.” 

Principal Amy Neill praises Liang’s 

ability to make strong connections with 

students and their families. 

“She does a good job of taking care of all 

students. She takes time out at the end of 

the day for students who need academic or 

emotional support,” Neill said. “She’s willing 

to do whatever it takes.” 

Liang said the highest honor was being 

nominated by her student. 

“When I heard ‘Teacher of the Year’ I 

kept thinking, ‘Me?’ I’m sure there are so 

many teachers who are more deserving, 

that have done more. But then I thought 

maybe I have done something. At least to 

Hayden, I was that person,” Liang said. 

Liang and her husband Eric live in 

St. Charles and have two children, a boy 

and a girl. She was chosen as Mid Rivers 

Newsmagazine’s Teacher of the Year by 

the program’s sponsors: Dream Play, True 

Value–Schneider Hardware and Ruiz 

McDonald’s. 

Fort Zumwalt West robotics team dominates in KC, heads to nationals 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

At the April 28 O’Fallon City Council 

meeting, Ward 4 council members Jeff 

Kuehn and Dr. Jim Ottomeyer ceded their 

ward report time to the Fort Zumwalt West 

high robotics team. 

The team, dubbed Jaguar Robotics, was 

formed in 2016 by the school’s industrial 

technology teacher, Bill Fitzpatrick. On 

April 23, the current team of 18 students 

won first place at the KCBots regional 

battlebot competition in Kansas City. Their 

next stop will be the National Robotics 

League championship competition May 

20-21 at the Robert Morris University 

UPMC Events Center in the northwest 

Pittsburgh metro area. 

At the council meeting, Heather Mudd 

acknowledged the key role and tremendous 

support provided by Fitzpatrick. Mudd is 

one of four adult mentors to the robotics 

team and a parent of a team member. She 

clarified that all of the work on the robots 

is done by the students on their own personal 

time. Each bot used in the competition 

took hundreds of hours to build, she 

said. 

“No one touches the bots, ever, except the 

students,” Mudd said. “At the Kansas City 

competition, the team did not just win, they 

dominated. The two Fort Zumwalt West 

bots were undefeated, except their senior 

bot defeated their own junior bot.” 

Mudd also played a short video showing 

snippets of the team’s battlebots in action 

in Kansas City. The council and the audience 

loudly applauded the team for their 

regional championship win. 

Information about the school’s robotics 

team can be found at jaguar-robotics. 

com/2022-2. Videos of their recent competitions 

can be viewed at jaguar-robotics. 

com/competition. 

Individuals or businesses interested in 

sponsoring the team are asked to email 

fzwroboticsteam@gmail.com or bfitzpatrick@fz.k12.mo.us.



bulletin 

board 

By BETHANY COAD 

Fort Zumwalt seniors top in state 

Eight Fort Zumwalt seniors were named 

among the top 100 scholars in the state for 

their outstanding academic accomplishments. 

East High’s Thomas Bambrick and Noah 

Myers; North High’s Caroline Corr and 

Isaac Thorn; South High’s Twisha Nadella 

and Nicholas Stovall, and West High’s Ella 

Baetje and Surya Sompalli made the list 

of the Missouri Association of Secondary 

School Principals Missouri Scholars 100. 

The selection is based primarily on a 

formula using the student’s GPA and ACT 

or SAT score. Each student nominated 

met criteria of an “Academic Decathlon,” 

which included 10 “events” designed to 

assure the academic strength of the student. 

To meet the requirements, the student must 

have a minimum GPA of 3.75, a minimum 

ACT score of 29 or a minimum SAT score 

of 1,600, be ranked in the upper 10% of the 

class, and have taken upper level courses 

in mathematics, science, English and 

foreign language. The student must also 

have excellent attendance, be an exemplary 

school citizen and be involved in the 

school activity program. 

Biliteracy students 

earn state honor 

Almost 70 members of the Fort Zumwalt 

Class of 2022 earned The Missouri Seal of 

Biliteracy (SoBL) and Distinguished Missouri 

Seal of Biliteracy. (Editor’s note: For 

the list of students, visit this story on midriversnewsmagazine.com.) 

The SoBL and Distinguished Missouri 

Seal of Biliteracy are awarded to graduating 

high school students in districts with a program 

approved by the Department of Elementary 

and Secondary Education. These 

students have demonstrated achievement in 

English (as measured through coursework 

and standardized test scores), a language 

other than English (as measured through the 

STAMP4s or ACCESS tests) and sociocultural 

competence (as measured through an 

essay response to a prompt). All Missouri 

students studying any of the world’s languages 

are potential SoBL candidates. 

Wentzville students win 

Youth Tour Competition 

Four students from the Wentzville 

School District were selected as winners in 

First grade author 

Finn, a first grader at Francis Howell Central 

Elementary, wrote his own book called 

“Sonic #1.” The aspiring graphic artist 

spent his free time at home creating his 

masterpiece, and was overjoyed to share 

and read the fruits of his labors with his 

class on Friday, April 29. (Source: Provided) 

the Cuivre River Electric Cooperative’s 54 

Annual Youth Tour Competition. 

Ella Murphy, Arthi Kondapaneni, Reese 

Ramler and Kaitlyn Benesek from Liberty 

High School were selected as four of 12 

winners from schools in St. Charles, Lincoln, 

Pike and Warren counties in the 

annual contest that begins with an essay 

submission. The essays, all entitled, “My 

Favorite Cooperative Principle,” were 

judged based on the student’s cooperative 

knowledge, composition, originality, 

grammar and neatness. 

As Youth Tour delegates, they are invited 

to the annual Youth Tour Conference 

scheduled for June 13-19, where they will 

learn more about government, leadership 

and cooperatives. Two of those days will 

be spent at the Cuivre River office and one 

day will be spent in Jefferson City with 

delegates from across the state of Missouri. 

Liberty students Alexa Graham and Sam 

Flynn were named finalists in the competition 

and will each receive a $500 scholarship. 

Future healthcare pros head 

to international competition 

Students in Holt, Liberty and Timberland 

school district’s Health Occupations 

Students of America (HOSA) chapters 

competed in the Missouri HOSA State 

Leadership Conference in Rolla, Missouri 

on March 28 and March 29. 

Sixteen students brought home an award 

and qualified to move on to the International 

Leadership Conference held in 

Nashville, Tennessee this coming June. In 

addition, Timberland student Oyin Ganiyu 

See BULLETIN BOARD, page 31 



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18 I SUMMER CONCERTS I 





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Your guide to summer concerts 

From Rock ‘n Roll to Blues and Country 

to tunes that make you want to get up and 

dance, community summer concerts offer 

a little something for everyone. 

Do you have a favorite band? Maybe it’s 

Butchwax and the Hollywoods, who have 

been entertaining local audiences with 

favorites from the ’50s, ‘60s and ‘70s for 

35 years. Or perhaps you’re into the ‘80s 

and ‘90s. If so, you’ll want to seek out 

Queens Blvd. Their high-energy covers 

will undoubtedly have you singing in your 

seats or dancing in front of the stage. The 

same can be said for perennial favorites Dr. 

Zhivegas, Fanfare, Big Love, Trilogy and 

Rockin’ Chair. 

If you don’t have a favorite yet, by the 

end of the summer. Plus, since many of 

the bands perform in two or more concert 

series, you’ll have the chance to catch 

them multiple times this summer. That is if 

you plan right. Thankfully, this guide can 

help you do just that. 

Here’s what you need to know before 

you go and the schedules of who’s playing 

where. 

Except where noted, concert-goers are 

allowed to bring small to medium coolers 

and food into the concert venues; however, 

glass containers are prohibited. Most concerts 

also offer some type of concessions 

for purchase. 

The use of personal-sized chairs and 

blankets is encouraged. 

It is wise to arrive early to ensure a good 

parking spot. Accessible parking is available 

at all venues but may be limited. 

Collapsible, personal-sized umbrellas 

are allowed to shield concert-goers from 

sun and rain, but some venues prohibit 

those with metal tips. 

Most venues prefer you leave your fourlegged 

family members at home. 

COTTLEVILLE 

Twilight Tuesdays 

This free concert series takes place from 

6-8:30 p.m. in Legacy Park, 5490 Fifth St., 

at the Rotary Amphitheater. 

Limited parking is available on lots at 

Legacy Park; however, additional parking 

is available in the rear of the park at the 

Kochanski Sports Field. Local concertgoers 

are encouraged to walk, bike, or golf 

cart in and enjoy the music. However, golf 

carts will not be allowed on the amphitheater 

hill or grass. Patrons are asked to use 

the designated vehicle parking spaces only 

for their golf carts. 

Any cancellations due to weather will be 

posted on the city’s website and or social 

media. 

June 14: Trixie Delight (‘70s, ‘80s, 

‘90s hits) 

June 28: That 80’s Band (‘80s pop, 

rock and new-wave) 

July 12: Serapis (Americana) 

July 26: Breakdown Shakedown (Top 

40s rock ‘n roll) 

Aug. 9: The RetroNerds (‘80s tribute 

band) 

Aug. 23: Queens Blvd. (‘70s-‘90s hits) 

DARDENNE PRAIRIE 

Summer Concerts & 

Food Truck Rally 

These free concerts take place on Fridays 

from 7-10 p.m. at City Hall Park, 

2032 Hanley Road. Residents and visitors 

are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and 

blankets. Concessions will be available for 

purchase. 

See SUMMER CONCERTS, page 20

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20 I SUMMER CONCERTS I 





SUMMER CONCERTS, from page 18 

May 20: Queens Blvd. (‘70s-‘90s hits) 

June 17: Plastic Kings (High-energy 

rock) 

July 15: Trixie Delight (‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s 

hits) 

Aug. 19: Well Hungarians (Country 

and rock) 

O’FALLON 

Jammin’ Concert Series 

These concerts take place on Tuesdays 

from 6:30–9 p.m. at the Civic Park Bandstand, 

400 Civic Park Drive. Admission 

and parking are free. Food trucks and concessions 

are available at nominal prices. 

Planned food trucks and concessions 

include Angie Burger, Doughboys Wood 

Fired Pizza, Kona Ice, Moving Munchies, 

Ramblin’ Rounds, Rendezvous Cafe & 

Wine Bar, Wayno’s Mobile International 

Cuisine, SNS Goodies, Sugarfire Smokehouse, 

Taste of Mayberry, Truck-O-Soup, 

Tuk Tuk Thai, Waffle Nerds and Yogi 

Donuts. Food trucks vary from concert to 

concert and are subject to change. Guests 

are encouraged to follow “Visit O’Fallon” 

on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for 

food truck and concert updates. 

May 31: Dr. Zhivegas (Dance rock hits) 

June 7: Silver Bullet (A tribute to Bob 

Seger) 

June 14: Fine To Drive (Original country 

jams) 

June 21: FEEL (Original rock and alternative) 

June 28: High Velocity (Party charttoppers) 

July 12: Trixie Delight (‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s 

hits) 

July 19: The Big Rigs (Country and 

Americana) 

July 26: Brushville (High-energy country) 

Aug. 2: Fat Pocket (‘60s, ‘70s, ’80s 

hits) 

Aug. 9: Butch Wax & The Hollywoods 

(‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s rock) 

SAINT CHARLES 

Beale Street Concert Series 

The Streets of St. Charles hosts this free 

concert series on the second Wednesday 

of each month through October. Food and 

beverages are available for purchase from 

nearby restaurants. Guests should bring 

their own lawn chairs. 

June 8: McLovin (Dance/rock band) 

July 13: John Hughes Experience 

(‘80s pop and rock) 

Aug. 10: No Diggity (Hip hop and R&B) 

Sunset Fridays 

Sept. 14: Hollywood 5 (Dance band) 

Oct. 12: Trixie Delight (‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s 

hits) 

(Source: City of St. Peters) 

History in Harmony 

A rotating line-up of guest musicians 

will provide the perfect soundtrack for a 

stroll through Saint Charles’ Historic District. 

Nestled throughout the area’s quaint 

scenery, these miniature concerts will set 

the mood as guests enjoy the area’s shopping, 

dining and more than 250 years of 

river history. 

Performances take place from 1-4 p.m. 

on Sundays: May 22, May 29, June 19 and 

June 26. 

Music on Main 

Music lovers are invited to head to Historic 

Main Street on the third Wednesday 

of each month between May and September 

for Music on Main. This free outdoor 

SUNSET 

CONCERTS 

Sunset Concerts 

are back! 

www.stpetersmo.net/sunset 

Sponsored by: 

NOTE: Bands and food options are subject to change. 

Sunset Fridays Concerts 

370 Lakeside Park 

Corporate Pavilion 

• 6:30 p.m. Concerts 

• 6 p.m. Food Trucks/ 

Beverage Sales 

Plan date night along the lake in a 

winery-style setting with great music! 

May 27 - Joe Metzka Band 

June 3 - Acoustic Music Jam 

June 10 - Melissa Neels Band 

June 17 - Paul Bonn & 

The Bluesmen 

NEW! Sunset with the Symphony 

370 Lakeside Park • Corporate Pavilion 

Tuesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. 

String quartet from world-famous St. Louis 

Symphony Orchestra performs music by celebrated 

Italian composers! 

The concert is presented in community partnership with the St. Charles 

City-County Library and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. 

SUNSET 

SATURDAY 

June 25, 4:30 p.m. 

• Wildhorse Creek Band 

• Soul Cracker 

• Butch Wax 

and The Hollywoods 

Sunset Fridays “On The Road” 

at SPTVnow.net! 

How’d you like to see great local favorites 

like Garden Party, Cole Blue Steel, Serapis 

or Wade Trent anytime, anywhere? SCAN 

THE QR CODE for the only local concerts 

you can take with you! 

SUNSET 

TS



concert series, produced by the Historic 

Downtown Association, takes place from 

5-7:30 p.m. in the 100 and 200 blocks of 

North Main Street. Guests should bring 

their own lawn chairs. Food and drink are 

available for purchase. 

May 18: Sometimes a Fantasy (A Billy 

Joel tribute) 

June 15: Serapis (Rock - 40th Anniversary 

concert) 

July 20: Whiskey Morning (Country) 

Aug. 17: Butch Wax & the Hollywoods 

(‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s rock) 

Sept. 21: Joe Dirt (Classic rock) 

New Town Concert Series 

Held at the Amphitheatre in New Town 

St. Charles, 3312 Rue Royale, from June 

through September, these free public 

concerts take place from 7-10 p.m. Local 

businesses will be open for food, drinks, 

ice cream, snow cones, pizza and sweets, 

or guests can bring their own along with a 

lawn chair or blanket. 

June 11: Bump Band (Rock) 

June 18: The Big Rigs (Original roots 

country) 

June 25: Music Around the World 

with Ubercool (German Rock), Celtic Rain 

(Irish), and Mariachi Nuevo Azteca Band 

(Mexican Mariachi) • Concert time: 2 p.m. 

June 25: Queens Blvd. (‘70s-‘90s hits) 

July 2: The Stars Go Out (Indie, punk 

rock) 

July 3: Velvet Goldmine (‘70s glam 

rock) 

July 4: Dan Kuse & Double D (Classic 

rock) • Concert time: 6 p.m.-dusk 

July 10: The RetroNerds (‘80s tribute 

band) • Concert time: 6-9 p.m. 

July 16: Plastic Kings (High-energy 

rock) 

Aug. 6: Larry Gerst & Friends (Christian) 

Aug. 13: Pyromaniacs (Def Leppard 

tribute band) 

Aug. 28: Run Forest Run (‘90s cover 

band) • Concert time: 1:30-4:30 p.m. 

ST. PETERS 

Sunset Fridays 

The popular concert series returns with 

live concerts at 370 Lakeside Park plus 

“On The Road” shows in person at the Cultural 

Arts Centre and virtually from Sunset 

Studios on SPTVnow.net. 

All Sunset Friday concerts are from 

6:30-8:30 p.m. at the 370 Lakeside Park 

Corporate Pavilion. Food and drinks, 

including wine and beer, will be available 

for purchase. Limited seating is available 

under the pavilion, so concert-goers are 

urged to bring their own chairs or blankets. 

Outside alcohol must remain outside the 

pavilion and in the lawn area only. Pets are 

not allowed. 

May 27: Joe Metzka Band (Blues) 

June 3: Acoustic Music Jam (Acoustic 

hits) 

June 10: Melissa Neels Band (Rock 

and blues) 

June 17: Paul Bonn & The Bluesmen 

(Blues) 

Aug. 19: Whiskey Raccoons (Pop and 

rock) 

Aug. 26: Serapis (Rock) - 40th Anniversary 

concert, also available to watch on 

SPTVnow.net. 

Sept. 2: BagLunch Blues & The Salamander 

Slide (Blues) 

Sept. 9: Zydeco Crawdaddys (Zydeco 

and cajun) 

Oct. 14: On the Road concert; artist to 

be determined 

Sunset Saturdays 

New for 2022, Sunset Saturdays features 

two multiple-band concerts at 370 

Lakeside Park, the first of which (June 25) 

begins at 4:30 p.m. and features a fireworks 

show over the lake beginning at dusk. The 

Sept. 17 concert begins at 4 p.m. 

June 25: Wildhorse Creek Band, Soul 

Cracker and Butch Wax & The Hollywoods 

See SUMMER CONCERTS, page 22 



I SUMMER CONCERTS I 21 

Discover 

summer concerts in stc 

beale Street Concert Series AT 

the streets of st. charles 

Music on Main ON north main street 

history in harmony ALONG historic main street 

St. Charles municipal band concerts IN frontier park 

hot summer nights IN frenchtown 

new town concerts IN new town at st. charles 

don’t miss a concert! discoverstcharles.com 

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22 I SUMMER CONCERTS I 



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SUMMER CONCERTS, from page 21 

Sept. 17: Fabulous Motown Revue and 

That 80s Band 

Sunset with the Symphony 



For the first time, the St. Louis Symphony 

Orchestra string quartet will perform 

at 370 Lakeside Park from 7-8 p.m. 

on Tuesday, June 7. This free concert will 

feature works by celebrated Italian composers 

including Luigi Boccherini, Niccolo 

Paganini and Antonio Vivaldi. 

The concert is being presented through 

a community partnership with the St. 

Charles City-County Library and the St. 

Louis Symphony Orchestra. 

No tickets or reservations are required 

for the hour-long outdoor event, but guests 

are encouraged to bring their own lawn 

chairs. Food trucks will be available for 

concert refreshments. 

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Just across the river are other concerts to enjoy 

CHESTERFIELD 

Sounds of Summer 

This free concert series is sponsored by 

the city of Chesterfield. These concerts 

are held at 6 p.m. on Saturdays at Chesterfield 

Amphitheater in the city’s Central 

Park, 631 Veterans Place Drive. Small to 

medium coolers and food are welcome, 

glass containers are prohibited. (The 

amphitheater also hosts a variety of paid 

events, the details of which can be found at 

chesterfieldamphitheater.com.) 

June 18: Queens Blvd. (‘70s-‘90s hits) 

June 25: Summer Breeze (A tribute to 

“YACHT Rock”) 

July 9: The Fortunate Sons + Desperado 

(A tribute to CCR and The Eagles) 

July 23: Disco Inferno (A tribute to 

Abba and The Bee Gees) 

Aug. 13: Big Love (A tribute to Fleetwood 

Mac) 

Aug. 27: Silver Bullet Stl at Backstoppalooza 

(A tribute to Bob Seger) 

The annual Ed Nestor Memorial Backstoppalooza 

serves as a fundraiser for 

BackStoppers, Inc. with 100% of profits 

from food and beverage sales going to 

support the families of first responders 

who have suffered a catastrophic 

injury or lost their lives in the line of 

duty. While the Aug. 27 concert is free 

to attend, donations to BackStoppers will 

be encouraged and collected at the event. 

Since 2013, Backstoppalooza has raised 

over $400,000 for BackStoppers, Inc. 

thanks to the generosity of concert-goers 

and friends. 

Chesterfield Regional Chamber’s 

Summer Concerts 

For 34 years, the Chesterfield Regional 

Chamber of Commerce has hosted 

summer concerts on Tuesdays in Faust 

Park, located off of Olive Boulevard, 

north of Interstate 64. 

Designed to be enjoyed by all ages, this 

concert series combines the talents of local 

musicians with the Commerce Bank Kids’ 

Zone for the younger set, food trucks and 

on-site concessions, theme nights and fireworks. 

The Kids’ Zone is expected to feature 

the ever-popular Bubble Bus as well as a 

rock-climbing wall, face painting, balloon 

twisting and laser tag. Occasionally, some 

features may not be available, such as the 

rock-climbing wall in the case of forecasted 

weather concerns. 

In keeping with tradition, the kick-off 

concert (June 7) will culminate with fireworks 

sponsored by J & M Display. Free 

cake will also be served to all who wish to 

partake that evening. 

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. but the gates 

open at 5:30 p.m., giving patrons plenty of 

time to visit with Chamber members and 

have dinner on-site. 

To help offset the cost of the concerts, 

a nominal ticket fee of $5 per person, per 

concert is charged. Season passes are 

available for $45 per person. All tickets are 

non-refundable. 

Guests are encouraged to get into the 

spirit of the evening by dressing to fit the 

theme of the night. 

June 7: Butchwax & the Hollywoods 

(Rock and pop/Summer Fun) 

June 14: Scott Laytham and Karl 

Holmes (American songbook/Superhero) 

June 21: Boogie Chyld (Dance band/ 

Jungle Party) 

June 28: Spectrum (Popular music 

from many genres/Tie-Dye) 

July 5: Hulapoppers (Party band/Patriotic) 

July 12: John Henry (Rock ‘n roll/Wild 

Wild West) 

July 19: Volcanic Ash (Classic rock/ 

Harry Potter) 

July 26: The Lone Rangers (‘90s party 

band/Sports Night) 

Aug. 2: The RetroNerds (‘80s tribute 

band/Dancin’ Thru the Decades) 

Aug. 9: Rock Opera (Rock ‘n roll/Carnival 

Time) 

Aug. 16: Billy Peek (Rock and blues/ 

Rock n’ Roll)


MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 23 

Fred L. Vilbig: ‘Good estate planning means a happy ending’ 




Attorney Fred Vilbig is a storyteller. 

He knows the ins and outs of estate 

planning, wills and trusts and corporate 

law, but in his heart he wants to tell a 

tale, share a common experience and 

leave the listener with a lesson. 

“My mother used to tell me, ‘Remember 

Fred, blood is thicker than money.’ 

What that means is when somebody dies, 

people should remember the family, 

don’t just go for the money,” Fred said 

while telling – and educating – about 

wills and trusts and estate planning. 

In his law practice over the past 40 

years, he has seen a few families that 

haven’t learned that lesson. 

“I’ve seen all kinds of fights that 

develop over the money. It’s really 

kind of sad,” he said. “They should 

remember the good times with family. 

They shouldn’t have to remember the 

fights they had over money.” 

Fred has a great deal of knowledge 

about the importance of planning 

ahead, navigating the issues of the legal 

system and preserving relationships. 

So much so that he created and shares 

true-to-life examples – stories – in his 

“Law Matters” ads that run in West and 

Fred Vilbig 

Mid Rivers Newsmagazines. 

“At first I thought, advertising 

wouldn’t work for 

estate planning and corporate 

law, but the idea of telling 

people about what I do and who I am, 

kind of appealed to me. I thought, ‘Well, I 

tell stories all the time. I’ll try it and see if 

it works,’” he said. 

The concept has resulted in success for 

Fred and the individuals who read them. 

There’s a lot of good information in them. 

So, in 2017, he gathered his articles and 

published them in a book called “You Can’t 

Take It With You.” It’s the story of Jack and 

Judy, a fictional couple, and the issues their 

family faced because they did not plan 

ahead. His target audience includes those 

people who haven’t thought about writing 

a will or getting a trust, those who haven’t 

followed through, and those who need to 

update their plans. 

“I use the stories to encourage people to 

think about these issues,” 

Fred said. He noted that 

anyone with kids and older 

people should be thinking 

about estate planning. 

“What happens if someone 

dies? They want to 

name guardians for the 

kids,” Fred said. “They 

want to make sure there is 

a trust set up so they don’t 

have to go to court and 

also set up a conservatorship 

to make sure the kids are taken care of. 

“And when people get older they need 

to plan for things they don’t want to have 

happen. What if someone has a stroke? 

What if there is a car accident? What if a 

loved one dies? On a person’s death, you 

don’t want to be asking, ‘How should the 

assets be distributed?’” 

Planning ahead can make sure minor 

children are protected and grown children 

receive their inheritance and avoid probate 

court which can cost tens of thousands of 

dollars, potentially freeze the assets and 

jeopardize a family’s privacy. 

“Without a plan, there could be a train 

wreck, as in people filing lawsuits, making 

claims of all kinds and ending up in court. 

Take the time to plan and it’s possible to 

avoid that to a certain extent,” Fred advised. 

“We’ve had estates that while mom and 

dad are alive everyone seems to be getting 

along. After they’re dead, the kids break 

out into fighting over the estate; and then, 

never talk to each other again. 

“The loss of a parent is devastating 

enough. Parents should plan so that five 

years after mom and dad die, the kids are 

still celebrating holidays together. That’s 

kind of a goal I have.” 

For more information about estate planning, 

Fred suggests you pick up his book 

on Amazon. Then, to make a plan for your 

family, call him directly. 

Fred L. Vilbig, Attorney at Law 

Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP 

By appointment • (636) 537-7884 

fvilbig@shandselbert.com 

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24 I BUSINESS I 





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Lynn Morris, owner of Bin There Dump That (center), with (from left) Katherine Flett, 

of Danna McKitrick, P.C. (Gold Sponsor), and Sarah Botts, of Renaissance Plastic 

Surgery (2022 Board Chairman) 

(Source: Provided) 

business 

briefs 

PLACES 

St. Charles company Bin There Dump 

That was recognized as the 2022 Small Business 

of the Year by the St. Charles Regional 

Chamber. The award was presented during 

the annual Small Business of the Year awards 

on Wednesday, May 4. Bin There Dump That 

offers dumpster rental service for residential 

and commercial properties, as well as sameday 

delivery or pick up, driveway protection 

and uniformed drivers that sweep the area for 

any debris left on a driveway with a magnetic 

broom (which removes any nails or other 

metal fragments) that may be left following 

removal. Other businesses recognized during 

the awards ceremony include owner Vernon 

Prinster with VSP Construction Services, Inc. 

and owner Jessica Cooke of Yuppy Puppy. 

• • • 

The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast 

Missouri hosted its 9th Annual One 

with Courage Gala on Saturday, April 30. 

The gala raises funds for services to help 

children and families healing from abuse, 

such as forensic interviews, family advocacy, 

mental health therapy and child sexual 

abuse prevention programs. This year’s gala 

raised more than $173,000. The 2022 award 

winners were Dan and Anna Alt, Honorary 

Chairpersons; Jade Paden, Volunteer of the 

Year; Matt and Jamie Riegert, Philanthropist 

Leadership Award; the Community and 

Children’s Resource Board of St. Charles 

County (CCRB), Outstanding Foundation 

Award; and Flat World Global Solutions, 

Outstanding Corporate Supporter Award. 

• • • 

VSM Abrasives hosted a groundbreaking 

ceremony for a 50,000 square-foot 

expansion of its manufacturing plant 

at 1012 East Wabash St. in O’Fallon on 

Thursday, April 28. The expansion will 

increase the company’s overall production 

capabilities by providing more space for 

shipping, materials and finished goods. In 

attendance were Brent Barton, president of 

VSM Abrasives and Greg Fields, VSM’s 

plant manager, as well as O’Fallon Mayor 

Bill Hennessy and representatives with the 

City of O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce. 

This is the second expansion VSM Abrasives 

has made within three years, including 

a previous extension of office space in 

2019. The project is expected to be completed 

by the end of the year. 

PEOPLE 

Stewart Wrozier 

is retiring from AAA 

Home Services after 

40 years of dedicated 

service to the St. 

Charles community. In 

1982, Stewart began 

delivering appliances 

for AAA. As a licensed Wrozier 

HVAC and water 

heater technician, he also installed gas and 

electrical appliances. AAA Homes Services 

has met the appliance needs of local 

homeowners since 1970. 

EVENTS 

The St. Charles Regional Chamber hosts 

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

Tuesday, May 24 at Old Town Donut Shop, 

3941 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters. 

This networking event is free for chamber 

members. Members are asked to RSVP. 

Visit stcharlesregionalchamber.com.


MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 25 

Mid America Audiology helps people hear more, do more, live more 




Hearing loss isn’t always easy to talk 

about. In fact, data from a John Hopkins 

School of Medicine study shows 

that most people who notice they have 

hearing loss put off making a phone 

call to a hearing specialist for 10 years. 

Time, however, is of the essence, 

because hearing well is an important 

part of living your best life, said Lauren 

Kraft, regional operations manager at 

Mid America Audiology. Taking that 

first step to pick up the phone sooner 

rather than later can make a world of 

difference. 

“When someone is frequently asking 

people to repeat themselves; if it’s hard 

to have a one-to-one conversation in a 

loud environment; if family members 

or friends start telling the person ‘you 

should have your hearing checked,’ it 

may be time to make that phone call,” 

Lauren said. 

According to the National Institute 

on Deafness and Other Communication 

Disorders, “Hearing loss is one of 

the most common conditions affecting 

older adults …. Approximately one 

in three people between the ages of 

65 and 74 has hearing loss and nearly 

Audiologist at the St. Charles location 

Michelle Smith, M.S., CCC-A 

half of those older than 75 have difficulty 

hearing.” 

Mid America Audiology has offices 

throughout the St. Louis area, including in 

St. Charles and Ellisville. Lauren’s mother, 

Carol Bergmann, actually opened the Ellisville 

office about 20 years ago, Lauren said. 

“When someone calls to schedule an 

appointment, we can get that person in, 

generally within a week,” she said. “Once 

the patients come in, we spend quite a bit 

of time with them. We make them feel 

comfortable. After the test, the audiologist 

will go over their options based on the 

hearing test results.” 

Lauren said she understands the hesitation 

people have about setting up that first 

appointment for a hearing test. 

“They are nervous to hear the results. 

They don’t want to address the problem 

yet. They have an idea about hearing aids 

that comes from another time. They think 

of them as large devices that will make 

them look old.” 

Nothing could be further from the truth, 

she said. Today’s hearing aids are smaller 

and come in colors that blend with their 

hair. 

“They are hardly noticeable,” Lauren 

said. 

The reality is that without the assistance 

hearing aids can bring, a person might drop 

out of social activities that can keep them 

young and engaged with the world. 

“It’s a lot of work to keep asking ‘What 

did you say? What did you say?’ Hearing is 

very important,” Lauren said. 

Getting a trained professional to test, 

give advice and customize a client’s hearing 

aids is another essential aspect of helping 

someone to hear better. Mid America 

audiologists have the proper training and 

education to enable them to properly give 

hearing tests and program hearing aids to 

fit a client’s personal hearing loss, Lauren 

said. 

“Educating patients on their hearing loss 

that’s our big thing,” she said. 

Mid America also has a wide range of 

choices in hearing aid brands, styles, and 

technology to fit each person’s needs and 

budget. 

Laura noted that nothing gives the audiologists 

more joy than watching the pleasure 

and excitement of a client who can 

hear clearly again. 

“They can hear the birds again, the rustle 

of leaves, the voices of their grandchildren. 

This can drastically change their lives,” she 

said. “Those are the best days when you 

know that you’ve changed someone’s life 

for the better. 

“We are going to do everything we can 

do to make sure our client’s hearing experience 

is as good as it can be.” 

Mid America Audiology 

1475 Kisker Road Suite 270 • St. Charles 

(636) 242-6616 

15825 Manchester Road, #209 

Ellisville • (636) 484-9735 

midamerica.alpacaaudiology.com 

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26 I HEALTH I 





health 

capsules 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Genetic cause of lupus identified 

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates 

that 1.5 million Americans have been 

diagnosed with a form of the autoimmune 

disease lupus, and 90% of them are women 

between the ages of 15 and 45. This May, 

which also happens to be Lupus Awareness 

Month, the recently announced discovery 

of a primary genetic cause of lupus offers 

hope for potential new treatments for this 

life-limiting disease. 

In a new study, scientists conducted 

whole genome sequencing on the DNA of 

a young girl from Spain named Gabriela, 

who was diagnosed with a severe form 

of lupus when she was just 7 years old. 

Her young age at diagnosis and advanced 

symptoms are very rare, pointing to a 

single genetic cause for her disease. 

In Gabriela’s case, the researchers were 

able to identify a single mutation in a gene 

called TLR7. To confirm that this mutation 

causes lupus, the team then used gene editing 

to introduce it into mice, which also developed 

the disease and showed similar symptoms. 

This provided more evidence that the 

TLR7 mutation was indeed the cause. 

By identifying this direct link between 

the TLR7 gene mutation and lupus, scientists 

can start to search for more effective 

treatments based on its activity in the body, 

they explained. While existing drugs which 

suppress the immune system can help with 

symptoms, they can also have serious side 

effects and leave patients susceptible to 

infections. Progress toward new treatments 

for lupus also has been extremely slow, 

with only two new drugs approved by the 

FDA over the past 60 years. 

Dr. Carmen de Lucas Collantes, a coauthor 

of the study, said, “Identification 

of TLR7 as the cause of lupus in this unusually 

severe case ended a diagnostic odyssey 

and brings hope for more targeted therapies 

A newly published study found that reducing smartphone use by an hour every 

day may improve overall well-being. 

(Source: Adobe Stock) 

for Gabriela and other lupus patients likely 

to benefit from this discovery.” 

Gabriela herself, who is now a teenager, 

added, “I hope this finding will give hope to 

people with lupus and make them feel they 

are not alone in fighting this battle. Hopefully 

the research can continue and end up in a specific 

treatment that can benefit so many lupus 

warriors who suffer from this disease.” 

Turn off your phone an hour 

a day for better health 

Surveys have shown that many people 

now spend more than five hours every 

single day texting, watching videos, scrolling 

social media, and otherwise interacting 

with their smartphones, although estimates 

vary by age group. That staggering statistic 

recently led a team of German researchers 

to investigate what amount of time could be 

the “sweet spot” for daily smartphone usage. 

They recruited a group of about 600 volunteers, 

dividing them into three groups for 

a one-week experiment. The first group put 

away their phones completely for the entire 

week; the second group reduced their daily 

use by one hour, and the third group made 

no changes to their current smartphone use. 

The results showed that even several 

months after the experiment ended, those 

who reduced their phone use by an hour a 

day reported the most positive and longlasting 

effects. 

Participants in all three groups were 

interviewed immediately after the intervention, 

as well as one month and four 

months afterward. They were asked about 

their levels of physical activity, anxiety and 

depression, and overall life satisfaction. 

“We found that both completely giving up 

the smartphone and reducing its daily use by 

one hour had positive effects on the lifestyle 

and well-being of the participants,” said 

Julia Brailovskaia, Ph.D., the study’s leader. 

“In the group who reduced use, these effects 

even lasted longer and were thus more 

stable than in the abstinence group.” 

Even four months after the end of the 

experiment, members of the group who 

had given up their smartphones completely 

still used them on average 38 minutes less 

per day than before. However, the group 

who had spent one hour less per day using 

their phones during the experiment were 

still averaging as much as 45 minutes less 

per day after a four-month period. At the 

same time, their reported life satisfaction 

and time spent being physically active 

increased, while their symptoms of depression 

and anxiety decreased. 

“It’s not necessary to completely give up 

the smartphone to feel better,” Brailovskaia 

said. “There may be an optimal daily 

usage time.” 

Less sleep leads to more 

belly fat, study shows 

Even in young people of normal weight, 

not getting enough sleep contributes to 

eating more calories and subsequently to 

accumulating fat … especially unhealthy 

belly fat, according to scientists from the 

Mayo Clinic. 

They recently recruited two groups of 

young, healthy volunteers who were not 

obese, all of whom agreed to live in a monitored 

setting for two 21-day experiments. 

After an acclimation period where everyone 

was allowed to sleep for nine hours 

at night, the groups took turns at having 

their sleep restricted to just four hours per 

night for two weeks, while the “normal” 

sleep group maintained nine hours of sleep. 

Finally, both groups returned to normal 

sleep for a few days. 

While their sleep was restricted, participants 

consumed more than 300 extra calories 

per day, including 17% more calories from 

fat. Although their weight gain averaged only 

about a pound, their abdominal visceral fat – 

a type of fat deposited around internal organs 

which is strongly linked to cardiac and metabolic 

disease – increased by 11%. 

Importantly, even when their sleep normalized 

again in the “catch-up” phase and 

their calorie intake and weight decreased, 

their visceral fat continued to increase, at 

least in the short term. 

Because more than a third of American 

adults routinely don’t get enough sleep, 

these results should be cause for concern, 

said Naima Covassin, Ph.D., a cardiovascular 

medicine researcher at Mayo Clinic. 

“Measures of weight alone would be 

falsely reassuring in terms of the health consequences 

of inadequate sleep. Also concerning 

are the potential effects of repeated 

periods of inadequate sleep in terms of 

progressive and cumulative increases in visceral 

fat over several years,” Covassin said. 

Menthol cigarette ban would 

make many kick the habit 

In late April, the U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration formally announced proposed 

rules banning all menthol cigarettes, 

which could potentially take effect as early 

as mid-2023. The FDA estimates that 

approximately 18.5 million Americans use 

menthol cigarettes, including three out of 

four Black smokers and more than a third 

of young people under 18 who smoke. 

The proposed ban would have a major





I HEALTH I 27 

impact on the behavior of U.S. smokers if 

enacted, causing more than 1.3 million of 

them to quit, according to a new international 

study. 

Researchers from the U.S. and Canada 

collaborated on the research, which was 

based on data collected after a Canadian 

ban on menthol cigarettes was imposed 

in 2017. In that country, just over 22% of 

menthol cigarette smokers quit following 

its ban, compared to 15% of non-menthol 

smokers. 

A proposed FDA ban on menthol cigarettes 

would lead more than 1.3 million Americans 

to quit, according to a recent study. 

(Source: Adobe Stock) 

To estimate the effects of a U.S. ban, the 

researchers applied the impact of the Canadian 

ban to statistics on American menthol 

smokers. Of approximately 1,338,000 

people they projected to quit as a result 

of the ban, they found its effects would 

be proportionately greater among Black 

American smokers, causing more than 

381,000 of them to kick the habit. 

“Our study confirms that Canada’s menthol 

cigarette ban led to substantial public health 

benefits,” said Geoffrey T. Fong, the study’s 

lead author. “Smoking is the number one 

preventable cause of death and disease in 

Canada, the United States, and globally.” 

In addition to Canada, more than 30 

other countries have already banned menthol 

cigarettes, including all member states 

of the European Union. 

Menthol gained widespread use in the 

1950s and 1960s as a cigarette additive in 

the U.S. Health experts say the cooling 

sensation it creates when inhaling cigarette 

smoke makes it easier for young people to 

start smoking and facilitates their addiction. 

On the calendar 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers 

online Head to Toe One-Hour Orientation 

sessions on Wednesday, June 1 and Monday, 

June 6 from 6-7 p.m. During these free 

online sessions, families will learn about St. 

Louis Children’s Hospital’s family-focused 

weight management program for kids ages 

8-17 called Head to Toe. The program helps 

children and their parents learn to make 

healthier lifestyle choices, set goals and get 

regular exercise. The Head to Toe program 

begins on Tuesday, July 26. Register at 

classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Clearing the 

Air: Facts About Lung Cancer on Thursday, 

June 2 from 6-7 p.m. at the Desloge 

Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center 

Drive in Chesterfield (Building A, Conference 

Room 3). Lung cancer is the second 

most common cancer diagnosed in both 

men and women; early signs and symptoms 

may not be evident, but early detection can 

mean a better chance of successful treatment. 

Join St. Luke’s and the American Lung 

Association for a free and in-person education 

session and live Q&A with St. Luke’s 

physicians. Low-dose CT lung screening 

and referrals will also be available. Register 

online at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

Staying Home Alone, sponsored by BJC 

St. Louis Children’s Hospital, is on Tuesday, 

June 7 from 6:30-8 p.m. This virtual class, 

presented via Teams Meeting, will help 

prepare the parent(s), child and family for 

times when children will be home alone. A 

family workbook, emergency cards, family 

fire escape plan, parent checklist for assessing 

readiness, and a first-aid kit are included. 

Materials will be delivered to class participants’ 

homes prior to class. The cost is $25 

per family. To register, call (314) 454-5437. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors 

a Babysitting 101 virtual class on 

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

interactive class, offered virtually through 

Teams Meeting, is a great introduction to 

the basics of babysitting and is recommended 

for ages 10 and above. Topics 

include the business of babysitting, child 

development and behavior, basic child 

care, expecting the unexpected, and choosing 

age-appropriate games and activities. 

A workbook, first-aid kit, babysitter skills 

assessment and backpack will be delivered 

to each participant’s home prior to class. A 

list of needed supplies and the online link 

will be provided in the confirmation email. 

The cost is $25 per child. Register online at 

classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

BJC HealthCare sponsors a Family and 

Friends CPR course on Tuesday, June 

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

offered via Teams Meeting, uses the American 

Heart Association curriculum to teach 

hands-on CPR skills including adult handsonly 

CPR; infant/child CPR with breaths; 

introduction to adult/child AED use; and 

relief of choking in an adult, child or infant. 

Each participating household will receive a 

CPR kit prior to the course date with infant 

and adult-size mannequins, class materials 

and a DVD for ongoing reference and practice 

(course does not include certification 

upon completion). The cost is $50. Register 

online by visiting classes-events.bjc.org.

28 I EVENTS I 





Celebrate Memorial Day at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 30 at Veterans Tribute Park, 1031 Kisker Road in Weldon Spring. 

local 

events 

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT 

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

first Friday of every month at the Foundry 

Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in Saint 

Charles. Visitors can spend time in the galleries, 

meet resident studio artists and more. 

Free activities and paid workshops hosted 

by local business owners. For details, visit 

foundryartcentre.org/first-fridays. 

• • • 

Historic Heald Home and Zumwalt’s 

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

the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month 

beginning Sunday, May 22 at Fort Zumwalt 

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

Admission is $5 per person to see both 

attractions; children 10 and under are free. 

For more information, call (636) 379-5502 

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

• • • 

The Foundry Block Party is from 11 

a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11 at the 

Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center 

in Saint Charles. Interactive art projects for 

all ages, food and drinks, live music, heavy 

machinery, vendor booths, and the main 

event - steamroller printing. Free. For more 

information, visit foundryartcentre.org. 

BENEFITS 

St. John’s United Church of Christ 

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

May 21 at St. John’s United Church 

of Christ, 945 Wolfrum Road in Weldon 

Spring. Dine in or carry out. Prices subject 

to change. Cash or check only. Orders of 10 

or more can be delivered within a 10 mile 

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

For details, visit stjohnsweldonspring.org. 

• • • 

Sweaty Pig 5K or 1-Mile Fun Run is 

at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 4 at Zachary’s 

Playground, 8392 Orf Road in Lake Saint 

Louis. Featuring both in-person and virtual 

races. After the race, enjoy BBQ and brews, 

music and fun. For the virtual run, choose 

your course and start time between Friday, 

June 3 and Sunday, June 5. Upload your 

time for recognition. Tickets start at $30 

with proceeds benefitting to Unlimited Play, 

a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To register 

and for more details, visit unlimitedplay. 

org/sweatypigrace. 

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS 

The Country Fair is from 6-10:30 

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

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

p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at Chesterfield 

Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive 

in Chesterfield. Zach Bryan, Jon Pardi 

and Chris Young to perform. All ages welcome. 

12 and under are free. Ticket prices 

range from $20-$250; prices are subject 

to change. Ticket includes carnival access, 

rides, games and more. Rain or shine. For 

more information or to purchase tickets, 

visit chesterfieldcountryfair.com. 

• • • 

Missouri River Irish Fest is at 5 p.m. 

on Friday, May 27 through 5 p.m. on 

Sunday, May 29 on the Missouri Riverfront 

along Main Street in Saint Charles. 

Free event. Live music, Irish dancing, 

food vendors and more. For details, visit 

discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

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

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

Hwy K in O’Fallon. Featuring a wide variety 

of popular local food trucks in a familyfriendly 

park setting. Bring a blanket or 

chair. Admission and parking is free. For 

details, visit ofallon.mo.us. 

• • • 

636 Festival is at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 3 

between Good News Brewing and La Belle 

Vie Cafe in Historic Frenchtown in Saint 

Charles. For a full list of businesses offering 

$6 deals for June 3, visit Instagram and 

search, Local.636. Call (636)734-7613 or 

email, hello@local636.com for information. 

FAMILY & KIDS 

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

a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays weekly 

at the Spencer Road Branch Library, 427 

Spencer Road in St. Peters. Stories, songs, 

and activities for ages 0-6 enhance early 

literacy skills. Register each child attending. 

Each week all the story times feature 

the same story. Masks are required for ages 

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

mylibrary.org/events. 

• • • 

Teens Volunteering to Make History 

is from 1-4 p.m. on the third Sunday 

of each month and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

on the third Saturday of each month at 

various parks in St. Charles County. Join 

Rangers for a two-day history interpretation 

class with hands-on activities. Cost 

is $20 for new participants; cost waived 

for existing volunteers. Teens need a 

permission slip and letter of recommendation 

from someone outside of their 

household to participate. Ages 13-18. 

To register, visit sccmo.org/232/Parks- 

Recreation. 

• • • 

Spring Ice Show, Let it Snow! is from 

7-9 p.m. on Friday, May 20; 5-7 p.m. on 

Saturday, May 21 and from 2-4 p.m. on 

Sunday, May 22 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, 

5200 Mexico Road in St. Peters. Tickets 

are on sale at the front desk for $9.50 per 

adult, and $7.50 for children 12 and under 

and seniors 55 and older. Rec-Plex passholders 

receive a $1 discount on admission. 

For more information, visit stpetersmo.net 

or call (636) 939-2386. 

• • • 

St. Charles Children’s Business Fair 

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

at the Lake Saint Louis Farmer’s Market, 

Meadows Circle Drive. This is a one-day 

pop-up market for kidpreneurs. Free and 

open to the public. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

St. Charles Trolley Season is from 11 

a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sundays 

in downtown Saint Charles. Hop on 

and off at any of the eleven stops during a 

30 minute loop through old downtown St. 

Charles. Rides are free. For details, visit 

discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

Seasonal Nature Walks are from 10-11 

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

Veterans Tribute Park, 1031 Kisker Road 

in Weldon Spring. This interpretive program 

is led by park horticulture specialists. 

Hour-long guided walk focuses on different 

aspects of nature each month. Free for 

all ages. Registration is encouraged. For 

inclement weather, call the rainout line at 

(636) 707-0011. The next walk is June 3. 

For details, visit stccparks.org. 

• • • 

The St. Charles County Pachyderm 

Club hosts Janet Martin, presenting on 

leadership and communication at noon 

on Friday, May 20; U.S. Congressman 

Blaine Luetkemeyer at noon on Friday, 

June 3 and Carla Klaskin, candidate for 

State Representative in District 63 at 

noon on Friday, June 10 at Mattingly’s, 

6245 Ronald Reagan Drive in Lake 

Saint Louis. For more information visit 

sccpachyderms.org. 

• • • 

Paws in the Park Dog Festival is from 

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

Broemmelsiek Park, 1795 Hwy. DD in 

Defiance. Features contests, prizes, K9 

demonstrations, and more. Free admission. 

Bring a donation of dog food and receive 

a goodie bag while supplies last. Proceeds 

benefit the St. Charles County Pet Adoption 

Center and Five Acres Animal Shelter. 

For details, visit stccparks.org. 

• • • 

Memorial Day Program is at 1 p.m. 

on Monday, May 30 at Veterans Tribute 

Park, 1031 Kisker Road in Weldon Spring. 

The free program is open to the public 

and includes a welcome by St. Charles 

County Executive Steve Ehlmann, music 

provided by Frank’s Heroes Band, roll call 

of departed veterans and presentation of 

colors and wreath-laying ceremonies. For 

details, visit sccmo.org. 

• • • 

National Boone Day is from 10 a.m.-4 

p.m. on Saturday, June 4 at The Historic 

Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Hwy. F in 

Defiance. Celebrate the life and times 

of one of Missouri’s greatest frontiersmen. 

Featuring Boone scholar presentations 

and frontier-related demonstrations. 

Admission is free. For more information, 

visit sccmo.org. 

• • • 

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

June 11 at Dardenne Prairie Hall, 2199 

Post Road in O’Fallon. Doors open at 6 

p.m. Admission is $15 per person and 

includes beer, wine, setups and snacks. To 

purchase tickets, call (636) 497-5480.





I 29 

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30 I 





HISTORY AT HOME, from page 14 

not of a soldier but rather the infant daughter 

of an officer. Elizabeth (Eliza) Ann Lash was 

laid to rest on Aug. 5, 1827. Today, more than 

237,000 people are buried there. 

Of those are Revolutionary War veterans 

Private Richard Gentry, Major Russell Bissell 

and Colonel Thomas Hunt. Hunt and 

Bissell were originally buried at Fort Bellefontaine, 

and Gentry was buried near Richmond, 

Kentucky. All three men’s remains 

were moved to Jefferson Barracks in the 

20th century. Also buried there are about 

14,000 Civil War soldiers, including 1,140 

Confederate soldiers, most of whom were 

prisoners of war. Many of the graves of both 

Union and Confederate soldiers that are 

marked “unknown” are the graves of those 

who died of smallpox. They were originally 

buried on Arsenal Island also known as 

Smallpox Island on the western side of the 

Mississippi River across from Alton, Illinois. 

Flooding, however, had washed away 

their original markers and so the remains 

were unidentifiable when they were moved 

to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. 

Within the cemetery, there are many 

memorials, including The Fort Bellefontaine 

Monument, a red granite boulder 

that was donated in 1904 by the Daughters 

of the American Revolution in honor of 

the officers and soldiers who died at Fort 

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO 

• Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery is located at 

2900 Sheridan Road in south St. Louis (63125). It is open to 

visitors every day of the year from dawn until dusk. Memorial 

Day observations will be taking place throughout the cemetery 

on Sunday, May 29 (when Boy Scouts will be placing flags at 

every grave) and Monday, May 30. 

• Soldiers Memorial Military Museum is located at 1315 

Chestnut St. in St. Louis (63103). It is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Wednesday through Sunday with a special Memorial Day Commemoration 

taking place from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Court of 

Honor on Monday, May 30. 

• Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial is located at 1172 

Veterans Memorial Pkwy. in Perryville, (63775). The Wall and 

Welcome Center/Museum are open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. 

• Jefferson Barracks County Park is located at 345 North 

Bellefontaine (Belle Fontaine), which was 

located about 20 miles north of St. Louis 

and is today a county park. 

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans 

Affairs, the remains of 175 officers 

and soldiers of the 56th U.S. Colored Troops 

Infantry were removed from a cemetery at 

the former Koch Quarantine Hospital in St. 

Louis in 1939, and re-interred at Jefferson 

Barracks National Cemetery. The men died 

of cholera in August 1866. The monument 

to the 56th USCT also was moved from its 

original location at Koch hospital and reerected 

at Jefferson Barracks. 

A water fountain designed by award-winning 

architect Eugene J. Mackey Jr. also 

serves as a memorial within the cemetery. 

Dedicated on Memorial Day 1952, it pays 

homage to the 35th Division, an infantry 

formation of the U.S. Army National Guard 

that dates to 1918. Mackey may be best 

known locally for designing the Climatron 

at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but his 

mid-century structure monument made of 

polished pink granite is likewise unique as 

the only memorial water fountain found in 

a National Cemetery Association cemetery. 

Many of the memorials have been erected 

in the last 25 years, including a carillon 

bell tower that was erected as part of the 

Road in St. Louis (63125). It is open daily 8 a.m. until 30 minutes 

past sunset and features seven museums, including the Old 

Ordnance Room, the Powder Magazine Museum, the Visitors 

Center, the Laborers House and Ordnance Stable, which are 

operated by the county and are free and open to the public from 

noon-4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. The Jefferson Barracks 

POW-MIA Museum (jbpow-mia.org), the Missouri Civil 

War Museum (mcwm.org) and the Jefferson Barracks Telephone 

Museum (jbtelmuseum.org) are privately operated and 

have unique hours and fees. Visit each one’s website for details. 

[Editor’s note: Read “The historic legacy of Jefferson Barracks” 

on midriversnewsmagazine.com.] 

• Fort Belle Fontaine County Park is located at 13002 

Bellefontaine Road in north St. Louis (63138). It is open daily 8 

a.m. until 30 minutes past sunset. 

AMVETS international carillon program to 

provide living memorials in honor of American 

veterans. According to the U.S. Department 

of Veterans Affairs, the bell tower, at 

the time of its installation, was described 

as “a very fine instrument [whose] beautiful 

tones can be heard throughout the entire 

cemetery and beyond.” 

Every monument and gravesite within 

the cemetery has a story to tell. The same 

can be said of the Soldiers Memorial 

Military Museum and the Vietnam Veterans 

Memorial. All are exceptional places 

to begin exploring history at home this 

Memorial Day weekend. 

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MID RIVERS HOME PAGES 

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I 31 

BULLETIN BOARD, from page 17 

and Liberty students Saiya Ameen, Sanjana 

Anand, Emma Thomas and Jaden 

Zelidon received the Barbara James Service 

Award for completing over 100 hours 

of community service. Liberty’s HOSA 

also received the HOSA Service Project 

Recognition Award for the members’ contribution 

to Be the Match. Students must 

be enrolled in one of the district’s Project 

Lead the Way Biomedical classes in order 

to be a member of the chapter. 

Winners are as follows: 

Holt High: Kinsey Henrichsen, second 

place - Nursing Assisting; Mia Curic and 

Jordan West, third place - CPR - First Aid. 

Liberty High: Fiona Do, Sophia Fiorino, 

Amelia Huebbe, Anna Morrison and Julia 

Wiley, first place – Parliamentary Procedure 

Event; Lauren McCain and Laney Torbit, 

second place – Health Education Event; 

Saiya Ameen, Sanjana Anand, Emma 

Thomas and Jaden Zelidon - qualified to 

compete at the International Conference. 

Timberland High: Hannah 

Kirkendoll, second place 

– Researched Persuasive 

Writing and Speaking; Oyin 

Ganiyu, third place – Cultural 

Diversity and Disparities in 

Healthcare. 

The power of art 

Immanuel Lutheran St. 

Charles art instructor Christine 

Nixon and her seventh and 

eighth grade students recently 

welcomed the opportunity 

to contribute to the Art of 

Healing wall located near the 

main lobby of SSM Health St. 

Joseph Hospital - St. Charles. 

“We are always looking for 

opportunities to make connections 

in our community, and I just loved 

the mission statement that we were asked 

to reflect on as the designs were created for 

St. Joe’s,” Nixon said. 

Students at Immanuel Lutheran St. Charles created artwork for the Art of Healing wall at SSM Health St. 

Joseph Hospital - St. Charles 

Source: Provided) 

The Art of Healing wall creates an environment 

to engage the youth in the community 

and find out what the ‘art of healing’ 

and, more specifically, ‘God’s healing presence’ 

means to them. The artwork adds 

aesthetic value to the hospital hallways 

and allows patients and visitors to view the 

SSM Health Mission through the lens of a 

student. Be sure to visit the installation to be 

immersed in the gift of creativity. 

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Full Benefit Package includes: 

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- Employee Assistance Program 

- Sick Leave Compensation 

- Vacation Compensation 

- 11 Paid Holidays 

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peopleadmin.com/hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 



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- 40 hrs/week 

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Full Benefit Package includes: 

- Retirement through the Public 

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but not including $500,000 and $1,500 for loans over $500,000. Your savings federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. First Community Credit Union NMLS ID # 684198.

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-18-22

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