West Newsmagazine 11-2-22

Vol. 27 No. 21 • November 2, 2022 

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STAR PARKER 

November 2, 2022 

WEST NEWSMAGAZINE 

I OPINION I 3 

We need Republicans to 

deliver our new leadership 

As November elections approach, the 

glaring and deeply troubling headline I see 

is Americans becoming increasingly alienated 

from their own country. 

There has never been a greater need for a 

new generation of leaders to restore clarity 

about American principles and plant them 

in American hearts and minds. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that all 

branches of the U.S. military are coming 

up short in recruiting goals. The U.S. Army 

will fall short by 25%, meaning 20,000 

soldiers. The Air Force and Navy are also 

falling short. 

The WSJ offers various technical explanations 

as the source of the recruiting 

problems facing the U.S. military. But 

most troubling is the observation that, per 

surveys, “fewer than 1 in 10 youth are 

inclined to serve.” 

It makes sense to expect that kids growing 

up in a country where they are taught 

that they live in an evil, unjust, racist 

nation will have diminishing enthusiasm to 

put on the uniform, no matter how much 

they are paid. 

A Gallup poll from June showed only 38% 

of our citizens saying they are “extremely 

proud” to be an American. This is the lowest 

since Gallup first did this survey in 2001, 

when 55% said they are “extremely proud.” 

On a similar note, a new Gallup survey 

shows trust in all branches of our federal 

government has cratered. 

The percentage expressing trust in our 

judicial branch stands at 47%; in our executive 

branch, 43%; and in the legislative 

branch, 38%. 

It is the first time all three branches of 

government fell below 50% in trust. 

Gallup notes that when it first did 

this survey in 1972, at least two-thirds 

expressed trust in each branch of the federal 

government. 

This is a leadership crisis. 

Former Democratic Party congresswoman 

and presidential candidate Tulsi 

Gabbard drew attention with her announcement 

that she is pulling out of the Democratic 

Party. 

In an interview on Fox with former 

Republican congressman Trey Gowdy, 

Gabbard ticked off her complaints about 

the Democratic Party, including her concern 

that Democrats do not carry the 

banner for “individual liberties,” “limited 

government” and our “God-given rights 

enshrined in our Constitution.” 

Some have noted the precedent of 

Ronald Reagan leaving the Democratic 

Party. But Reagan left the Democrats and 

became a Republican. 

And Gabbard? She says she is now an 

independent. 

It’s tough to fathom the genuineness of 

Gabbard’s disillusionment with her former 

party, given that she endorsed socialist 

Bernie Sanders for president in 2016. 

Reagan articulated a clear vision of 

America, about limited government and 

individual freedom, and then fought to 

capture leadership in the Republican Party 

so the party would become the platform for 

these ideals. 

This option certainly is open to Gabbard. 

But, no thank you. She’s an independent. 

Americans are disillusioned because too 

many so-called leaders are playing games 

with them. 

We need leaders who understand and feel, 

at the deepest level, what our nation is about. 

A great definition of leadership/heroism that 

I once read says that it is someone who 

embodies “by the cast of destiny, the virtue 

of their whole people in a great hour.” 

Inflation is a sure sign of a corrupt political 

culture. It begins with irresponsible government 

spending and printing of money. 

Alongside our corrupt political culture 

is the corruption of our society with the 

breakdown of marriage and family, and the 

disappearance of children. 

A free society is not about economic 

issues or social issues but both. 

In Reagan’s farewell address to the 

nation he said, “All great change in America 

begins at the dinner table.” 

He knew that in America, the family 

passes on the values of freedom. 

The press wants to focus the upcoming 

elections on individual races. 

This election must be about party. Republicans 

versus Democrats. 

Voters need to turn the country back to 

Republicans and pave the way for new, 

great American leaders. 

• • • 

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 westnewsmagazine.com 

We salute our veterans. 

We salute our veterans. 

“This nation will remain the land of the free 

only so long as it is home of the brave.” 

- Elmer Davis 

This nation will remain the land of the free 

only so long as it is the home of the brave. 

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and father that wants to serve you! 

As your State Representative, I will work towards economic relief 

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4 I OPINION I 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


Regarding Rockwood’s 

Board of Education 

To the Editor: 

To the Rockwood School District in the 

wake of tragedy, 

Let yesterday remind us of the importance 

of our beloved community. If a school 

shooting happens in Rockwood, will you 

feel good about the choices you’ve made 

this school year? 

Is now the time to end services for our 

most underserved students? No. Canceling 

contracts and creating a gap in services 

was a mistake. 

Is now the time to question the value of 

DEI, SEL, and Mental Health programs? 

No. Suicide and violence risk is highest 

in our least seen communuties: BIPOC, 

LGBTQIA+ and those with physical and 

mental differences. 

Is now the time to wonder whether the 

admins and staff who have worked tirelessly 

to serve the mental health and 

human rights of our students are credible? 

No. When we turn on each other, point fingers, 

and stop listening we fail. 

Is now the time to decide that professional 

development for community, 

individual, and childhood trauma is unnecessary? 

No. Trauma is a reality our community 

lives with. 

Focusing on the three r’s is not the reality 

of schools, community or world. Serving 

our beloved community extends far 

beyond academics. Students will not learn, 

staff will suffer and our schools will fail if 

our beloved community does not feel safe, 

seen and supported. This happens in our 

hallways, offices, classrooms and meetings. 

Our safety goes beyond locks, metal 

detectors and SROs. Feeling supported and 

seen does not happen in a text book. What 

are we doing to save Rockwood? 

Remember CVPA. 

Jocelyn Yedlicka 

• • • 


We are watching an American tragedy 

unfold with the academic destruction of 

the Rockwood School District. Last year 

the award-winning district was disgraced 

nationally. Taxpayers showed their disgust 

by electing two non-NEA endorsed candidates 

and voting down Rockwood’s budget 

initiative. Taxpayers’ distrust grows. 

Recent events clearly demonstrate the 

once-excellent school district has devolved 

into chaos and corruption. 

Hundreds of thousands of dollars were 

given through single vendor contracts to 

an illegal company who had the executive 

director of student services on its board. 

Board meetings have become intimidating 

to taxpayers and parents. At a recent board 

meeting, the president allowed speakers 

to call board members vulgar names and 

use hate speech to vilify other Rockwood 

parents. This type of incivility and chaos 

mustn’t be tolerated. Security and civility 

for the visitors must be insured. Rockwood 

needs board leaders who engender confidence, 

build trust, and enforce its own rules. 

If board members can’t or won’t do this, 

they should resign and give someone else 

a chance to rebuild Rockwood’s legacy. I 

wish Dr. Cain the best of luck, but he can’t 

allow his staff and faculty to ignore district 

policies that are in place. He needs to build 

his credibility with stakeholders, which is 

at stake. If the board and the superintendent 

don’t demonstrate Rockwood isn’t corrupt, 

uncivil, and inept, and that it is trustworthy, 

voters will never support anything the 

Rockwood School District proposes again. 

Let’s pray the board and Dr. Cain do the 

right thing. Rockwood needs to focus on 

academically improving test scores for all 

students. It’s been failing at this since 2018. 

I’m qualified to make these observations. I 

have a doctorate in education and 32 years 

of experience teaching at the undergraduate 

and graduate levels at a university. 

Dennis Ganahl, PhD 

Supporting Star Parker 


I wanted to take a moment to thank you 

for posting Ms. Parker’s article weekly. 

What a breath of fresh air she brings to your 

reading audience. She is upfront, truthful 

and very unbiased towards everyone and 

only speaks the truth as she sees it. I am 

thrilled that she continues to speak her 

mind, which I am happy to say is in line 

with the majority of people in this country. 

The only problem as I see it is we don’t 

have enough of the Star Parkers standing 

up for what is right and honest. 

Thanks again for Ms. Parker and her 

column. 

Patrick Buehrle 

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6 I OPINION I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


EDITORIAL 

Credit due 

Here is the timeline: 

9:11 a.m. – First 911 call comes in saying that there is a shooter in the school. 

9:15 a.m. – First officers arrive on the scene. 

9:23 a.m. – Officers locate the shooter. 

9:25 a.m. – Officers report the suspect is down. 

9:32 a.m. – Officers report the suspect is secured. 

This, of course, from the recent tragedy at Central Visual and Performing Arts 

High School in St. Louis. Four minutes to arrive on scene, 14 minutes from the 

time the first call comes in the suspect is down. Amazing. 

The shooter had 600 rounds of ammunition and an AR-15 style assault rifle. 

These officers saved lives. These officers are heroes. Police departments across 

the country, very much including St. Louis, have been ravaged over the last 

several years by bad press, bad policy and an ungrateful public. 

When they do something this blatantly honorable, this startlingly heroic, it is 

worth every single inch of paper and every single second of television. 

Thank you to these brave officers and thank you to all the police across the 

land who would have acted the same way in the same situation. 

The Midterms 

We do not endorse candidates except in presidential elections, and we have 

even gotten away from that in recent years. We simply do not think that you 

need our opinion on how to vote. 

What you do need is information on the candidates. 

Too often, local elections become a battle of yard signs and not a clear-minded 

understanding of principles and plans. In this issue, we are very proud to present 

voters with as much information – straight from the mouth of the candidates – as 

we could gather. Every local candidate was offered the same set of questions 

and the same platform on which to share their vision for our hometowns. Many 

responded, some did not. 

Our editorial staff worked tirelessly to present that information in this issue, 

with additional coverage on westnewsmagazine.com. 

An informed electorate is critical to a functioning democracy. Beginning on 

page 10 of this issue, you can learn about the candidates that matter to you. We 

thank you for reading, and we thank you for voting. 

FOLLOW US ON



RE-ELECT 



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8 I NEWS I 



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©2021 019569 – 4/21 – 15488813 

Chesterfield artist Don Wiegand with Pope Francis in Rome in September after 

Wiegand presented the Pope with a sculpture in his honor. (Source: Vatican Media) 

news 

briefs 

BALLWIN 

Ballwin Board approves 

recreational fee increases 

On Oct. 24, the board voted 5-4 to adopt 

the parks and recreation department’s recommendations 

for amending its current 

fee structure; mostly adding to daily nonresident 

fees. Mayor Tim Pogue cast the 

tie-breaking vote. 

Per the recommendations, most daily 

non-resident rates would increase $5; banquet 

center rental fees for both residents 

and non-residents would increase by $100 

each day to be more in line with facilities 

of other nearby cities. According to Recreation 

Director Chris Conway, very nominal 

fee increases would also be incurred for 

community center facility rentals. 

“Pavilion rental increases of about $10 

are nominal and also keeps them in line 

with nearby cities,” Conway said. “I’ve 

asked our staff, and they can’t remember 

the last time we did an increase. We’re 

talking some 20 years, and minimum wage 

was about $5 an hour back then. Also, 

every Saturday and Sunday, our staff is 

doing rounds (taking care of trash, taking 

care of restrooms, stocking up supplies and 

making sure entire sites are ready for the 

next rentals) and they’re doing overtime.” 

Conway also noted that expenses continue 

to rise as do wages; 2023 will be the final year 

of Prop B funding minimum wage increases. 

CHESTERFIELD 

City pulls out victory in 

tug-of-war contest 

At last, the city of Chesterfield has laid 

claim to winning the long-standing tugof-war 

contest between Chesterfield and 

Wildwood. Wildwood has held the bragging 

rights for four years in a row. 

Normally an annual event, the Woodchopper’s 

Ball on Balmar Farms was last 

held in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled 

due to the COVID-19 pandemic and last 

year’s event due to the potential of rain. 

But the weather was perfect this year and 

the Chesterfield team was able to pull off a 

win – literally. 

The traveling trophy, which is a hatchet 

in a log designed by Bob Clausen, will now 

reside in Chesterfield until the next contest. 

About 200 people attended the countrystyle 

fair in Wildwood, hosted by Bill 

Ballard and Stacey and Stuart Morse on 

property now owned by Tom Roberts. 

The event raises funds for BackStoppers 

Inc., which provides support and financial 

assistance to families of fallen public 

safety officers. 

Other activities included field games, 

demonstrations of wood splitting and 

chainsaw work, and a dessert contest. 

Musical entertainment was provided by 

Country Fried Gentlemen. 

Due to the windy conditions, the bonfire 

was not held this year. 

Contractor chosen for Logan 

Park improvements 

Bombshell Construction Services was 

selected, with a low bid of $893,200, to 

construct improvements at Logan Park 

along Schoettler Road in Chesterfield. The 

selection was approved by the City Council 

at its meeting on Oct. 18 

The park will be built in multiple phases. 

Phase 1 will include an ADA-accessible 

playground, a small pavilion with restrooms 

and a parking lot. Phase 2 will focus 

on trails, native educational gardens, additional 

shade structures around the playground 

and two pickleball courts. 

Tom McCarthy, director of parks, recreation 

and arts, said the improvements 

will primarily be funded by two St. Louis 

County Municipal Park grants. 

Logan University provided land for the 

12-acre park near the south campus entrance; 

however, the park will be developed and 

maintained by Chesterfield. A groundbreaking 

ceremony was held in August 2021. 

Logan Park will be the first and only park 

in Ward 3. 

Pope receives work 

of local sculptor 

After five years of work, Chesterfieldbased 

artist Don Wiegand’s finished basrelief 

sculpture of Pope Francis was ready 

to travel to its new home in Rome. In September, 

Wiegand personally transported 

the sculpture, special easel and unveiling 

cloth on the transatlantic flight. 

“It was a bit harrowing at times,” Wiegand 

said of the trip. 

Upon his arrival in Rome, he was invited 

to two Vatican unveilings. The first, on 

Sept. 8, was solely for members of The 

Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS). 

Vatican’s historic 16th century Casina Pio 

IV, where the sculpture now resides, is 

home to the PAS. 

“It was greeted by loud applause,” Wiegand 

said. He was later honored to attend 

a PAS dinner, along with members of his 

entourage, who were all donors to the project. 

Next, Wiegand presented the sculpture 

to the pontiff at the Vatican on Sept. 10. 

“I took the sculpture and carefully positioned 

it on the easel. Pope Francis sat in 

his papal chair, studied it, then grabbed 

my hand with both of his and smiled. He 

said, ‘Thank you, Mr. Wiegand. You made 

me look like I am thinking.’ He seemed 

touched and very pleased,” Wiegand said. 

Monarch FPD names new chief 

The Monarch Fire Protection District 

Board of Directors recently completed a 

process to replace retiring Chief Cary Spiegel. 

An internal search identified qualified 

interested candidates. 

The directors reviewed candidate resumes 

and conducted personal interviews. In a 

unanimous vote the board selected Deputy 

Chief Russ Adams as the next chief. Adams 

started his career with Monarch on Aug. 3, 

1990, as a firefighter/paramedic. He will 

assume the role of chief effective Nov. 18. 

MANCHESTER 

Aldermen discuss litter 

problem along Hwy. 141 

There is a stretch of median along Hwy. 

141 between Manchester and Big Bend 

roads that has become an eyesore due to 

the amount of litter that is being displaced. 

As a result, Manchester residents have 

called city hall to complain about the litter, 

assuming it is up to the city to keep it clear. 

However, this strip of road is actually 

maintained by the Missouri Department of 

Transportation (MODOT). 

“People think it’s Manchester’s problem,” 

said City Administrator Justin Klocke. 

When MODOT mows the grass, it reveals 

litter that is being thrown out of vehicles or 

See NEWS BRIEFS, page 46





Thank You 

for the honor of serving you 

in Congress. I’m fighting to 

Push Back Against Joe Biden, 

Nancy Pelosi, And The Radical Left 

Grow The Economy, Stop Inflation, 

And Lower Gas & Grocery Prices 

Protect The Right To Life 

Secure The Border 

Stop Unconstitutional Government Mandates 

Ensure Parents Have A Say In Their Kids' Education 

Support Our Military And Our Veterans 

Back The Blue And Stop Violent Crime 

I 9 

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10 I NEWS I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


Candidates in contested races for local, state and 

national offices that represent West St. Louis County 

residents were asked to reply to specific questions for the 

2022 Midterm Election Preview. While all candidates are 

listed in the Preview, only those who are in contested races 

received questionnaires. Their replies are printed below 

if they responded by deadline. Incumbents are identified 

with an asterisk. Party affiliations are marked as follows: 

Republican (R), Democrat (D), Libertarian (L), Constitution 

(C). West Newsmagazine has not verified and does not 

endorse the statements made by the candidates. 

NATIONAL OFFICES 

Candidates for U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress were 

asked to respond to: 

1. What actions will you take while in office to bring economic 

stability to Missourians and the nation as a whole? 

2. The public educational system has been in the news a 

great deal, from books on library shelves to parental rights. 

What role should the government play in these issues? 

3. What can be done at the national level to improve 

career readiness of both high school and college students? 

What role will you play? 

4. If you could change one thing about how the national 

government operates, what would it be? 

5. What qualifies you for this office (past experience, 

major accomplishments)? 

ELECTION PREVIEW 

ON THE BALLOT: The Midterms 

U.S. CONGRESS 

Eric Schmitt 

schmittforsenate.com 

1. Congress must stop spending recklessly. In the last few 

years, trillions of dollars have been spent, and the spending 

has been driving inflation higher – causing the prices of 

gas and groceries as well as rent and utilities to skyrocket. 

If Congress were to cut spending and our domestic energy 

potential was unleashed, the pressures driving food and 

energy prices would decrease. 

2. The most important thing for government to do is to 

respect that parents have every right to play a central role 

in their children’s education. As Missouri’s Attorney General, 

I fought for a Parents’ Bill of Rights, which would 

protect parents’ rights to have a well-informed say in their 

children’s education, strengthen parents’ abilities to take 

action related to their children’s education and increase 

transparency in Missouri’s schools. Government should 

not push specific political ideologies onto children, and 

parents should have the necessary tools and information to 

understand what their child is being taught. 

3. We must stay focused on actually lowering the cost of 

tuition. The Biden administration’s recent actions on student 

loans did nothing to address the rising cost of tuition. I have 

long championed 529 savings accounts, which allows families 

to save for educational expenses. Beyond lowering the cost of 

tuition, we must ensure that students have access to all types 

of education. I have expanded access for the 529 accounts to 

other educational options beyond 4-year colleges. Community 

colleges, trade schools and apprenticeships should be more 

available so that a student may succeed in a career. 

4. The federal government has too much bureaucratic 

overreach. Often, Congress has delegated its legislative 

duties to unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., who 

then implement rules and regulations that harm workingclass 

Missourians. These bureaucrats are not responsive to 

the American people, and often they carry out their own 

agenda. We must rein in this administrative state, so that 

Missouri families and small businesses do not suffer. 

5. As Missouri’s Attorney General, I have been working 

to make our streets safer, lower energy prices and defend 

our freedoms. I launched the Safer Streets initiative, a partnership 

with the attorney general’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s 

offices. With this initiative, we have secured hundreds 

of indictments and convictions for violent criminals. When 

the Biden administration held back our domestic energy 

producers, I took Biden to court – and won – to block these 

illegal actions. By allowing leases for drilling in our country, 

energy prices will fall and our nation will be more secure. 

Trudy Busch Valentine 

trudybuschvalentine.com 

1. Rising costs continue to be a serious issue for Missourians. 

That’s why one of my first policies was an affordability 

plan to lower the cost of living for Missourians. My 

plan includes cutting taxes for middle-class families, raising 

the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, investing 

in affordable childcare, administering a federal emergency 

gas rebate program, increasing funding for affordable 

housing, limiting the cost of insulin to $35 per month, 

investing in in-home and community-based services for 

seniors under Medicaid, and more. 

2. As a mother and grandmother, I know that our children 

are the most important resource that Missouri has and we 

need to invest in preparing our children for bright futures. 

That includes giving our children a world-class education, 

no matter their ZIP code and to that end, I will support 

robust funding for our public schools. Unfortunately education 

has become overly politicized and our children are 

being used as political pawns. I think teachers, parents 

and local communities need to work together in coalition 

to lead our schools, and politicians should not be overly 

inserting themselves into these local decisions. 

3. A 4-year college degree is simply not the right path for 

every young person. We need to expand opportunities for 

community and career colleges, union trade programs and 

apprenticeships, and make them more accessible and affordable. 

I would support more technical education opportunities 

for high schools as well so children can get real-world 

experience and experiment with future career paths. 

4. Extreme partisanship has stalled far too much positive 

progress in Washington. There is a myriad of pressing 

issues that Congress should be solving, but our leaders 

spend too much time fighting over who gets the credit and 

who gets the blame and not enough time actually doing the 

work they were sent to do. I decided to run for Senate to 

put a stop to this kind of counterproductive partisanship 

and put the focus back on making government work for 

the people again. 

5. My entire life has been defined by service. From volunteering 

as a candy striper to working as a nurse at the 

Salvation Army to leading the Saint Louis School of Nursing, 

to administering COVID vaccines to Missourians; I 

have a lifetime record of making life better for Missourians. 

To me, public office is another form of service. I am 

approaching politics the same way I approached nursing 

– by putting differences aside, listening to different perspectives 

and focusing on problem-solving. 

U. S. REPRESENTATIVE 

District 2 • Ann Wagner (R)* 

annwagner.com 

1. My parents taught me the value of a hard day’s work 

and that the government ought not to be in the way. I’ve 

fought to limit the power of government and supported the 

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered our taxes and eliminated 

costly regulations. In Congress, I’ll continue to fight 

back against the Left’s radical agenda that has raised taxes 

on middle-class families, increased the everyday cost of 

groceries and utilities, and grown our national debt. It’s 

past time to get the Democrats’ reckless spending under 

control. I’ll also continue supporting economic policies 

that create jobs and grow our economy. 

2. As a mother and grandmother, I fully support a parent’s 

right to make decisions in their children’s education. 

It is the job of local governments to work with parents to 

solve any issues and ensure children get the best education 

they can. Local governments and parents understand their 

communities better than the federal government ever will. 

The federal government should never get in the way of a 

parent and their child’s education. 

3. I strongly believe that a strong education is the foundation 

for a prosperous future. A student’s potential should 

never be limited by their ZIP code or household income. The 

federal government’s top-down approach is not feasible. I am 

fighting to get rid of the federal burdens that have been placed 

on schools, end the one-size-fits-all approach that the federal 

government has imposed on states and support our teachers. 

Every child deserves a quality education and a more targeted 

approach to education at the local level will give students 

greater opportunities to find the areas in which they excel. 

4. The bottom line is that the federal government spends 

too much, taxes too much, regulates too much and the resulting 

bureaucracy and red tape hurt job creators and the middle 

class. We must reduce the size of the federal government and 

allow each state to function as our founding fathers intended. 

Under Joe Biden’s administration, the role of government has 

increased exponentially, and as a result, we are experiencing 

four-decade-high inflation rates. As your congresswoman, I 

will continue to fight to decrease the size of the federal government 

by lowering taxes and getting rid of unnecessary and 

overly burdensome regulations. 

5. I grew up and raised my family here in the St. Louis 

region. As a young girl I worked in my parent’s small 

carpet store in Manchester where I learned customer service, 

the value of a dollar, and that the government should 

get out of the way and off the backs of hardworking families. 

I have fought for the sanctity of life, worked to lower 

taxes and make St. Louis the best place to live and raise a 

family. I have passed landmark human trafficking legislation 

and legislation to combat the rape kit backlog, both 

of which became law. I get things done, and I stand up for 

conservative Midwest values that we hold so dear. 

District 2 • Trish Gunby (D) 

trishgunby.com 

1. Centering workers is key to stabilizing and rebalancing 

the American economy. Since wages stopped keeping pace 

with inflation in the 1960s, the buying power of workingclass 

families has been limited – preventing folks from 

See ELECTION PREVIEW, page 20

PROUD MEMBER AND SUPPORTER OF FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE 



Vote 



I 11 

S TATE 

S E N A T E 

ESCAPED FROM COMMUNISM 

TO BECOME A WORLD-CLASS 

PHYSICIAN & LEADER 

I will fight for greater transparency to 

improve our schools and healthcare, 

solutions to protect our communities 

from the current crime wave, and work 

to bring jobs back to our communities. 

LEARN ABOUT GEORGE HRUZA’S 

INCREDIBLE LIFE STORY HERE 

oHold schools accountable 

Lower taxes 

Tame inflation 

Support police 

Missouri State Representative 101 

13th Annual 

Run. 

NOV 5 | 2022 

CHESTERFIELD 

CENTRAL PARK 

8AM - 12PM 

FAMILY FUN EVENT 

SUPPORTING THE 

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12 I NEWS I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


Ellisville coffee shop public hearing delayed as residents speak out 

By JEFFRY GREENBERG 

A public hearing had been set for discussion 

by the Ellisville City Council on Oct. 

18 to consider the petition of Seven Brew 

Drive Thru Coffee facility at 309 Clarkson 

Road. But on Oct. 17, the petitioner, who 

was not present at the ensuing council 

meeting, asked for the hearing to be continued 

to Nov. 2. 

While the council itself didn’t discuss the 

matter, no fewer than seven residents of the 

adjacent Field Avenue spoke during the 

citizen comments portion of the meeting. 

This was despite the fact that the request, 

which included a change in zoning from 

“R-1” single family residential zoning district 

to “C-5” planned commercial district, 

had already received a negative recommendation 

at the Oct. 12 Planning and 

Zoning Commission meeting. 

The first speaker, Bernie Barton, made 

note of the Lochmoeller Group traffic 

study. It was to determine the current traffic 

volumes in the immediate area and the 

ability of the area roads to accommodate 

the additional traffic generated by the proposed 

development. 

Barton expects extreme Field Avenue 

backups added to already snarling traffic, 

The intersection of Clarkson Road and Field Avenue. 

especially going south on Clarkson toward 

Manchester. 

“We need to ask ourselves do we need a 

doctor’s office or insurance office or something 

where they don’t even open until 9 

a.m. so there’s no rush hour traffic impact, 

or do we want to have a type of operation 

whose peak hours is peak traffic already?” 

Barton asked. “This would just compound 

peak hour traffic. People are going to be 

creative. If they see there are already six 

or seven cars in there, they’re going to turn 

onto Field, park on Field, run in with the 

walkup service, get their stuff and run back 

out. Also, they’re not going to go all the way 

down Field to go back out. They’re going to 

turn around in a residential driveway.” 

Barton noted that the area has lots of 

families with children and this would add 

(Source: Google Maps) 

to the danger of walking with the strong 

potential of so much added traffic. 

Also, it’s dangerous for those who will 

try to make a left turn into that location, 

Barton said. “Somebody at the last (P&Z) 

meeting said, ‘Well, people will be courteous 

and allow space to let them in,’ and 

the representative from the traffic study 

said that’s dangerous because people in the 

first lane may wave you on and ones in the 

second lane won’t see you.’” 

Mahmoud Kaaki mostly addressed three 

criteria questions asked for the proposed 

zoning change: Will the character of the 

neighborhood be negatively affected? 

Will other matters pertaining to the public 

health, safety and general welfare of the 

community be negatively affected? Will 

traffic conditions be negatively affected? 

On each, Seven Brew denied their business 

would make a difference. 

“We’re a residential street,” Kaaki said. 

“So we need to be considering a similar 

structure to what the residential would look 

like such as an office building or professional 

building which would not change 

the character of our neighborhood. We’re a 

quiet neighborhood. This would negatively 

affect the valuations of our properties. I 

don’t know if anyone would want to live in 

a neighborhood next to what’s proposed. I 

would not have decided to be living on that 

street if that business was already there.” 

That is despite the fact that Seven Brew 

answered “yes” on the question reading, 

“Will street and other means of access to 

the proposed development be suitable and 

adequate to any anticipated traffic without 

overloading the adjacent streets?” 

The proposed site would have access 

via Clarkson Road. The current full access 

drive on Clarkson Road is to remain at the 

same location as the existing residential 

drive. If warranted, roadway improvements 

are recommended to mitigate the 

impact of the development and to accommodate 

the additional traffic. 

See ELLISVILLE, next page 

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800-325-9905





I NEWS I 13 

ELLISVILLE, from previous 

It is recommended that the proposed 

access drive onto Field Avenue be 

restricted to egress only. It is apparent that 

the access proposed along Field Avenue is 

only advantageous for exiting employees, 

the exit movement of the trash hauler and 

for any customer who turned into the site 

and then opted to exit without circulating 

through the drive through. 

Laura Harper reiterated the major traffic 

issues considering Seven Brews would like 

its hours to be roughly 5:30 a.m. to 10 or 

11 p.m. 

“So, besides the traffic that’s going to be 

generated by the business in the morning, 

you’re still going to have people coming outside 

the peak morning hours to make special 

trips there, and they’re going to add additional 

traffic to the area,” Harper said. “If you 

recall, the Ries Orthodontics proposal was 

approved, but with the stipulation that there 

would be no cut onto Field Avenue, and that 

was a low volume traffic business.” 

Harper said countless more vehicles would 

be attempting turns from the center lane. 

“If this business does go in, it should be 

with left turn in and left turn out only,” she 

said. 

Janis Boehm echoed Barton’s safety concerns. 

She noted that without sidewalks, 

kids residing on Field Avenue and neighboring 

streets regularly ride their bikes and 

play on Field, while adults also walk and 

exercise there. There’s a bus stop at Field 

and Clarkson and a bus that comes down 

for the younger kids on Field. 

“Most of the other Seven Brew locations 

are in more of a commercial/retail area, not 

at the entrance to a residential area,” Boehm 

said. “That’s the way the comprehensive 

plan is. It should be a professional/medical 

type business, not a retail food type spot. It’s 

a pretty small lot. I’ve been told that Seven 

Brew is very popular in other places, it’s very 

crowded, and not just in and out. It’s a good 

15 to 20 minutes to get through the line. So, 

that’s a concern I have that it’s going to back 

up onto Clarkson Road. There are other lots 

in the city of Ellisville that would be a better 

spot than this location.” 

Larry Harrison said he often drives 

through that intersection at different periods 

from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. He added that it 

is currently challenging enough. 

“This would further complicate the traffic 

issue,” Harrison said. “I have to allow 

somebody to let me in to be able to get 

in line from the back of Clarkson. I can’t 

imagine what it would be like to compete 

with just getting to the stop sign with other 

folks and anybody else who’s coming 

through. The curb cut onto Field Avenue 

I think would just further exasperate that 

and move the volume to a residential street. 

It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I would also 

be concerned about where you would put 

water retention, trash and have deliveries.” 

Ed Fasnacht added that if delivery trucks 

are coming, they’re not going to be able 

to get on that lot because they would be 

blocking the business of Seven Brew. 

“So, where are they going to go? 

They’re going to go on Field Avenue,” he 

said. “And how are they going to unload? 

They’re going to unload on Field Avenue 

and they’ll have to use palette jacks, flat 

trucks and everything else, then walk 

across the traffic to get everything to Seven 

Brew. There’s also a retention pond that’s 

planned and scheduled. I don’t know if 

there’s been an MSD or BMP study done 

yet, but the proposed placement of it is 

pretty much equal with the front yard and 

the front door of that house and I live two 

doors down from that. It’s a health hazard, 

it’s a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and 

I think it’s important that we not allow it.” 

At the time of the Oct. 12 P&Z meeting, 

neither a Phase I Assessment or Phase II 

Environmental Report/Study had been 

prepared in association with the proposed 

retention pond. 

“I don’t think it meets the goal of the 

new Master Plan,” Pam Marquard said. 

“It doesn’t really promote green space or 

walking. It also doesn’t fit the mixed use 

Freezing weather is coming! 

Slips and falls affect us all. 

Frost, ice and snow are particularly dangerous for our seniors. 

If you slip, give us a call! 

95% of our rehab residents return to home. 

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criteria for this location. Regarding safety, 

I’m afraid that in the summer, we’re even 

going to have some high school kids parking 

on Field Avenue, particularly if it’s 

open til 10 or 11 at night. Most area businesses 

aren’t open that late.” 

Marquard noted that the proposal anticipates 

up to 89 vehicles at a peak hour. She 

added that residents struggle every weekday 

to get in and out of Field. It’s not just 

peak morning hours or rush hour times, but 

also around noon and when schools let out 

in the afternoon. She said it would be difficult 

to even make right turns should this 

proposal eventually be approved.

14 I NEWS I 

By CATHY LENNY 



A TIF (tax increment financing) educational 

meeting was held at Chesterfield 

City Hall Oct. 20. It was requested by the 

Citizens for Developing Downtown Chesterfield, 

a group of residents who say they 

want to ensure responsible development in 

Downtown Chesterfield. 

During the meting, City Administrator 

Mike Geisel discussed the proposed 

TIF and how it could benefit the city. The 

TIF District will include the $2.5 billion 

development projects of Wildhorse Village 

at the southwest quadrant of the city, the 

Chesterfield Mall property and a portion of 

Central Park for a total of 241 acres. 

Geisel stressed that there would be no 

tax abatement, no tax deferrals and no consumer 

tax increases in the district. 

Under a TIF, the assessed value of real 

property in the redevelopment area is 

frozen for tax purposes at the current base 

level, prior to construction of any improvements. 

The owners of the property continue 

to pay taxes at the base level. 

“As property values appreciate, any 

increase in value is captured by the TIF,” 

Geisel said. 

The TIF will generate revenues that will 

pay for public improvements in and outside 

of the development footprint. It could 

be in place for up to 23 years. 

“Ultimately, the TIF protects taxpayers, 

as it ensures service levels currently provided 

throughout the community aren’t 

diminished,” he said. 

The tax increment, or payment in lieu 

of taxes (PILOTs), captures 100% of the 

increase in tax revenue generated to fund 

specifically identified projects. 

When the city’s comprehensive plan 

was adopted in 2020, there were 29 infrastructure 

improvements identified with an 

estimated cost of $168 million, Geisel said. 

They included: 

• North Outer 40 connection to Chesterfield 

Valley 

• Sachs Public Library expansion 

• Clarkson Road/Baxter interchange 

• Reconstruction of Chesterfield Parkway 

West 

• Central Park/Aquatic facility/amphitheater 

• Integrated pedestrian and multi-modal 

connections 

• YMCA shared parking structure 

• Central Park parking and administration 

facilities 

As part of the development, Wildhorse 

Village has proposed a parking garage at 

the northwest corner of Chesterfield Parkway 

West and Burkhardt Place at an estimated 

cost of $25 million. 

The Chesterfield Mall public infrastructure 

will include a parking garage for 

public use and off-site road improvements/ 

connections at an estimated $105 million 

cost. 

The TIF will also capture 50% of the 

increase in sales and utility taxes or EATs 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


Chesterfield talks TIF 

Educational meeting explains how tax increment financing could be used for new developments 

Aerial rendering of Wildhorse Village 

(Source: City of Chesterfield) 

(economic activity taxes). 

Between the EATs and the PILOTs program, 

the amount captured over 10 years is 

estimated to be $817 million, Geisel said. 

Chesterfield’s portion of that, from sales 

tax revenue, would be approximately $61 

million. 

The Parkway School District stands to 

receive an increase in revenue of $197 million 

over the course of the TIF. 

Other taxing districts, including St. 

See CHESTERFIELD, next page



Progress 64 West hosts annual 

luncheon, business awards 

Progress 64 West will welcome special 

guest Gov. Mike Parson to its 34th Annual 

Excellence in Community Development 

Awards Banquet this year. The luncheon 

will be held from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. 

on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at the DoubleTree 

Hotel and Conference Center at 16625 

Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield. 

The theme is “Building Lives” and the 

keynote speaker is Jade Paden a business 

owner, community leader and Progress 64 

West Board Member. Jade, a proponent of 

education and the restoration of the trades 

as a viable career option, will talk about his 

own life’s journey. 

The Master of Ceremonies will be Scott 

J. Drachnik, CEO and president of the 

Economic Development Corporation in St. 

Charles County. 

This year the Community Development 

Awards will honor businesses that build 

the future with their contribution to the 

economic development of the region. The 

2022 award honorees are Partners in Education 

from the Rockwood School District, 

Spark! from the Parkway School District, 

Jbloom, Keystone Quality Design/Build 

Construction, and The Care Service from 

Sts. Joachim and Ann. 

Each year, Progress 64 West also honors 

the entrepreneurial spirit of Louis S. Sachs 

by awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships 

to area high school seniors at the 

luncheon. This year’s theme for the awards 

is Building Tomorrow’s Leaders and the 

organization will award more than $11,000 

in scholarships. 

Gov. Mike Parson 

Scholarships are given to students living 

in the Parkway, Rockwood, Francis Howell, 

Fort Zumwalt and Wentzville school districts 

as well as area private school and 

home-school students. 

Progress 64 West was established in 

1987 to promote the responsible growth of 

commerce in the greater St. Louis region, 

with a particular emphasis given to the I-64 

corridor from I-270 westward to I-70. A 

partnership of citizens, business and civic 

leaders, the organization’s mission is to 

work to create and maintain sustainable 

communities and a high-quality standard 

of life in St. Louis and St. Charles counties. 

To register for the luncheon or to learn 

more about Progress 64 West membership, 

visit progress64west.org. 



I NEWS I 15 

CHESTERFIELD, from previous 

Louis County Library, Monarch Fire Protection 

District, MSD and Metro Transit, 

are expected to receive additional revenue 

of $30.3 million by 2030, $43.3 million by 

2040, and $105.6 million by 2050. 

“Every taxing district comes out ahead,” 

Geisel said. 

Even the pool tax, which is sales tax 

revenue shared with St. Louis County, is 

expected to receive an additional $35 million. 

The city of Chesterfield will be the custodian 

of the special allocation fund; managing 

and controlling TIF revenues and 

expenditures. 

Residents in attendance asked questions 

such as whether the taxing districts with 

their windfalls would lower the amount 

taxed to residents. 

Geisel explained that Missouri’s Hancock 

Amendment limits the amount of 

property taxes that can be used to fund 

local taxing jurisdictions such as school 

districts. Each year, school districts set 

the new tax rate based on assessments, to 

make sure they are not collecting too much 

in property taxes. 

He also pointed out the experience and 

track record of the city’s use of TIFs. The 

TIF that was created for Chesterfield Valley 

in 1995 was paid off 10 years early and 

helped finance the 500-year levee, related 

pump stations and various transportation 

improvements. 

“Not a single dime, not a single penny, 

was used for any developer subsidy or any 

abatement or deferral of taxes,” Geisel 

said. “The TIF was widely successful .... 

Last year, Rockwood School District got 

$15.36 million out of Chesterfield Valley.” 

The TIF Commission will hold a public 

hearing on the proposed TIF Nov. 1.

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I NEWS I 17 

Celebrating 25 years at Lafayette Industries 

Award ceremony made extra-special with visit from lieutenant governor 

By TRACEY BRUCE 

Once a year, Lafayette Industries’ management 

celebrates the dedication of its 

employees who reach the landmark of 25 

years by awarding them a gold watch. 

In and of itself, 25 years is an achievement, 

but all these employees have special 

circumstances and have overcome challenges 

to be a part of Lafayette’s workforce, 

according to CEO and Executive Director 

Rob Libera. 

Lafayette Industries is a sheltered workshop. 

Most of the employees have some 

form of developmental disability. The 

company, located in the city of Manchester, 

is a contract packager that provides shrink 

wrap, blister pack, display assemblies and 

other business services, generally for manufacturers. 

Work anniversaries are celebrated 

not just at 25 years, but every month 

of each year and longevity at Lafayette is 

not unusual. In fact, one employee, Kenny, 

the son of some of those first organizers of 

Lafayette Industries, retired last year after 

50 years of service. 

“Lafayette Industries was started in 1976 

by a group of parents whose children had 

Gold watch recipients (with plaques) Mikhail Chikin, Jerry Ring, Craig Marek and Michelle Albers. Pam Gardner and Suzy Covington are not 

pictured. Also attending (from left) Mayor Mike Clement, Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway, CEO Rob Libera, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Board 

President Bill Florent. 

(Tracey Bruce photo) 

nothing to do after leaving the special 

school district,” Libera said. “They got 

themselves together, formed a workshop, 

paid the rent on a building, got the business 

and put 16 people to work in Valley 

Park. The need that Lafayette Industries is 

fulfilling in the St. Louis area (today) is a 

desperate need for full-time employment 

for people with developmental disabilities.” 

Currently, 370 people are employed with 

another 160 on a waiting list. Libera said 

the work “significantly changes the lives of 

the people.” 

“It improves their quality (of life), their 

dignity and gives them a sense of purpose. 

It also enables them to live independently,” 

he said. “Everyone has different abilities, 

our job is to make sure everyone uses those 

abilities to the best of their ability. The only 

thing we put labels on are boxes.” 

This year’s recipients of gold watches 

were Mikhail Chikin, Craig Marek, Jerry 

Ring, Michelle Albers, Pam Gardner and 

Suzy Covington. 

The celebration was extra-special this 

year because in addition to watches, each 

recognized employee received a copy of 

a resolution from the Missouri House of 

See LAFAYETTE INDUSTRIES, page 28 

MO HOUSE DISTRICT 110 | WILDWOOD • CLARKSON VALLEY 

CONSERVATIVE 

POLICE OFFICER 

NOT WOKE ... 

BUT AWAKENED. 

Our institutions and cultural values 

are under attack and we must 

together decide what kind of state 

and what kind of country 

we are going to leave our children. 

GOVERNMENT EXISTS TO PROTECT OUR 

GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS. 

THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO LIFE. 

THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. 

LAW AND ORDER. 

WWW.SPARKSFORMISSOURI.COM 

PAID FOR BY SPARKS FOR MISSOURI. TREASURER, TIM FITCH. 

DISTRICT 88 • ELLISVILLE • EUREKA 

FENTON • BALLWIN 

• Lower state income & personal property taxes 

• Support our Police to reduce crime rate 

• Remove CRT curriculums from classrooms 

• NO MORE mandates or restrictions 

Covid-19 or otherwise 

• Defend the 2nd Amendment 

VOTE NOVEMBER 8TH 

GOD • FAMILY • COUNTRY 

www.HollyJones4MO.com 

Paid for by Holly Jones for Missouri, Brad Beebe - Treasurer

18 I NEWS I 



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@WESTNEWSMAG 


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Little Library enthusiasts (from left) Randy and Peg Doege, Olivia Pieknik, Ray Kerlagon, Ballwin 

Communications Specialist Megan Freeman and City Administrator Eric Sterman. 

(Source: City of Ballwin) 

By JEFFRY GREENBERG 

Far too many selfless acts go unnoticed. 

But not in Ballwin – at least not in 

the case of Olivia Pieknik and Shanley 

Gibson. 

Pieknik, who serves as a Ballwin Planning 

& Zoning Commissioner, is the 

driving force of installing “little libraries” 

in all four city parks. Gibson, a Woerther 

Elementary kindergartner, spent a long, 

hot, 10-hour day selling lemonade to 

help animals in need. 

Pieknik, who has resided in Ballwin 

since 1995, recalled how neighbor 

Randy Doege and his wife, Peg, were 

in the process of replacing the library in 

front of their house and offered Olivia 

the old one. Pieknik’s husband, Chris, 

Shanley Gibson 

(Source: Gibson Family) 

refurbished it by adding a new roof, door, 

post and some fresh paint. The couple 

then donated it to the city and the Parks 

& Recreation staff installed it at Ferris 

Park in June. 

Pieknik was later granted permission 

to have “little libraries” installed in all 

four city parks. 

On Oct. 14, one was installed in Vlasis 

Park in memory of Kathy Kerlagon, a 

two-term Ward 4 alderman who passed 

away on Aug. 8, less than eight months 

after her husband, Ray, announced his 

retirement from the same position. Kathy 

was a professor at Meramec Community 

College who truly enjoyed reading. 

The relationship between Pieknik and 

Kathy began when the former started 

attending Ballwin Police Citizens Academy 

meetings back in 2001. 

“I appreciated the kindness and 

continued support from Ray and 

Kathy when we participated in 

community events,” Pieknik said. 

“They both contributed to the city 

of Ballwin in many other capacities. 

I regularly visited Kathy while she 

was in Memory Care at Westview 

nursing facility in Ellisville. She 

did not recognize me nor did she 

communicate, but sitting and being 

with her was all that was needed. 

“Randy and Peg Doege wanted 

to share their love of reading, and 

Randy enjoys building so they built 

a library in front of their house. 

They also built a library for the subdivision, 

located on Twigwood by 

the pool.” 

Peg, who worked for 28 years as 

a Librarian at Holy Infant School, 

did the Vlasis Park project’s decorations 

with her grandchildren.





I NEWS I 19 

Another library is set to be built and 

installed in New Ballwin Park this 

November. Alderman Ross Bullington 

(Ward 4) and his wife, Becky, funded the 

cost of materials for that project. Students 

at Holy Infant, where Peg teaches, 

will decorate that library. 

The final installment, in Holloway 

Park, will take place next spring. Donations 

from Pieknik, Mayor Tim Pogue, 

Bullington, Alderman Michael Finley 

(Ward 1), and P&Z commissioners Chad 

Silker, Mike Swain and Victoria Winfrey 

will be used to purchase materials for 

that library. 

“It is truly a community project, completed 

with the love of reading, of 

kindness and how the residents work 

together,” Pieknik said. 

Meanwhile, Shanley’s lemonade stand 

was nothing short of a labor of love. 

On the morning of July 26, the Humane 

Society of Missouri’s Best Buddy Pet 

Center was flooded with 9 inches of 

standing water from torrential rains. As a 

result, a good portion of its pet supplies 

was destroyed. 

“I told (Shanley) that the Maryland 

Heights Humane Society, where we got 

our dogs from, was flooded ... so, she 

came up with the idea to do a lemonade 

stand to raise money to get them more 

supplies,” said Shanley’s mom, Megan. 

The preparation included a poster made 

by Shanley with Polaroid pictures of her 

two dogs, taken by her. 

Shanley’s fundraiser took place at the 

house of Megan’s father, Ballwin Alderman 

Mike Utt (Ward 1). The $240 raised 

was ultimately used for purchases at Pet 

Supplies Plus. 

“She was just so excited to take that 

money and go to the pet shop,” Megan 

said. “That was the most exciting part for 

her, and also dropping off the supplies. 

She also took some of her own money 

out of her piggy bank and donated it. 

“She wanted me to tell you that the dog 

she gave money to was a German Shepherd 

dog with a cone on its face.” 

Although they were told to drop off all 

donations at the headquarters on Macklind 

Avenue in the city of St. Louis, Shanley 

insisted on doing so at the Maryland 

Heights location because that is where 

they got their rescue dogs. 

“She’s a very avid animal lover and her 

dad (John) and I couldn’t be any more 

proud of her,” Megan said. “She wants to 

open her own puppy daycare (when she 

grows up). But it’s not just for dogs. She 

wants to rescue all animals … She wants 

to rescue pets and also wants them to be 

able to come there while their owners are 

working. I love it! I hope she does it one 

day!” 

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20 I ELECTION PREVIEW I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


ELECTION PREVIEW, from page 10 

being able to invest in homes, vehicles, financial products 

and other core assets. By raising the federal minimum wage, 

protecting collective bargaining and encouraging competition 

in the marketplace (to prevent price-fixing), we can 

make the economy fairer and more prosperous for all of us. 

2. Already this year, I’ve heard troubling reports from students 

in West County whose school day has been halted by 

threats of gun violence. It is a moral and legislative failure 

that we have allowed gun violence to become the number 

one cause of death for American children. But while it’s too 

late to bring back the innocent victims of Sandy Hook or 

Uvalde, the federal government can help prevent the next 

attack by building on the recently passed bipartisan gun 

safety bill and ensuring assault weapons never end up in the 

hands of children. 

3. In many cases, students graduating from college end up 

learning the hard way that “who you know” can be just as 

important as what you know entering the workforce. Our kids 

are just as smart as we were, decades ago, when we found our 

first jobs. But today, the infinitely rising cost of higher education 

and the college-to-unpaid-internship pipeline have put 

younger generations behind the eight-ball. That’s why I’m an 

advocate of programs that route graduates toward careers in 

public service or vocational programs that immediately result 

in concrete, well-paying job opportunities. 

4. Right now, the government is under the thumb of big 

industry. In particular, the decision in Citizens United has 

allowed corporate and dark money to seep in and undercut 

our elections. If elected, I would fight to rid the federal government 

of its corporate influence and resurrect the people’s 

will through bills like the For the People Act, which expands 

voting rights and changes campaign finance laws to end 

“secret campaign spending” and curtail foreign influence. 

If politicians are bought and sold every election cycle by 

donors, then they can’t best serve us. 

5. At my core, I’m a concerned parent, like many folks in 

MO-02. I’ve lived here for 30-plus years, raised my children 

in its public schools, grew my circle through church ministries 

and advocated for a variety of causes. Then back in 

2019, my neighbors asked me to run for state office and it 

completely changed my life. After flipping my current seat, 

I’ve helped constituents find health care, small businesses 

navigate COVID-19, and so much more. Now, I’ve turned 

my attention to Congress where I believe I can best defend 

our democracy and fight to restore Missourians’ reproductive 

freedom. 

District 2 • Bill Slantz (L) 

billslantz.com 

1. Governments should keep their hands out of business 

other than the courts to sort out the protection of lives and 

property. Voluntary economic exchange is the only way. 

Government intervention is not justified. Further, government 

interference in business on behalf of some citizens at 

the expense of others is inherently unfair. 

2. Education and government must be kept apart from the 

way church and government must be. Protect the right of 

parents to acquire the education they desire for their children. 

3. Education and government must be kept apart. Stop 

backing student loans. 

4. I believe the government has only three essential functions. 

First and foremost, protecting our personal security 

and the nation’s defense against foreign military aggression 

is a proper constitutional power and burden of the federal 

government. 

5. I believe in a limited government. Individuals 

should be free to make choices for themselves and accept 

responsibility for the choices they make. The Libertarian 

way approaches politics based on the principle of selfownership 

– no group, government or individual should 

be allowed to dictate or direct the life of any other group, 

government or individual. 

STATE AUDITOR 

Candidates were asked to respond to the following: 

1. What qualifies you for this office? 

2. What are your top three priorities if elected? 

3. What else would you like our readers to know about 

you before heading to the polls? 

Scott Fitzpatrick 

scottfitzpatrick.com 

1. During my time in public service, I have been a relentless 

fighter for taxpayers. As House Budget Chairman, I 

balanced the budget and helped pass the largest income tax 

cut in state history. I reformed and eliminated broken programs 

and fought against reckless spending. I’ve helped 

pass budgets that invested record amounts in education 

and restored fiscal sanity to our state government. In 2019, 

I was honored to be appointed state treasurer by Gov. Mike 

Parson. As treasurer, I’ve fought back against misguided 

Biden Administration policies like the IRS bank account 

monitoring scheme, woke environmentalism disguised as 

ESG (environmental, social, governance) initiatives, and 

the boycott of American energy producers by big banks. 

See ELECTION PREVIEW, page 47 

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22 I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


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Rowlands retire, but excellence in 

education will go on at The Elegant Child 

Thirty years ago in August of 1992, 

Chip and Debbie Rowland decided to 

build the kind of school they would love 

for their own children to attend. It would 

be a pre-school with loving and nurturing 

teachers that provided a curriculum 

that stimulated a love for learning. It 

also needed to feel like a home away 

from home, a place where teachers are 

caring and attentive to children’s needs. 

And because Debbie was a teacher and 

knew how important early education 

was for children, the academics had to 

be the “best of the best.” 

The Rowlands’ children were ages 7, 

5 and 2 years old when they built the 

Elegant Child Early Learning Center. 

Since then, the Center has grown 

from one to three buildings, and from 

20 teachers to 85 with over 300 children 

attending each day. The Rowlands 

are also very proud that the Elegant 

Child is recognized as both a 

Missouri and Nationally accredited 

program, a true reflection of the school’s 

mission as a whole. 

Chip and Debbie’s grandchildren 

now attend the school, as well as the 

children of many of the Elegant Child’s 

graduates. That a generation of students 

chose the school for their own children 

is the ultimate compliment. 

“They want their children to have the 

same memories and education they had 

growing up,” Debbie said. 

Debbie and Chip are now blessed 

with eight grandchildren and another 

grandbaby due any day. They have decided 

to slow down a bit and spend more 

time with their grandchildren while they 

still love to come to their Nana and Papa’s 

house! 

The decision to retire, however, was 

not easy and took several years to make. 

The staff at the Elegant Child are so 

special and a huge part of the Elegant 

Child family. The right partner had to be 

chosen. When they found Premier Early 

Childhood Partners, they knew they 

had found the perfect fit. Premier is 

not a franchise. They buy family-owned 

preschools and keep the wonderful people, 

curriculum and name that families 

have come to trust over so many years. 

Premier has already shown its commitment 

to continuing the program Debbie 

and Chip created by working with their 

director, Kathy Wolfe, and assistant 

director, Jim Steimley, to acquire whatever 

the staff and children need. Debbie 

will be staying on to help with the 

transition, and both Chip and Debbie 

will continue to keep in touch with the 

wonderful staff and families they have 

come to love. 

Debbie and Chip Rowland want to 

thank each and every family that has 

entrusted the care of their precious 

children to them and thank their staff 

for the legacy they have helped create. 

It’s important to them that the legacy 

continues for everyone at the Elegant 

Child. It is truly a special place for children 

to learn and grow. 

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TFHSTL




WEST NEWSMAGAZINE I SCHOOLS I 23 

Rockwood Board of Education cancels three programs aimed at supporting students of color 

By LAURA SAGGAR 

Three programs tailored to students 

of color in the Rockwood School District 

(RSD) were cut from the district’s 

budget at the Oct. 6 Board of Education 

meeting. Newly elected board director 

Izzy Imig made the motion to cut the 

programs with three other board members 

– Tamara Rhomberg, Randy Miller 

and Jessica Clark – voting with her. 

The defunded programs are Shante 

Duncan’s The L.O.V.E. Project (dba 

Sisters Helping Each Other Reach 

a Higher Height) for $28,000, Tony 

Thompson, Inc.’s Catalyst Leadership 

Academy Programming for $32,900 

and Tracie Berry-McGhee’s Sista- 

Keeper Empowerment Center Social 

and Emotional Learning Circles for 

$25,200. The contracts totaled $86,100 for 

the 2022-23 school year. 

At the Sept. 15 board meeting Imig made 

a motion to remove The L.O.V.E. Project 

contract because the state had dissolved 

the business for failing to file its annual 

paperwork required to operate as a business 

in Missouri. The contract was set 

aside until the next board meeting while 

school officials looked into the contract. 

By the Oct. 6 meeting, Duncan had filed 

Tony Thompson (white shirt) at a leadership event at 

Rockwood South Middle. (Source: Tony Thompson, Inc.) 

the proper paperwork and the business was 

reinstated. With the request for contract 

approval back on the agenda, Imig made 

her motion to remove all three programs 

that were seeking approval. 

“I don’t feel like they serve all of our students, 

so I vote no on those three,” Imig 

told her fellow board members. Her no 

vote was followed by no votes from Rhomberg, 

Miller and Clark. 

The programs were part of Rockwood’s 

student services’ education and equity 

department budget headed up by Dr. 

Terry Harris. The programs center on 

empowering students of color. Black 

students make up around 8% of the 

total student population. According 

to Rockwood officials, Sistakeeper 

had roughly 65 participants and Catalyst 

Leadership averaged 70 students 

during the 21-22 school year. The district 

has contracted with SistaKeeper 

since 2009, Shante Duncan’s L.O.V.E. 

Project since 2016 and Tony Thompson, 

Inc. since 2017. The district was 

planning to expand the programs into 

more middle and high schools in 2022- 

23, according to Harris. 

The unexpected discontinuation 

of the contracts has left some school 

administrators scrambling to figure out 

how to replace programs that their students 

enjoyed. 

Jennifer Strauser, associate principal 

at Eureka High, organized The L.O.V.E 

Project at Eureka. Female students of color 

would meet with Duncan one to two times a 

month during an academic lab time, which 

is like a study hall during the school day 

that the students have usually twice a week. 

Many school activities and clubs choose to 

meet during this time when all of the students 

are at school and able to attend meetings. 

Students also use this time to catch 

up on school work or meet with teachers. 

Strauser said at Eureka, The L.O.V.E Project 

brought 40 female students of color 

together to explore their experiences of 

being Black and attending Eureka High. 

Only 5-6% of students at Eureka are Black, 

and Strauser said many times there may be 

only one Black student in a class. 

“The juniors and seniors mentor the 

freshmen and sophomores,” Strauser said. 

“With Shante we built community, learned 

about self-love, meditation and self-care 

activities. The group was open to all 

Eureka High students, but geared toward 

female students who identify as Black. But 

anyone could come.” 

Harris said they have data to support the 

positive impact on behavior of students 

of color. The average number of out-ofschool 

suspension days for Black students 

dropped from 2016 through 2019 after The 

L.O.V.E. Project was implemented. 

“When you take a look at suspensions 

you have to look at a way that you can fix 

this,” Harris said. “Black students make 

up 7-8% of the population and 39% of 

the population receiving in-school sus- 

See ROCKWOOD PROGRAMS, page 28 

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24 I SCHOOLS I 

LIKE 

USON 

Facebook.com/westnewsmagazine 



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In 1953, author Ray Bradbury warned in 

his dystopian novel “Fahrenheit 451” about 

how the use of technology could threaten 

our society and the effects of book banning 

and censorship. Here we are, 29 years later, 

noses buried in our smart phones and arguing 

about books in our children’s school 

libraries. 

At the end of August, Missouri Senate 

Bill 1224 went into effect. The bill states 

that school librarians, teachers and other 

school staff who share books containing 

obscene material will face Class A misdemeanor 

charges, punishable by up to a year 

in jail and a $200 fine. 

Sen. Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville) originally 

filed the language in SB1224 and 

then added its language in an amendment 

to another bill, Senate Bill 775, which 

deals with child trafficking and sexual 

assault. Brattin is vice-chairman of the 

Senate’s education committee, in addition 

to serving on many other committees. 

“Obscene material” was defined as 

“any material or performance if, taken as 

a whole: applying contemporary community 

standards, its predominant appeal 

is to prurient interest in sex; the average 

person, applying contemporary community 

standards, would find the material depicts 

or describes sexual conduct in a patently 

offensive way; and a reasonable person 

would find the material lacks serious literary, 

artistic, political or scientific value.” 

The bill was passed in March and many 

schools were advised by legal counsel to 

get rid of any titles in violation by Aug. 28 

when the law went into effect. Three of the 

most frequent offenders were “Handmaids 

Tale” by Margaret Atwood/art and adaptation 

by Renee Nault, “GenderQueer” by 

Maia Kobabe and “Watchmen” by Alan 

Moore and Dave Gibbons. All are graphic 

novels. 

“GenderQueer” is an example of a book 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


OFF THE SHELVES: 

What SB1224 looks like in Rockwood, 

Parkway school districts 

(Adobe Stock photo) 

that had already been widely challenged 

for its controversial content. It is an awardwinning 

autobiography released in 2019 by 

Kobabe that goes through the author’s journey 

of exploring their own sexuality and 

gender identity. Despite the book being on 

many challenged lists across the country, 

Rockwood determined last December that 

the questionable content was not included 

for the sole purpose of arousal; therefore, it 

was not considered pornographic in nature. 

That changed with the new law because of 

its illustrations. It became one of 22 titles 

eliminated by Rockwood. 

Local librarians, teachers, parents and 

even students have had lots to say in Missouri 

media about the new law, but there 

seem to be many different interpretations 

of what it means. However, according to 

Shelley Willott, assistant superintendent 

of learning and support services for Rockwood, 

there is no room for interpretation: it 

is simply a matter of following the law. She 

noted that the district had kept up with the 

legislation and discussed potential actions 

with the district’s legal advisers. 

“Once it became law, we had to act,” 

Willott said. 

That action ultimately resulted in Rockwood 

eliminating “Batman: White Knight” 

by Sean Murphy, “Be Gay Do Comics” by 

The Nib, “Bingo Love” by Tee Franklin, 

Jenn St. Onge and Joy San, “Fire Force Vol. 

1” by Atsushi Okubo, “Flamer” by Mike 

Curato, “Gilgamesh” by Andrew Winegarner, 

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Home After 

Dark” by David Small, “Let’s Talk About 

It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, 

and Being a Human” by Erika Moen, 

“Lighter Than My Shadow” by Katie Green, 

“Seek You: A Journey Through American 

Loneliness” by Kriten Radtke, “Sex Plus” 

by Laci Green, “Sumomomo Momomo: 

The Strongest Bride on Earth Vol.1” by 

Shinobu Ōtaka, “Supermutant Magic 

Academy” by Jillian Tamaki, “The Good 

Earth” by Pearl S. Buck/ graphic novel 

adaptation by Nick Bertozzi, “The Sacrifice 

of Darkness” by Roxanne Gay, “The 

Stranger” by Jacques Fernandez, “The Sun 

and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur, “Watchmen,” 

“Why Comics?” by Hillary Chute, 

and “Zahra’s Paradise” by Amir Soltani & 

Khalil, in addition to “GenderQueer.” 

The Parkway School District eliminated 

only five titles: “The Handmaid’s Tale,” 

“Blankets” by Craig Thompson, “Gender 

Queer” and “Fun Home” and “Are You My 

Mother” by Alison Bechdel. 

See BOOK BANS, page 39

Consistent Conservative Leaders 

Dedicated to Missouri and West St. Louis County Residents 

Ann Wagner 

for Congress 

AnnWagner.com 

Dr. George Hruza 

State Senate District 24 

HruzaforMissouri.com 

Ben Brown 

State Senate District 26 

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Dean Plocher 

State Representative District 89 

PlocherforMissouri.com 

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@AnnLWagner 

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State Representative District 110 

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County Assessor 

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County Council District 3 

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Info@HarderforCouncil.com 

Please Vote Tuesday, November 8 

Paid for by Ann Wagner for Congress; Paid for by Hruza for Missouri, Kelly Wuennenberg Treasurer; Paid for by Ben Brown For Missouri, Tim Millerick Treasurer; 

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26 I SCHOOLS I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


11 

bulletin 

board 

By RACHAEL NARSH 

Student raises awareness 

of white cane safety 

Covan Stasen, a fifth grader at Ridge 

Meadows Elementary, is hoping to spread 

awareness of white cane safety and inspire 

others to do anything that they set their 

minds to. United States Congress adopted 

a resolution in 1964 designating Oct. 15 as 

White Cane Safety Day. 

Stasen is visually impaired and requires 

the use of a white cane to navigatie the 

community, particularly in situations, such 

as crossing a street or approaching a curb 

or business. During the school’s Oct. 19 

morning announcements, Stasen explained 

how this essential tool helps him live safely 

and independently. 

“I want people to be aware of white cane 

safety and that if you see someone with a 

white cane, you should give them space,” 

he explained. 

Students at Chesterfield Elementary 

recently enjoyed the school’s first ever 

Color Run, sponsored by the PTO. 

(Source: RSD/Facebook) 

Jessica Givens, an orientation and 

mobility specialist who works closely with 

Stasen, was on hand to assist him during 

his presentation. 

When Givens asked Stasen what the best 

thing about his cane is, he replied: “It helps 

me get around, and it helps me find things 

easily. I’m able to know what’s in my way.” 

Stasen explained that it’s important for 

people to understand that he can do the 

things that his fellow fifth-grade friends 

can do, such as use the outdoor equipment 

during recess and read a book. 

“I’m (also) pretty good with recognizing 

voices,” he said. 

Parkway Central holds 

Day of Service 

Parkway Central hosted its annual Day 

of Service on Oct. 24. The event includes a 

Special Olympics soccer tournament organized 

by the high school students, many of 

whom serve as buddies for Special Olympic 

athletes. Students also serve as referees 

or help with food, transportation, first aid 

and other activities. 

The day began with a keynote speaker 

from Children’s Miracle Network followed 

by speakers from other nonprofits, including 

STL Challengers, BJC Hospice, CARE 

STL and the Greater STL Honor Flight. 

Sophomores then spent a few hours 

working on projects on campus, while 

some students left campus to go to Parkway 

elementary schools, KidSmart, Wild Bird, 

Beaumont and Parkway Food Pantry to 

work on other projects. Juniors and seniors 

spent the rest of the morning hosting the 

Special Olympics soccer tournament. 

Fairway, Geggie honored 

for character education 

Rockwood’s Fairway and Geggie 

elementary schools are two out of the 50 

schools and two districts to be recognized 

as a 2022 National School of Character by 

Character.org. 

Fairway and Geggie, along with the rest 

of this year’s recipients, were honored at 

the Character.org International Forum held 

virtually Oct. 19-20. 

This recognition is given to schools who 

have achieved a standard of excellence in 

character development through their exemplary 

implementation of Character.org’s 11 

Principles of Effective Character Education, 

a framework for whole-school improvement. 

The program recognizes schools that 

demonstrate a focus on character development 

that has positively impacted academic 

achievement, student behavior and 

school climate. 

Parkway Central sixth grader performs life saving skill on classmate 

By RACHAEL NARSH 

“It was already over by 

the time the teacher got 

Jackson Knolfhoff, a 

there,” he said. Things 

sixth grade student at 

happened so quickly that 

Parkway Central Middle, 

most of his classmates 

recently came to the aid 

didn’t realize what was 

of a classmate who was 

going on. 

choking on ice. 

“I thought, ‘Did I really 

His teacher was working 

on her computer as his 

His mom, Jackie Knolf- 

just do that?” he said. 

classmates worked on a 

hoff, was equally surprised 

packet. 

when his principal called 

“My friend behind me 

to tell her what had happened 

that day. Laughing, 

was choking on a piece of 

ice,” Knolfhoff said. “His 

she said she asked, “He 

Jackson Knolhoff 

face was as red as a tomato, 

did what?” 

and he was pounding on his desk.” 

Knolfhoff admitted to his mom that he 

Knolhoff said after four thrusts of the was worried that he had done it wrong or 

Heimlich maneuver, he was able to dislodge may have hurt his classmate. 

the ice. 

“He said that once he saw his friend stomp 

on the ice he knew he was OK,” Jackie 

said. “He’s the kind of kid that when he sees 

something, he says something. We’re very 

proud of him.” 

Parkway Central Middle Assistant Principal 

Kim Ramirez echoed that sentiment. 

“It took lots of confidence and know-how 

to do that,” Ramirez said. “We’re glad that 

everyone is OK.” 

After the incident, Knolfhoff emailed Jen 

Baker, the school nurse at River Bend Elementary, 

who had taught him and his fourthgrade 

classmates the Heimlich maneuver. 

“I was incredibly proud of him and 

amazed how fast he reacted to a scary situation,” 

Baker said. “I was very happy to hear 

from him as it encourages me even more to 

continue these lessons. 

“A couple years ago I asked our PTO if 

they would purchase these Heimlich Hero 

dolls so that I could teach our older students 

how to help someone that is choking. They 

were happy to do this!” 

That year Baker taught the fourth and fifth 

graders (in person and virtually) through an 

interactive program that included a quiz and 

practice on the dolls. 

“The dolls have a hard chest to mimic a 

person’s and there is a piece of foam you 

need to expel,” Baker explained. “The kids 

were very excited to participate in these 

lessons as many have heard of someone 

choking, or have felt like they have choked 

before. It was a great opportunity to show 

them how they can make a difference.” 

At the Parkway Board of Education meeting 

on Oct. 19, Knolhoff was presented with 

the Superintendent Character Award. On 

Oct. 25, he received a resolution from the St. 

Louis County Council.

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28 I 



Paid for by Citizens for Vicki Lorenz Englund, Stephanie Gurley-Thomas, Treasurer 

ROCKWOOD PROGRAMS, from page 23 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


pensions. We brought these programs in 

because Black girls have had a problem 

finding their footing. When you look at the 

data, these suspensions drop dramatically.” 

At the Oct. 20 board meeting Rhomberg 

said her no vote stemmed from concern 

over how to “reach more students of color 

in a more comprehensive program in an 

ongoing basis while still remaining fiscally 

responsible to the district.” Rhomberg said 

she regrets that there wasn’t an action to 

have a more positive transition program in 

place prior to the vote. 

However, Harris said the district doesn’t 

usually plan these programs based on the 

size of the group, but rather the need of the 

group. 

“It was not a huge group of kids, but it’s 

the group of kids who need it,” Harris said. 

“Every program that we provide and bring 

into the Rockwood School District is going 

to meet the needs of a group of students. 

“If there is something that we’re missing 

we are going to sit down and talk 

about it and make it happen. We work with 

kids with IEPs; I brought in Hazel Health 

(school-based telehealth); implemented an 

anti-bullying program. There is no program 

I’ve created that just benefits Black 

students. They’re open to everyone. There 

are kids with race who are trying to figure 

out where they stand. Rockwood is big 

enough to hold space for all of our kids; the 

space just doesn’t have to look the same.” 

At the Oct. 6 board meeting, Imig read 

letters written by her daughters about 

teachers who made them feel empowered 

in the classroom. While classroom teachers 

are empowering and inspiring their students, 

Strauser said she strongly believes 

that empowerment groups for students of 

color need to be led by someone of color, 

who can share experiences with the students. 

“We have a lot of allies at Eureka” 

Strauser said. “But the message is different 

when it comes from someone of a different 

race. There are experiences that I will 

never know or be able to talk about.” 

Of the 1,518 principals, assistant principals 

and teachers in Rockwood, people of 

color make up 2.8%, while just .9% of all 

principals and teachers are Black. 

“These are affinity groups,” Strauser said. 

“None of the groups we provide programs 

for [in Rockwood] are for every single 

student, but they are for every student who 

has the interest to join.” 

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LAFAYETTE INDUSTRIES, from page 17 

House of Representatives commending 

them for their achievement and a visit 

from Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and 

Rep. Cyndi Buchheit Courtway (District 

115). The awards also coincided with 

National Disability Employment Awareness 

Month, a designation given to October, 

which “celebrates the contributions 

of America’s workers with disabilities 

Mikhail Chikin and Jerry Ring 

... and showcases supportive, inclusive 

employment policies and practices …,” 

according to the U.S. Department of 

Labor. 

Also in attendance were executives from 

King Technology, a Minnesota company 

that uses Lafayette’s packaging services. 

The company produces water treatment 

systems for pools. 

“This is a great organization. Its values 

align with ours,” said Carson King, supply 

chain manager. 

Randy Roseth, King Technology president, 

noted, “It’s the best performing supplier 

we have.” 

Parents Gloria and Wayne Marek, of 

West St. Louis County, attended to see their 

son Craig receive his watch and plaque. 

They said Craig’s job has improved his 

quality of life and theirs, too. 

“He gets up by himself,” said Gloria. “He 

gets ready for work because he likes to go 

to work. He likes his paycheck, too.” 

“We know what hours he works and the 

days,” Wayne added. “He also gets vacation 

time.” 

Libera said the impact on families 

shouldn’t be missed. 

“The employee can have a schedule, and 

the parents can have a schedule,” Libera 

explained. 

Employees of Lafayette Industries have 

structure, find friends, learn valuable skills 

and enjoy celebrations of their achievements, 

Libera said.





I 29 

PRESENTS 

The 34th Annual Excellence in Community Development Awards 

HONORED GUEST 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 

11 AM - 1:30 PM 

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

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at RiteAir Heating and Cooling LLC 

Michael L. Parson 

57th Governor of Missouri 

WE ARE BUILDERS 

Every level, every operation, 

every detail creates the 

beautiful story of life. 

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

AND TICKET INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

WWW.PROGRESS64WEST.ORG 

The Excellence in Community 

Development Awards 

• Partners in Education - Rockwood School District 

• Sts. Joachim & Ann Care Service 

• J. Bloom 

• Keystone Construction 

• Spark! - Parkway School District 

Louis S. Sachs Scholarship Presentation

30 I SPORTS I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


Chesterfield 

17421 Chesterfield Airport Rd. 


Creve Coeur 

11550 Olive Blvd. 

Creve Coeur, MO 63141 

Ellisville 

233 Clarkson Rd. 

Ellisville, MO 63011 

Des Peres 

12304 Manchester Rd. 

Des Peres, MO 63131 

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

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Westminster Christian Academy softball team at the Class 3 championship. 

(Photo provided) 

sports 

briefs 

By WARREN MAYES 

High school girls golf 

The Westminster Christian Academy 

Wildcats finished in second place in the 

Class 2 state tournament held at Silo Ridge 

Golf Club in Bolivar. The Wildcats final 

team total was 743. 

“The team performed very well at the 

state tournament,” Wildcats coach Steve 

Bradley said. “They stormed back on Day 

2 though and showed how good they were, 

finishing with the best team score of the 

day with a 360. We fought our way back to 

second place but fell just short (16 strokes) 

to the first-place Osage team.” 

Earning all-state honors were Westminster 

sophomore Sophie Nall and freshman 

Caroline Domyan. Both girls tied for 12th 

place at 178. The top 15 individual finishers 

at the state tournament are declared allstate 

golfers. 

“Sophie Nall and Carolin Domyan 

have played some great golf together this 

season,” Bradley said. “They are good 

friends and they are both very competitive. 

They push each other to be better. I 

think they were both getting a little weary 

as Day 2 was winding down. I told each 

of them (that) they were still in the medal 

hunt. They each seemed to get energized 

with that news and finished tied for 12th.” 

The other Wildcats playing at state were 

seniors Dayton Hays and Kate Nall and 

freshman Anna Drochelman. 

Bradley said the result was a good one 

for the program. 

“We have played, as a team, in the state 

championship seven times and never have 

placed below third place,” Bradley said. 

“This would be our first official second 

pace. We tied for second in 2009 but didn’t 

have the fifth golfer for the tie breaker and 

ended up with the third-place trophy.” 

The tournament this fall was played in 

cold and windy conditions over two days. 

The Wildcats were in fifth place at 383 

after the first round of play, 33 strokes 

behind eventual state champion Osage. 

“I think I let them hit too many shots in 

our practice round and that may have worn 

them out a bit for Monday’s first round,” 

Bradley said. “Plus the fact that we had a 

pretty young team and some of the pressure 

of the moment might have sunk in. We 

didn’t play as well as I had hoped on day 

one and I think we might have been in sixth 

place at one point.” 

Nall and Hays ended their careers with a 

192 (tied for 24th) and a 195 (tied for 32nd) 

respectively. Drochelman finished in a tie 

for 44th place. 

This will be Westminster’s last year in 

Class 2. 

“We will now get bumped up to Class 3 

but we are feeling good about our chances 

to compete with the bigger schools,” Bradley 

said. “Sophie and Caroline certainly 

look to anchor our team next year and 

we lost some valuable pieces in seniors 

Dayton Hays and Kate Nall but we think 

we have several girls waiting to fill in those 

vacancies. Anna Drochelman will return as 

well and after hurting her knee in a soccer 

game before the season started should be at 

full strength.” 

• • • 

Three area girls picked up an all-state 

medal in Class 4 by finishing in the top 

15. Lafayette sophomore Addy Surber 

recorded a second all-state finish. She 

shot a 161 to end in 11th place. Marquette 

senior Peyton Cusick tied for 12th at 162. 

Lindbergh sophomore Reese Reinhardt 

shot a 166 to wind up in 15th place. 

In Class 3 state tournament played at 

Columbia Country Club, Parkway West 

junior Kylie Secrest shot a 164 to finish in 

fourth place to pick up an all-state medal. 

Incarnate Word Academy secured a 

fourth-place finish at 764 in the Class 2 

state meet. Earning all-state honors was 

IWA senior Morgan Dwyer, who finished 

eighth with a 171. 

High school girls softball 

The Marquette Mustangs scored a 6-4 

win over the Eureka Wildcats to claim the 

Class 5 District 2 softball championship 

in a game played at Northwest. It was the 

eighth district title in the last nine years for 

the Mustangs. 

“It is very impressive for sure and it 

means a lot to us,” coach John Meyer said 

about the district championships. “There 

have been four different coaches during 

that span, so it speaks volumes for the 

dedicated players and the talent level that 

consistently brought their ‘A’ game year 

after year. There is nothing easy about it, 

which makes it even more impressive.” 

Meyer said the team was aware of the 

past district titles and “made a point to take 

12/30/21 10:26 AM 

pride in it and give respect to the players in 

the past that have paved the way.” 

Eureka and Marquette have met frequently 

for the district crown in recent years. 

“It is always a battle every season,” 

Meyer said. “The margin for error is very 

slim and our players know they need to 

play at a high level to be successful. Playing 

teams like Eureka holds us accountable 

and helps keep our focus and intensity 

level, especially during the postseason.” 

In the win over Eureka, Marquette 

pounded out seven doubles. 

“We were taking some great swings and 

being aggressive,” Meyer said. “We stopped 

scoring after the fourth inning. I knew it was 

not over, and thankfully our defense played 

well, and Maddie Carney was hard to beat. 

Maddie refused to lose and her teammates 

followed her to the final out.” 

The Mustangs followed the district title 

with a 1-0 win over Lindbergh in a Class 5 

quarterfinal game to earn a trip to the state 

tournament in Springfield. 

• • • 

Westminster Christian Academy rallied 

for a 4-3 win over Ursuline Academy in the 

Class 3 District 2 title game played at the at 

Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. 

The Wildcats trailed Ursuline Academy 

3-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth 

with only two hits. That changed when 

Allie Branstetter hit a leadoff home run. 

She was followed by Molly Kate Bugh hitting 

a two-out double and then scoring on 

a Julia Martin single to make the score 3-2 

after six innings. 

In the seventh, Addie Drumm got on 

base with a one-out single. Paige Branstetter 

singled and a walk loaded the bases. 

Clean-up hitter Ellie Berkland laced a line 

drive just inside the left field foul line for 

a ground-rule double that scored two runs. 

“The girls were very excited to win a district 

championship,” coach Dan Petke said. 

“We came close last season, and the returning 

players were glad to have a chance to 

win one this year. Ursuline gave us a really 

tough game. We took good at-bats all game 

but were unable to string them together 

until the sixth. The girls never gave up and 

were able to get some big hits in the last 

two innings.” 

It was the Wildcats’ first district title





I SPORTS I 31 

since 2018. 

“These girls have done a lot for this program 

and we are very happy for them that 

they got to experience a district championship,” 

Petke said. 

Trailing 3-0 heading into the sixth inning, 

Westminster pulled out a victory. 

“These girls never give up. The team has 

four walk-off wins this season and have 

trailed in 11 out of 19 wins,” Petke said. 

“We have learned that no situation is too 

big for these girls, and they have a lot of 

trust in each other to be able to get the job 

done late in games.” 

Several Wildcats played big roles in the 

victory. Pitcher Gabby Merrifield struck out 

six in seven innings. Allie Branstetter hit a 

solo homer to lead off the sixth inning. Julia 

Martin hit a two-out RBI single in sixth 

inning to score a run. Berkland hit a two-run 

walk-off double in the seventh inning. 

“Ursuline’s pitcher, Kaitlyn Thole, threw 

a very good game,” Petke said. “They 

also took some very competitive at-bats 

throughout the entire game. We did have 

some key hits late in the game to ultimately 

win, but the story for us was pitching and 

defense throughout the entire game. Gabby 

threw a great game for us and we had to 

make some tough defensive plays. This 

included a leadoff triple in the first inning 

that was stranded at third because of three 

strikeouts. Eight Ursuline baserunners 

were left on base. Without throwing good 

pitches and playing good defense, the 

walk-off win would not have happened.” 

Westminster advanced into the Class 

3 softball state semifinals for the first 

time since 2011 with a 1-0 victory over 

Doniphan High in a quarterfinal game. 

• • • 

The Incarnate Word Academy Red 

Knights defeated Nerinx Hall 14-2 to win 

the in the Class 4 District 3 championship. 

Coach Shannon Fitzpatrick was pleased 

with the victory. 

“Winning districts is what we expect from 

our program,” Fitzpatrick said. “We hold 

our girls to high expectations and when it 

matters the most, they come through. We 

have the intention to go deep into postseason 

every year. That’s our mindset.” 

Incarnate Word entered district play with 

an 8-20 record. 

“We did not perform the way we would 

have hoped throughout the regular season, 

but we also played a tough schedule,” Fitzpatrick 

said. “We don’t back down from 

any opponent and we want to play tough 

teams because that’s how the girls improve 

their skills. So at the end of the day, we 

don’t look too much at our record, but more 

so at how much the girls have improved 

over the season. We take postseason day 

by day and game by game. We approach 

each game with a plan and do our best to 

execute that plan and come home with the 

chance to play another day.” 

In three games played in the district, the 

Red Knights won by combined score of 

40-2. 

“District play showed us that when you 

execute the plan and make in game adjustments, 

good things will happen,” Fitzpatrick 

said. “Our pitching staff as a whole 

performed excellently throughout districts. 

They combined for 23 strikeouts and one 

walk. They went out there and did their 

job. They have done a great job this whole 

season of zoning in and focusing on their 

work in the circle.” 

Fitzpatrick said seniors Sam Buehler and 

Olivia Stroker had big roles in helping the 

team on offense in the district. 

“They’re solid players all around and are 

making a big statement in their senior seasons,” 

Fitzpatrick said. “Honestly, the top 

half of our line up is pretty hard to stop.” 

Incarnate Word Academy saw its season 

end at 11-21 when the Red Knights suffered 

a 2-1 walk-off loss to Warrenton in 

a Class 4 quarterfinal game. That ended 

their quest to return to the Final Four for 

the fourth time since 2017. The lone Red 

Knights run came in the sixth inning. Ella 

Post hit a one-out triple and then scored on 

a single by Kenzie Nelson. 

It was payback in a way for Warrenton, 

who avenged a 3-2 loss last season in the 

same round to Incarnate Word. 

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 

Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Ellisville will hold 

a public hearing on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. at 

the Ellisville City Hall, #1 Weis Avenue, Ellisville, Missouri, which will 

deal with all facets of the CITY BUDGET FOR THE PERIOD OF 

JANUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2023. This hearing 

will give the Ellisville residents an opportunity to become familiar 

with the entire budget for this accounting period. The budget summary 

information is available for inspection at the Ellisville City Hall, #1 Weis 

Avenue, Ellisville, Missouri during normal business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 

5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. 

Congratulations 

Mr. Joe Fischesser 

20 Years at Lakeside 

2002-2022 

Thank You 

for your dedication 

and loyalty to our 

children, families 

and business. 

1230 Dougherty Ferry Road in West St. Louis County 

(636) 225-4800 | www.lakesidechildrensacademy.com

32 I SPORTS I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


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By WARREN MAYES 

Chaminade’s Luke Ponciroli likes his 

nickname “Chef” that was given to him 

this season. It is a badge of honor he wears 

proudly. 

“Chef is a nickname that our team managers 

came up with,” said the Red Devils 

sophomore. “They have fun nicknames 

for everyone on the team. I’ve been told its 

because I like to cook up goals and assists. I 

do like it because it represents my mentality.” 

His ability to “cook up” assists and goals 

has helped Chaminade turn around a slow 

start this season. The Red Devils recorded 

only three wins in their first nine games. 

However the team came together and 

started winning. Chaminade ended the regular 

season winning its final 13 games and 

headed into district play with momentum. 

Ponciroli already is a record holder. The 

5-foot-10, 140-pounder set a single-game 

record earlier this fall when he recorded 

four assists in a game. It’s something he is 

justifiably proud to have accomplished. 

“I love being a playmaker and happy to 

have an all-time Chaminade record. However, 

I feel like there is always room for 

improvement and have a goal to break this 

record again,” Ponciroli said. 

In the long history of Chaminade soccer, 

no one ever accomplished that feat. 

Coach Mike Gauvain, in his 35th year 

with the Red Devils, said it hadn’t been 

done before because it’s hard to do. 

Ponciroli is in his first year playing for 

Chaminade. Last year, he played for the St. 

Louis Scott Gallagher U16 Academy team, 

which played in the MLS next league. 

Ponciroli plays left wing but is flexible 

so Gauvain can play him at right wing, 

center midfielder, or defensive midfielder. 

The assist record came in a 5-1 victory 

over Saxony Lutheran in the in the Junior 

Billiken Classic. Before that game, Ponciroli 

once recorded two assists in a game. 

That happened when he played for Gallagher 

in a game against the Chicago Fire. 

Gallagher won that game 2-0. 

Ponciroli’s first assist went to senior 

Giovanni Gabriele, who scored on a header 

in the six-yard box. Gabriele is the team’s 

leader in scoring goals. The second assist 

was to senior captain Johnny Schlattmann. 

“It was another solid cross from deep in 

the left corner and another great finish with 

the inside of his foot in the six-yard box,” 

Ponciroli said. 

The third assist was to junior Noah 

Finley, who been solid in the midfield this 

year for the Red Devils. 

“I got the ball played to my feet at midfield 

by Charlie Berry and took my first 

touch in down the left line to beat the 

defender,” Ponciroli said. “Then I slid the 

ball through the goal mouth while Noah 

made a great run finishing the ball past the 

goalie.” 

Ponciroli was aware he had recorded a 

hat trick in assists. 

“The moment I got three assists I was 

thinking to myself that I did it,” Ponciroli 

said. “I broke my personal record.It was 

a great day, because my teammates and I 

were playing together and having fun out 

on the field.” 

Luke Ponciroli (Source: Thomas Krueger/Chaminade photo) 

But there was an encore for Ponciroli. 

Chaminade was taking a corner toward 

the end of the second half. Schlattman took 

the corner kick and played “a great ball 

down the line to my feet,” Ponciroli said. “I 

laid it off out front to Gabriele, who buried 

a great shot in the upper right.” 

Gauvain agreed. 

“They were all wonderful crosses or 

passes,” Gauvain said. “He’s shifty out 

there.” 

Ponciroli can score, too. In a game in 

Springfield against Kickapoo, he scored 

the game winning goal in double overtime 

to secure a 2-1 win for the Red Devils. 

“The goal against Kickapoo was a great 

experience,” Ponciroli said. “I stole the 

ball from a Kickapoo defender at the left 

midfield and beat the next two defenders 

moving to my right foot on the inside of 

the field. I took the shot from 

a little bit out from the 18-yard box and 

buried it into the bottom right corner.” 

Naturally, his teammates were excited. 

“Everyone rushed over to me. We were 

all happy and cheering that we had just 

won a big game in double OT,” Ponciroli 

said. “It was a hard-fought battle between 

us and Kickapoo, but I think that we wanted 

it more. We played together and that’s why 

we came out of the game with a win.”

Say Hello to New Friends! 

At The Gatesworth, wellness is a way of life. 

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conveniently located north of Highway 40 just off I-170 

The Gatesworth is committed to equal housing opportunity and does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

34 I 



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Seasonal Soirées: 

Tips to make holiday parties sparkle 

By SUZANNE CORBETT 

The time to plan the perfect holiday party 

is now. 

For inspiration, think beyond the ordinary 

and let others do some of the heavy 

lifting so you can focus on what makes you 

happiest. 

Love to bake but hate to cook? Call in 

a caterer. One of the few good things to 

come out of the last few years is that your 

favorite local restaurants have mastered the 

art of take-out and delivery. 

Love to cook but hate to bake? That’s 

a problem that’s easily solved with a 

plethora of local businesses offering bundt 

cakes, cookies, decorated cakes and bitesized 

treats. 

Want to gather the gang somewhere other 

than your own home? Consider taking the 

party on the road. 

Yes, it’s likely too late to book large party 

rooms but it’s not too late to plan a more 

intimate affair. Many local restaurants have 

spaces that can accommodate parties of 20 

to 25 people. Some, like Dogwood Social 

House in Ellisville and O’Fallon, offer not 

only food and drinks but interactive fun 

from arcade games and giant Jenga to ax 

throwing and air hockey. Reservations are 

recommended, of course. 

At the Missouri Botanical Garden’s 

Garden Glow event, guests can reserve 

a fire pit and roast up marshmallows for 

s’mores or sit and sip cocoa. Fire pits 

are available for one hour from 6–7 p.m. 

and must be reserved at least 36 hours in 

advance (online at mobot.org). Up to 25 

guests can be accommodated in each reservation, 

but availability is limited. Garden 

Glow is open from 5-9 p.m. Nov. 19 

through Jan. 7. 

Other traveling party options might 

include Winterfest in Downtown, 

Anheuser-Busch’s Brewery Lights, a trip 

to Santa’s Magical Kingdom preceded by 

dinner in Eureka, or a step back in time on 

St. Charles Main Street, where there are 

plenty of places to eat and Christmas Traditions 

(weekends and Wednesday nights, 

Nov. 25-Dec. 24) to enjoy. 

Want to gather family and friends 

together but looking for alternative party 

ideas? 

For the over-21 crowd, consider a Holiday 

Swap Party that goes beyond cookies. 

Plan a holiday beer or cider swap. Ask 

guests to bring a chilled six-pack of their 

favorite holiday beverages to sample and 

share. Make sure you have plenty of bar 

food and, of course, indulge responsibly 

with non-alcoholic options available for 

designated drivers. Entertainment is up to 

you from Christmas movies and games to 

the Blues on television. 

Live on a street that is decked out with 

lights? If so, you have the perfect setting 

for a Neighborhood Holiday Tailgate 

party. Take your family and friends on a 

stroll through your neighborhood. Take in 

the light displays, maybe even sing a few 

carols, then finish the night with a party on 

your patio. Add a little seasonal music, a 

(Adobe Stock photo) 



I PLAN THE PERFECT HOLIDAY I 35 

fire pit, finger foods and warm drinks. To 

keep warm, set games out under the lights. 

Consider stringing a cornhole set with holiday 

lights setting off the target areas; breaking 

out that childhood favorite, Twister; or 

pulling out all the props for a rousing game 

of holiday-movie-themed Pictionary. 

If you prefer the great indoors, consider 

a Hanukkah Latke Party. Assemble the 

classic russet potato latke mixture along 

with a few variations such as sweet potato, 

parsnips or beets. Fry them ahead of time 

and crisp in the oven before serving or 

designate a fry king or queen. You might 

even consider letting adult guests fry their 

own. Add a selection of toppings such as 

the traditional sour cream, applesauce and 

smoked salmon along with new additions 

such as a pear and cranberry compote. 

Be sure to have dreidels and gelt for the 

younger crowd to enjoy. 

Search out Grandma’s vintage fondue 

pots and host an Alpine Fondue Party. Plan 

a trio of delights, such as a melty, cheese 

fondue in which to dip crusty bread, pretzels 

or even chips; a savory fondue that 

includes hot bubbling broth in which to 

cook bits of meats and veggies; and a 

sweet fondue to pair with fruit or dense 

cakes (brownie bites and pound cake 

works well). While chocolate fondue is a 

Savings Magazine 

www.AdPages.com 

972.424.1980 | 888.424.1980 

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no changes 

(Source: Missouri Botanical Garden) 

trusted favorite, you might also consider a 

white chocolate fondue mixed with pulverized 

candy cane or laced with eggnog. 

Once you’ve selected a theme and/or 

place, lock in the date. Then, fine-tune the 

details. Start with the basics: menu, table 

décor, decorations, entertainment and, of 

course, the guests. If children are on that 

list, do you need a kid-friendly menu and 

activities? Also, consider your guests’ culinary 

restrictions. Some may be vegetarian 

or gluten sensitive. 

If you are going to be outside, do you 

need multiple fire pits, outdoor heaters or 

blankets? 

Lighting can be key to setting the right 

mood. But think beyond the Christmas 

lights strung on the house. Luminaires 

placed along the path and driveway create 

a welcoming glow and clusters of real or 

flameless candles can make interiors sparkle. 

The real trick of planning the perfect 

holiday party is simple: Invite the ones you 

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love, keep the gathering small enough that 

you can really enjoy your guests, and be 

flexible. There are a lot of great things to 

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Day, so put on your thinking cap. But one 

word of caution. Rent and shop now for 

party supplies to avoid disappointments as 

some supplies are still limited. 

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@WESTNEWSMAG 


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Why should you start your holiday shopping 

before Thanksgiving? Because that’s 

when the best local open houses are taking 

place. Beginning as early as Nov. 5, local 

shops are pulling out all the stops to help 

shoppers get in the holiday spirit and get 

at least some of their shopping done. One 

of the secrets of planning the perfect holiday 

is not waiting to the last minute when 

the stress of unfinished tasks can steal your 

fun. Plus, shopping local means you can 

shop off the shelf and won’t have to put up 

with delivery delays or supply chain woes. 

Shopping early gives you the opportunity 

to wrap early as well, which is another way 

to lighten your load. 

The Foyer 

Step into The Foyer, 1649 Clarkson 

Road, on Saturday, Nov. 5 for mimosas, 

snacks, drawings, a gift basket giveaway 

and 20% off all holiday decor (through 

Sunday, Nov. 6). Plus somewhere in the 

store is hidden a “golden ticket” for a 

$100 gift card. Chesterfield’s newest furniture 

and home decor store features a mix 

of traditional, industrial, modern and boho 

pieces. Check out the store’s gallery at thefoyerhomedecor.com. 

Store hours are 10 

a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 

10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays. 

The Assistance League of St. Louis (alstl. 

org) is the genius behind Fantastic Finds, 

12778 Olive Blvd. in Bellerive Plaza. Filled 

with high-quality clothing, accessories, 

jewelry, furniture, housewares and seasonal 

items, all its profits go toward helping 

children in need of assistance. Through 

Nov. 26, Fantastic Finds will also assist 

you with $5 off purchases of $20 or more. 

One coupon can be used per person per day. 

Fantastic Finds 

So stop in frequently and especially don’t 

miss the store’s Customer Appreciation 

Event, Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 

26. Fantastic Finds is open from 10 a.m.-4 

p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It’s Fur & 

Leather Event takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 

8 while supplies last. 

Three French Hens 

Three French Hens, 16935 Manchester 

Road in Wildwood offers three opportunities 

for festive shopping at its best. First up 

is the Holiday Open House, Thursday, Nov. 

10 through Sunday, Nov. 13. Three French 

Hens boasts a 12,000-square-foot showroom 

bursting with furniture, European antiques, 

oil paintings, florals and home accessories. 

On Friday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 27, 

everyone is Friends and Family. During both 

the Holiday Open House and the Friends 

and Family event, guests can enjoy a 20% 

discount on most items. On Dec. 4 from 2-4 

p.m., return with the kids in tow for Photos 

with Santa and crafts, cookies and cocoa! 

Check out more calendar listings at threefrenchhenswildwood.com. 

The Abbey 

From Thursday, Nov. 10 through Sunday, 

Nov. 13 is also the perfect time to check 

out The Abbey, which recently opened 

at 14334 Manchester Road, just a few 

steps west of The Lyceum. Formerly The 

Marketplace at The Abbey, the beautifully-appointed 

store offers the same highquality 

home, gift and design elements 

– and the same smiling faces – but at a new 

location. The Abbey is open from 10 a.m.-5 

p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 

noon-4 p.m. on Sundays. Find the store 

online at marketplaceattheabbey.com. 

Your first thought in gift shopping and 

holiday decorations might not be your 

local nursery but maybe it should be. Each



tart a season of shopping local 



I PLAN THE PERFECT HOLIDAY I 37 

Timberwinds Nursery 

November, Timberwinds Nursery, 54 

Clarkson Road in Ellisville, is transformed 

with a large selection of Christmas trees, 

wreaths, garlands, gift items and home 

décor, of course, plants – including stunning 

poinsettias, Bonsai and tropicals. 

Giving Bonsai as a gift is considered to be 

an expression of love or respect. During 

the Holiday Open House, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 

on Sunday, Nov. 13, explore everything 

Timberwinds Nursery has to offer. Online 

at timberwindsnursery.com. 

Treasure Chest Holiday Shopping Expo 

On Nov. 18, take a trip across the Blanchette 

Bridge to one of St. Charles’ largest 

holiday shopping events when the 15th 

annual Treasure Chest Holiday Shopping 

Expo returns to the Convention Center, 1 

Convention Center Plaza. With 200 booths 

offering arts and crafts, gourmet goodies, 

toys, books and more, you’re sure to cross 

off a few items on your holiday gift list. If 

all else fails, adopt don’t shop. Stray Paws 

Rescue will be holding an adoption event 

on-site all weekend. Show hours are 1-6 

p.m on Friday, Nov. 18; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on 

Saturday, Nov. 19; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on 

Sunday, Nov. 20. Photos with Santa will be 

available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Nov. 19. 

Admission and parking are free. 

Mary Tuttle’s Floral & Gifts 

Mary Tuttle’s Floral & Gifts, 17021 

Baxter Road in Chesterfield Valley, hosts 

its Holiday Open House from noon-4 p.m. 

on Saturday, Nov. 19. The all-ages event 

includes a very special visit from Santa and 

his reindeer from 1-4 p.m. at Mary Tuttle’s, 

you’ll find great gifts, home décor and handcrafted 

florals. Who doesn’t like receiving 

flowers at any time of the year? Check out 

all the possibilities at marytuttles.com. 

Christmas windows may seem like 

something from a bygone era, but not 

at Union Furniture, 21 S. Washington 

Ave. in Union, Missouri. Fifteen differ- 

Union Furniture 

See OPEN HOUSES, page 38 

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38 I PLAN THE PERFECT HOLIDAY I 

Fur & 

Leather 

Event 



OPEN HOUSES, from page 37 

dows are decorated from floor to ceiling 

with holiday décor, including a unique 

holiday-themed tree. Visit during the 

10-day Holiday Open House (Saturday, 

Nov. 19 though Monday, Nov. 28) and 

receive 10% off of a furniture purchase 

(with some restrictions) with the donation 

of an unwrapped toy or bag of non-perishable 

food items. Plus, register to win a 

grandfather clock and a $300 flooring gift 

certificate. Be sure to check out the wide 

array of ornaments and unique holiday 

décor. Store hours are 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on 

Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. on Sundays. 

Visit unionfurnituremo.com to learn more. 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 

p.m. and from noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. 

During the holiday open house (Friday, 

Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 27) bring 

a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots 

and receive a $5 gift card. Plus enjoy 

refreshments and specials all weekend 

long. Learn more at yarncomstl.com. 

Passiglia’s Nursery & Garden Center 

~ NOVEMBER 8 ~ 

While Supplies Last! 

FEEL GOOD FASHION 

AT ST. LOUIS' BEST RESALE SHOP 

Fantastic Finds is St. Louis' best-kept resale secret for affordable and 

high-quality fashion, accessories, kids, home decor, and more. Our store 

is run entirely by volunteers passionate about providing an exceptional 

shopping experience while making a difference in St. Louis. Funds 

raised benefit ALSTL.org programs that transform 36,000 lives each 

year in St. Louis. That's feel-good fashion! 

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SALES EVENT 

NOVEMBER 25-26 

Yarncom 

After Thanksgiving, visit the area’s 

newest fiber store – Yarncom, inside 

Chesterfield Mall on the lower level in 

the Macy’s Corridor. Here you’ll find 

everything to stuff the stocking of your 

favorite fiber enthusiast, or knit or crochet 

a new one. Yarncom offers classes, 

stitch groups and art supplies. It is open 

Wednesday through Friday from 11 

The Saturday after Thanksgiving (Saturday, 

Nov. 26) is all dedicated to shopping 

local and Passiglia’s Nursery & Garden 

Center, 1855 Hwy. 109 in Wildwood, is 

celebrating with store specials and unique 

visitors. While the event lasts from 8 a.m.-5 

p.m., families with children will want to be 

on-site from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to visit with 

Santa Claus. Also visiting from a little 

closer than the North Pole will be Spuds 

and Tater from Equine Assisted Therapy in 

Wildwood, some adorable miniature donkeys 

in Santa hats and Petunia the Potbelly 

Pig! This is the perfect opportunity for capturing 

your holiday card photo and picking 

up gifts that range from bird feeders and 

local honey to home décor and holiday 

decorations. Check out Passiglia’s other 

services at passiglia.com. 

Our Gift To You! 

$ 5 

TAKE $5 OFF PURCHASE 

off 

OF $20 OR MORE 

NOV. 2 - NOV. 26, 2022 

Present coupon at Fantastic Finds and receive $5 off your 

purchase of $20 or more. One coupon per person per day. 

Expires 11/26/22. Benefiting alstl.org. *pr22 

Fantastic Finds • 12778 Olive Blvd. • 314-579-9500 • Open: Tues. - Sat. 10am - 4pm 

alstl.org | Follow us on Facebook 

Fantastic Finds • 12778 Olive Blvd. (Bellerive Plaza) • 314-579-9500 

Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10am - 4pm | Benefiting alstl.org 

YOUR DONATIONS HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

Tax-deductible donations of new and gently used goods accepted: Tuesday-Friday 11am-3pm 

Don’t miss the Feztival of Trees at the Moolah Shrine Center 

The Moolah Shriners is holding its 4th 

annual Feztival of Trees at the Moolah 

Shrine Center at 12545 Fee Fee Road. 

Attendees can view 40 Christmas 

trees decorated and loaded with 

gifts and enter a raffle to win one, 

or more, if they choose. The event 

is open daily from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 

Saturday, Nov. 19 through Saturday, 

Nov. 26, when they are open from 

10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving 

Day. 

Winners will be drawn at 6 p.m. 

on the Nov. 26 and do not need to 

present to win. Raffles are $1 each. 

The trees range in value from $500 

to over $10,000. 

Adult admission is $2, kids age 

12 and younger are free. Santa 

Claus will be there to take pictures 

with children. 

Proceeds stay in the St. Louis area 

and benefit the Moolah Shriners philanthropy, 

Shriners Children’s St. Louis that 

includes the Shriners Children’s Hospital. 

Enter for a chance to win a tree and gifts valued from 

$500-$10,000 (Photo provided)



BOOK BANS, from page 24 

Violation of the law is considered a misdemeanor, 

punishable by a year in prison 

and a $200 fine. 

“I would never let our librarians be put in 

that position,” Willott said. 

Choosing school library books 

According to the American Library 

Association, “each library develops its own 

policies or criteria for collection development 

… approved by the library or school 

governing board, which is made up of 

community representatives. … In schools, 

librarians work closely with teachers and 

school administrators to provide collections 

that support and supplement the 

school’s curriculum. To serve entire communities, 

librarians seek materials on a 

broad range of subject matter that reflect 

diverse experiences.” 

Rockwood lead librarian Margaret Sullivan 

said, “Rockwood has a board (of 

education) policy and a board regulation 

(both of which can be found in Rockwood 

board documents) regarding the selection 

of library materials. The librarians follow 

these documents when deciding which 

books to purchase. Librarians also consider 

the guidelines included in the district’s 

Library Media Handbook, which is 

a board-approved document.” 

She noted that any changes to the district’s 

library material selection process 

would be at the discretion of the school 

board and district leadership. 

In addition to their own resource, both 

Rockwood and Parkway participate in a 

partnership with St. Louis County Library 

(SLCL) for digital resources, such as 

e-books and online collections of digital 

media. 

According to Rockwood’s Library 

and Media web page, “This partnership 

supplements the school district’s strong 

collection of databases through the library 

management system Destiny. Students may 

access the system at school through any 

workstation, as well as at home through 

Rockwood’s 1-to-1 technology program.” 

Additionally, the web page states that 

Rockwood Technology will ensure the virtual 

library is in alignment with Rockwood 

Library Media and Rockwood Curriculum. 

While the Parkway School District 

declined an interview with all media outlets, 

including West Newsmagazine, Communication 

Coordinator Cathy Kelly noted 

the following about the five titles that students 

no longer have access to in district 

libraries: “In order to make sure students 

cannot access these materials through our 

partnership with St. Louis County Library, 

we have also removed access in the SORA 

app to all materials in the ‘general adult’ 

category since we cannot restrict access to 

individual books in that system.” 

The Rockwood site notes that parents 

may opt-out of the Virtual Library Card 

option for their child.Additionally, parents 

have the ability to receive daily email notifications 

regarding the materials their child 

has checked out of the school library. 

Options for addressing concerns 

Even before SB1224 became law, parents 

in local districts had the option of challenging 

whether a book was appropriate for 

inclusion in the school library system. 

But as Sullivan explained, just because 

a book is challenged, doesn’t mean it will 

be banned. A challenged book is simply a 

book that has offended someone. In fact, 

most books that are challenged are not 

removed or banned. 

According to Willott, during a challenge, 

a person brings the book to the 

attention of the librarian, teacher or principal. 

A challenge committee made of 

teachers, parents, librarians and administrators, 

then goes through a specific set of 

steps to determine the value of the book to 

the students that may read it. From there, 

a decision is made as to whether a book 

should remain or be removed from the 

school library catalog. 

Willott and Sullivan both said there is a 

lot of confusion about book bans and challenges, 

including what books are deemed 

illegal as a result of SB1224. 

“There are two separate issues here: sexually 

explicit books are against the law, and 

challenged books tend to deal with race, 

religion and LGBTQ issues. The (SB1224 

banned) books have called attention to all 

challenged books,” Sullivan said. 

There also is a lot of confusion around the 

term “graphic,” due to the fact that many of 

the controversial books happen to be graphic 

novels. The term does not mean “sexually 

graphic;” it simply refers to the comic-book 

style of the text and illustrations. 

“Graphic novels can be depictions of 

classic novels, anime, even biblical stories,” 

explained Willott. 

The graphic novels that were removed 

met the requirements of SB1224 because 

they had a pictorial representation of 

“sexual conduct in a patently offensive 

way.” 

“The law is narrowly outlined,” Willott 

said. It is “very specific.” 

“I think it’s really important for people 

to know we still have books that reflect 

who they are,” Willott said. “That doesn’t 

change. With more than 450,000 titles in 

Rockwood, 22 is a very small number of 

books.” 

As for law enforcement removing librarians 

from schools, Manchester Police 

Chief Scott Will said he hopes that these 

situations can be worked out within the 

school district. 

“We’re going to try not to make this a 

police issue,” he said. 

VOTE NOV. 8 



I 39 

ST. LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 7 

As a wife, mother, scientist, 

educator and entrepreneur, 

I want to make Saint Louis County 

a better place to live, work 

and raise our families. 

Let’s Make A Difference 

TOGETHER! 

Paid for by Kristine Callis for St. Louis County

40 I 



Veterans salute on wheels heads into town this month 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


By LAURA SAGGAR 

The Wreaths Across America 

(WAA) Mobile Education Exhibit is 

making several stops in the St. Louis 

area this November. WAA honors 

fallen veterans across the country by 

placing wreaths on veteran’s headstones 

in December. Part of the nonprofit’s 

mission is to educate visitors 

about the service and sacrifice that 

veterans and their families have made 

for the country. 

The mobile exhibit is a traveling 

museum that features interactive 

exhibits, short films and shared stories. 

It began touring the United States in 

2017; however, this is the first time it’s 

coming through Missouri. 

“When you go into the exhibit you learn 

about the Gold Star families and you learn 

about why it’s so important to those folks,” 

Joseph Reagan, veteran and director of 

military and veteran outreach for WAA, 

explained. “A lot of times veterans might 

not necessarily feel connected to their 

communities. Providing them with this 

venue is a really important thing.” 

Reagan is an Army veteran who served 

two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He said 

On the road with Wreaths Across America 

while working with the mobile exhibit he 

has seen veterans come through with their 

children and grandchildren. They start 

talking and telling stories about what it was 

like when they served, and many times the 

kids say they’ve never heard those stories 

before. 

The mobile exhibit also partners with 

the United States of America Vietnam War 

Commemoration, serving as an official 

“Welcome Home” station for Vietnam-era 

veterans who were not welcomed back 

after serving. 

“As a veteran myself I am particularly 

(All photos: Wreaths Across America) 

grateful to the Vietnam vets,” Reagan said. 

“I was in college when 9-11 occurred and 

signed up after I graduated. [The Vietnam 

vets] were the first ones who stood up after 

9-11 and said they weren’t going to let 

other vets be treated like they were. When 

we came home we were provided with 

more services because of them.” 

When guests visit the mobile exhibit, 

the team always asks if they have served. 

Reagan said if they find that a guest is a 

Vietnam-era veteran the mobile exhibit 

staff will provide a short service to recognize 

the veteran. Any Vietnam era veteran 

can receive recognition and a pin. 

“Vietnam pinning ceremonies are 

so inspiring,” Reagan said. “It’s the 

acknowledgement that means the 

world to these men and women. We’d 

love to honor them for their service.” 

Reagan said when the mobile exhibit 

drives through cities and states, they 

have people honking to show support 

as the truck drives past. 

“It is inspiring when you see the outpouring 

of support to the veterans of 

their community,” Reagan said. Further 

proof of a grateful nation. 

In another show of gratitude, the 

mobile exhibit offers an opportunity 

for people to learn more about WAA 

and how to sponsor a wreath for a veteran’s 

headstone over the winter holidays. 

For more than 30 years, WAA has placed 

wreaths on the graves of those interred at 

Arlington Nation Cemetery every December. 

But the organization and its partners 

don’t stop there. In fact, over 2.4 million 

wreaths are placed on veterans graves at 

over 3,400 locations around the country 

and abroad. 

The Mary Hempstead Lisa Chapter of 

the Daughters of the American Revolution 

(DAR) is one of those partners. The 

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I 41 

chapter is hosting the mobile exhibit’s 

stop in Chesterfield on Nov. 16. It will be 

parked at Parkway Central High on the 

plaza behind the football stadium. This is 

an early dismissal day for the high school 

students and DAR representative Janet 

Webb hopes the student and staff will 

come and tour the mobile exhibit along 

with the community. 

Webb is also hoping to rally support for 

National Wreaths Across America Day on 

Saturday, Dec.17. That’s when volunteers 

locally and across the country will place 

the wreaths on veterans graves, Webb said. 

Mary Hempstead Lisa DAR chapter makes 

sure all of the veterans at Coldwater Cemetery 

in Florissant have a wreath. Then, 

the rest of the wreaths sponsored by their 

chapter go to Jefferson Barracks National 

Cemetery. 

at the Lincoln County R-III School District 

Central Office, 951 W. College St. 

• Chesterfield: Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 

10 a.m.-7 p.m. at Parkway Central High, 

369 N. Woods Mill Road 

• Cedar Hill: Thursday, Nov. 17, from 

1-7:30 p.m. at The Cedar Hill Elks Lodge, 

8430 Industrial Drive 

• St. Louis: Friday, Nov. 18, from 10:30 

a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus 

#2951, 50 St. Francis St. 

• Florissant: Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 

a.m -5 p.m. at the VFW, 1108 W. Crawford 

St. 

Inside the Mobile Education Exhibit 

Creek Valley 

A Vietnam veteran pinning ceremony 

Wreath sponsorships require a donation 

of $15 or more depending on the 

number of veterans to be honored and 

can be secured at wreathsacrossamerica. 

org. Donations can be made in honor of 

a living veteran or in memory of one who 

has passed; however, wreath placement is 

not something that the donor can select. 

When a wreath is placed, the local volunteer 

will say the name of the fallen veteran 

on whose grave it is laid to ensure that the 

legacy of duty, service and sacrifice of 

that veteran is never forgotten. 

“We are sharing the story and experiences 

of all of our service members, veterans and 

families across America,” Reagan said. 

“This exhibit has traveled coast to coast. 

It’s been in small and large communities. 

“The mobile exhibit is part of that experience 

of making a connection with a veteran. 

Not only in the moment, but it can inspire 

you to find your pathway to service in your 

community. I hope that is what (guests) 

feel when they see the exhibit.” 

Visits to the mobile exhibit are free and 

open to the public. Missouri stops include: 

• Troy: Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 2-3 p.m. 

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THE HISTORY OF VETERAN’S DAY 

At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, (the 

11 as the first commemoration of 

show her sympathy with peace and justice 

11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) 

the hostilities of World War I, “the war to 

end all wars” ended with an armistice, a 

truce, seven months before the Treaty of 

Versailles was signed on June 28 of 1919, 

Armistice Day with the following words: 

“To us in America, the reflections of 

Armistice Day will be filled with solemn 

pride in the heroism of those who died in 

the country’s service and with gratitude 

in the councils of the nations…” 

Armistice Day was primarily a day 

set aside to honor veterans of World 

War I, but the end of wars was not to 

be. In 1954, after World War II had 

officially ending the war. 

for the victory, both because of the thing required the greatest mobilization of 

In November of 1919, President from which it has freed us and because of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in 

Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November the opportunity it has given America to the Nation’s history and after American 

forces had fought aggression in Korea, 

Congress, at the urging of the veterans’ 

service organizations, took out the word 

“Armistice” and inserted in its place the 

word “Veterans.” On June 1, 1954, with 

the passing of the legislation, November 

11th became a day to honor American 

veterans of all wars. (U.S. Office of Veterans 

Affairs) 

Thanks to all veterans for your service 

and immeasurable sacrifice. 

(636) 230-6900 

14932 Manchester Rd • Ballwin 

www.allsurfaceflooring.com 

Lisa Clemente 

Honoring our military & their families 

with gratitude & respect for their service. 

(636) 227-1072 

110A Holloway Road • Ballwin 

Jeff Reeves, Agent 

My deepest gratitude for all the 

veterans who have served our country 

(636) 458-2000 

16925 Manchester Road • Wildwood 

jreeves@amfam.com 

Thank you to all of our veterans. 

We appreciate your service. 

(636) 458-4323 

16290 Pierside Lane • Wildwood 

www.applehillpreschool.com 

Saluting our nation’s flag, our 

veterans and active military. 

(314) 727-8870 

www.bmwautohaus.com 

America must never forget 

your sacrifices. 

(636) 391-2666 

15340 Manchester Rd • Ellisville 

Thanks to all veterans and their families 

for your service to our country. 

Dr. Kimberly Simonds & Associates 

(636) 431-5280 

14649 Manchester Road • Ballwin 

No one does more for our veterans. 

(636) 579-8817 

115 Mimosa Lane • Ballwin 

www.vfw6274.org 

Some gave all. Remember. 

(314) 205-9888 

12360 Olive Blvd • Creve Coeur 

www.hyattjewelers.com 

Kathy Beaven, Broker 

Thank you all for your service! 

(636) 549-3800 

www.kathybeaven.com 

We honor all veterans 

for making our lives better. 

(636) 227-3431 

322 Old State Road • Ellisville 

www.bethesdahealth.org 

Those who serve, 

gratitude they deserve. 

(636) 391-8293 

14766 Manchester Rd • Ballwin 

www.fqstl.com

Honor to the soldier & sailor everywhere, 

who bravely bears his country’s cause. 

(636) 225-8350 

6 Meramec Valley Plaza • Valley Park 

(Hwy 141 & Marshall Rd. 

Across from Carol House Furniture) 

Dr. Laurie C. Burke 

Clarkson Chiropractic 

Center 

Thanks to all veterans and their 

families for your dedication and 

service to our country. 

(636) 227-8191 

242 Clarkson Road • Ellisville 

www.drburkedc.com 

Nancy McClure, CSA, CPRA 

Nancy, Andrea and Sue would 

like to thank all veterans for 

protecting our freedom. 

(314) 471-0042 

www.carepatrol.com 

We can offer veterans no better 

tribute than to protect what 

they have won for us. 

Veteran Owned & Operated. 

(636) 391-6154 • ClancysSTL.com 

40 Old State Road • Ellisville 

CLEAR WINDOW 

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Honoring our veterans today 

and every day. Thank you for 

your sacrifice. 

(314) 966-2666 

www.clearwindowtech.com 

Proud builder for the Gary Sinise 

Foundation & our local 

first responders & veterans. 

(636) 728-9477 

www.compass-stl.com 

Saluting all veterans who have 

proudly served our country. 

Direct - 314-285-3160 

Office - 314-347-1658 

www.thelauramacdonaldteam.com 

Thank you to all those who serve 

to make us safe. 

(314) 298-7300 

13795 St. Charles Rock Rd • St. Louis 

www.dalcohomeremodeling.com 

Thanks to all members of our 

military, in all branches, past and 

present, living and dead. 

(636) 227-5188 

14436 Manchester Rd • Manchester 

www.duenkecabinet.com 

Celebrating our heroes. 

Thank you veterans! 

(636) 225-7799 


(636) 225-4500 

26 Meramec Station Road 

Thank you veterans for protecting 

our freedom! 

(636) 225-3340 

www.englishsweep.com 

Never was so much owed 

by so many to so few. 

(636) 938-ROOF (7663) 

We offer special savings to 

veterans & military personnel, 

and we support Folds of Honor! 

(314) 283-6510 

See our homes and communities 

at www.FandFhomes.com 

Let’s stand up for the flag 

instead of standing on the flag. 

(636) 225-8737 

815 Meramec Station Road (1 block 

South of Old Hwy. 141 & Big Bend) 

Thank you for serving our country 

and protecting our freedom! 

www.HarderforCouncil.com 

Paid for by Citizens to Elect Mark Harder | Charles McCloskey, Treasurer 

With respect, honor and gratitude – 

thank you veterans! 

(314) 925-0551 

www.HoeferkampRealEstate.com

Thank you for your selfless 

service to our nation. 

(314) 312-1077 

www.honestjunk.com 

Jeff Minnis, Owner 

Thank you to all those who serve 

our country. 

(636) 256-7901 


www.jeffcomputers.com 

Thank you for your sacrifice so that 

we may live free. May God bless 

you and keep you. 

www.hollyjones4mo.com 

Paid for by Holly Jones for Missouri, 

Brad Beebe - Treasurer 

Thank you to all veterans who have 

served to protect our freedoms. 

(636) 225-4800 

1230 Dougherty Ferry Road 

West St. Louis County 

www.lakesidechildrensacademy.com 

MERIDIAN 

SUPPLY 

For your tomorrow, 

they gave their today. 

(636) 230-5115 


(Auto Plaza Plus) 

We don’t know them all, 

but we owe them all. 

(800) 423-2727 

9950 Page Avenue • Overland 

www.meridianrs.com 

Thank a veteran! 

(314) 514-7800 

12352 Olive Boulevard • Creve Coeur 

(636) 442-4467 

1475 Kisker Road Ste 270 • St. Charles 

Mobility & safety products – 

proudly serving our nation’s veterans. 

(314) 608-5789 

15461 Clayton Rd • Ballwin 

www.mobilityplus.com 

Thankful for all those who have 

served our nation. 

(636) 394-3655 


www.modernkitchenandbaths.com 

14343 S. Outer Forty Rd 

Suite 100N • Town & Country 

www.peoplesnationalbank.com 

Proudly serving those who served with 

VA benefits claims & estate planning. 

(636) 394-7242 

14611 Manchester Rd • Manchester 

www.quinnestatelaw.com 

Thank you for your courage, strength 

and dedication to protecting and 

defending our country. 

(314) 239-7974 

www.87725rhino.com 

Serving Our Community for Over 150 Year 

Thank you veterans for your service. 

(636) 227-5511 


(636) 938-3000 

108 N. Central Avenue • Eureka 

www.schrader.com 

Thank you for your service. 

(314) 608-1982 

www.sealingstlouis.com 

Thank you to all who actually 

pay the price for freedom! 

(314) 341-9676 

www. SqueakStoppers.com 

Continued on page 24 

Thank you, veterans, for serving 

to ensure the safety of our nation. 

(636) 537-9111 

17993 Chesterfield Airport Road 

Chesterfield 

info@stlsafety.com

HONOR A VETERAN 

Steve Martinez, Agent 

Thank you for your service, bravery 

and sacrifice for our country. 

(636) 227-7888 

104 Holloway Road • Ballwin 

www.stevemartinez.net 

Thank you for your service and 

dedication to our country! 

(636) 220-4860 


Manchester 

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles & Equipment 

Thank you for your service 

and your sacrifice. 

(636) 227-0095 

54 Clarkson Road • Ellisville 

www.timberwindsnursery.com 

Thank you for your service 

to protect our nation and freedom! 

(314) 989-1010 

9389 Natural Bridge • 63134 

980 S. Highway Drive • 63026 

www.unitedaccess.com 

Photo courtesy of Veterans Day National Committee 

Our country’s greatness is built on the 

courage and sacrifice of a veteran. 

(314) 428-7979 • Maryland Heights 

11477 Page Service Drive 

www.victorshade.com 

Woodlawn Chapel 

A new worship community to call home. 

And everyone is invited to attend! 

(636) 458-3009 

16570 Clayton Road • Wildwood 

www.woodlawnchapel.com 

Thank you for defending 

liberty and freedom! 

(636) 227-8308 


www.wcvolvocars.com 

This nation will remain the land of the 

free only as long as it is home of the brave. 

(636) 458-1445 

16498 Clayton Road • Wildwood 

(Corner of Clayton/Strecker) 

Each year the Veterans Day National 

Committee publishes a commemorative 

Veterans Day poster. The Committee 

selects a poster from artwork submitted 

by artists nationwide. The theme for 

Veterans Day 2022 is “Honor.” The 

winning poster is displayed above. 

Veterans are proud of their military 

service in defending our Nation. Honor 

reflects the military value and tradition 

of answering the call to duty. There is 

distinct honor in serving to protect our 

way of life and the Constitution of the 

United States of America. Now it’s time 

to consider the honor we owe them 

for fulfilling patriotic duties. Happy 

Veterans Day! 

“The willingness with which our young 

people are likely to serve in any war, 

no matter how justified, shall be directly 

proportional to how they perceive the 

Veterans of earlier wars were treated 

and appreciated by their nation.” 

– President George Washington 

“We remember those who 

were called upon to give all a person 

can give, and we remember those 

who were prepared to make that 

sacrifice if it were demanded of them 

in the line of duty, though it never was. 

Most of all, we remember the 

devotion and gallantry with which 

all of them ennobled their nation as 

they became champions of 

a noble cause.” 

– President Ronald Reagan 

“It’s about how we treat our veterans 

every single day of the year. 

It’s about making sure they have 

the care they need and the benefits 

that they’ve earned when they 

come home. It’s about serving 

all of you as well as you’ve 

served the United States 

of America.” 

– President Barack Obama

46 I 



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NEWS BRIEFS, from page 8 

coming out of trash trucks along Hwy. 141. 

Mayor Michael Clement has called the 

problem “disgusting” and asked the Board 

of Alderman on Oct. 17 if the city should 

consider adopting this portion of the road; 

thus, allowing the public works department 

to help in maintaining the area. 

“It’s not our mess but we will clean it up,” 

Clement suggested. 

WILDWOOD 

Redistricting map approved 

The redistricting map in Wildwood, 

based on the results of the 2020 U.S. 

Census, which resulted in changes to several 

of the city’s wards was approved by 

the City Council at its meting on Oct. 24. 

Redistricting is necessary to balance the 

number of people in each ward to reflect 

changes in the population. 

“Ward populations must be as near equal 

as practicable to ensure that everyone’s 

vote counts the same,” City Administrator 

Steve Cross explained. Each ward should 

not exceed 10% deviation from the ward 

with the lowest population to the ward with 

the highest population. 

The 2020 Census reflected little change 

in the population of Wildwood, decreasing 

from 35,517 in 2010 to 35,417 in 2020. 

However, the population shifted more substantially 

between wards. 

Since wards with the lowest population did 

not abut those with the highest population, 

multiple shifts were required, Cross said. 

Changes included redistributing residents 

from Ward 8 to wards 1 and 7; and 

shifting residents from Ward 1 to Ward 3 

and from Ward 3 to Ward 4. 

Council member Michael Gillani jokingly 

asked if his ward could get some of the land 

that’s less populated from Ward 1, since they 

are giving up some of their people from Ward 

8. Specifically, they would like a park, he said. 

Council member Joe Garritano added, 

“We don’t even have a playground in Ward 8. 

We have the school, but now we lose that too.” 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


Both Garritano and Gillani abstained 

from the redistricting vote. 

The newly redrawn wards will not take 

effect until the next municipal election 

in April. Residents will be notified of the 

changes beforehand. 

City’s loses first mayor 

David Glaser, first mayor of Wildwood, 

passed away on Oct. 22 

after suffering a head 

injury. 

Glaser, 65, fell off his 

bike near Melrose Road 

and Hwy. T in Wildwood. 

He was rushed to a nearby 

hospital but later died. 

Glaser 

Glaser was appointed as the city’s first 

mayor after its incorporation in 1995. He 

was involved in every aspect, from hiring 

the first employees and getting facilities in 

place, to establishing the initial 160-plus 

ordinances and approving the city’s first 

master plan. As mayor, he appointed all of 

the members of the boards, including the 

Planning and Zoning Commission, Board 

of Adjustment, and the Ethics Commission. 

Current Mayor Jim Bowlin noted that 

Glaser “typified Wildwood, identifying 

issues important to our residents, taking 

action when necessary, and ultimately getting 

things done.” 

From 1996-2009, Glaser also served as 

the chief financial and legislative affairs 

officer in the Rockwood School District. 

“We are shocked and saddened to hear 

about the passing of David Glaser,” the 

Rockwood School District said in a statement. 

“He will be remembered for his 

academic and civic contributions as a 

Rockwood graduate and former central 

office administrator, as well as an advocate 

for all students in his role with VICC (Voluntary 

Interdistrict Choice Corporation).” 

Since 2009, Glaser worked as CEO of 

VICC, which oversees the transfer of students 

from St. Louis Public Schools to St. 

Louis County school districts. 

He is survived by his wife of 37 years 

and two adult children. 

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(Photo courtesy of Stacey Morse)





I ELECTION PREVIEW I 47 


2. As auditor, I’ll expand upon the work I’ve done 

throughout my public service. Where waste, fraud and 

abuse occur, I will find it and root it out. As auditor, I will 

have the tools necessary to continue that work on an even 

greater scale, allowing me to have an even larger impact 

on government at the state and local level. You can trust 

me to give you the facts, fight for reforms wherever they 

are needed, and not cave to pressure from lobbyists or special 

interest groups when those facts show they are benefiting 

from sweetheart deals at your expense. 

3. When I became budget chairman I inherited a massive 

budget deficit, but I went to work, cut wasteful spending, 

and balanced the budget. I defunded Planned Parenthood, 

and I fully funded the state’s K-12 foundation formula for 

the first time in a decade. I was proud to develop a plan 

that delivered a budget surplus while still being able to help 

pass the largest tax cut in Missouri history. There are attacks 

on Missourians every day and at every level of government. 

That is why it is imperative that we elect a proven, conservative 

champion with a record of fighting for taxpayers and 

that is why I’m running to be your next state auditor. 

Alan Green (D) 

John A. Hartwig Jr. (L) 

STATE HOUSE & SENATE 


1. The cost of everyday life (gas, groceries, housing) is 

escalating. What do you think should be done at the state 

level to help Missourians? 

2. The public educational system has been in the news a 

great deal, from books on library shelves to parental rights. 

What role should state government play in these issues? 

3. What can (should) the Missouri legislature do to improve 

career readiness of both high school and college students? 

4. If you could change one thing about how the state 

government operates, what would it be? 

5. What qualifies you for this office (past experience, 

major accomplishments)? 

STATE SENATOR 

District 24 • George J. Hruza (R)* 

hruzaformissouri.com 

1. While the driving reasons for inflation are caused 

by the federal government, states can do things to help 

individuals cope with rising costs. Currently, Missouri 

has record revenue and can afford to temporarily suspend 

some taxes on fuel and groceries. State government can 

also focus on reducing regulations that drive up the costs 

of doing business while still providing important consumer 

protections. Finally, Missouri can ensure that the safety 

net programs that help struggling families are well-run 

and not experiencing backlogs. Missouri families should 

always be able to access services without delay. 

2. I support the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which empowers 

parental involvement in their child’s education. I support 

greater transparency in our schools, allowing parents to 

know what their children are being taught and giving parents 

the option to opt their children in and out of certain 

lessons and activities. 

3. I support Missouri’s workforce development plan that 

focuses on training and retraining workers for high-paying 

jobs in demand today and in the future. Our state should 

also ensure high school students are prepared for college or 

careers in skilled trades. Missouri can also look at reforming 

its higher education programs to ensure that students are 

well-equipped and find successful careers after graduating. 

4. Our state government should be more streamlined. 

When Missourians run into issues with their government, 

the state is slow to respond due to the confusing and inefficient 

bureaucracy. All too often, Missourians are unaware 

of whom to reach for assistance and face unnecessarily 

long delays. Our state should develop an easy-to-use portal 

that allows citizens to communicate their needs with their 

government and receive a quick and efficient response. 

5. My family and I fled communist Czechoslovakia 

when I was only 10 years old for a better life in the United 

States. We came to this country with nothing. Through 

hard work and determination, I achieved the American 

Dream. In America, I was able to receive an education, 

attend medical school, become a doctor and educator, and 

eventually become the president of the American Academy 

of Dermatology. Nowhere else in the world would this 

have been possible. I want to take my experience running 

a successful business, my passion for education, people, 

and knowledge of healthcare to the state Senate to ensure 

that Missourians’ best interests are being represented. 

District 24 • Tracy McCreery (D) 

tracymccreery.com 

1. Inflation is rising around the world, not just in the U.S. 

In the legislature, I fought against unfair rate increases by 

investor-owned utility companies. The state should eliminate 

sales tax on necessities like baby and adult diapers. 

During the 2022 special session, I voted for the largest tax 

cut in our state’s history to help working families while 

still protecting record funding for public education and 


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@WESTNEWSMAG 



affordable health care. 

2. Decisions about the education of children should 

be made by those closest to them – their parents and the 

educators in the local school district, with oversight from 

the locally elected school board. Jefferson City politicians 

should respect local control. Parents may control what 

their own children read, but do not have the right to restrict 

what books are available to others. 

3. I believe every child deserves a world-class public 

education. We should continue to work with businesses 

to ensure that the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow 

are being offered. College, as traditionally defined, is not 

for everyone, and career and technical programs and trade 

schools can provide sturdy on-ramps to the middle class. 

4. Missouri’s democracy is not working for everyone. Big 

money has influenced the legislature and its agenda, further 

polarizing our politics and our state. The legislature should 

focus on our critical needs; we must invest in education, 

healthcare and infrastructure. We need to attract more employers, 

provide opportunities and improve our quality of life. 

5. In the legislature, I am the independent voice for 

common-sense solutions on issues of education, public 

safety, tax fairness, healthcare and infrastructure to build 

an economy that works for all of us, instead of special 

interests. As a businesswoman, community volunteer and 

public official I am a strong voice for our region. 

District 24 • LaDonna Higgins (L) 

• • • 

District 26 • Ben Brown (R) 

benbrownforsenate.com 

1. We need to keep the tax burden low on Missouri families 

who are already feeling the pain of the rising cost of goods. We 

also need to ensure there is real accountability when it comes 

to how our tax dollars are spent. Any system that rewards 

reckless spending with a higher budget rather than incentivizing 

efficiency is essentially broken, and the last thing we want 

to do is contribute more to the problem at the state level. We 

need to cut government waste, eliminate costly red tape, and 

do what we can to return more money to Missouri families. 

2. I support parental rights in education and providing 

parents with more choice in educating their children. There 

should not be a single choice when it comes to schooling, 

and I will support legislation that expands choice and 

opportunity for Missouri parents and children. 

3. The legislature should ensure that tax dollars spent on 

education are going toward classroom learning that prepares 

students for careers or college. We need to keep politics out 

of the classroom. We need to ensure that the educational 

experience students receive is focused on reading, writing, 

arithmetic and the fundamental skills that will actually prepare 

them for success later in life, rather than being used 

as a source of indoctrination or to sway opinions on social 

issues. Leave the values to the parents and focus on learning. 

4. Instead of assuming all regulations and tax dollars are 

needed, I would like to see us move towards a system of 

zero-based budgeting and regulation that requires departments 

to defend the need for each dollar in their budget 

and each regulation on their books. The inefficiency of 

our government is astounding and the only way we begin 

changing this is through more accountability and transparency 

for how our tax dollars are being spent. 

5. I’m a proud husband, father and small business owner 

who found out firsthand how out-of-control government 

shutdowns harm small businesses and families. I’m also 

the former chairman of the Franklin County Republican 

Central Committee and former national committeeman 

for the Young Republican National Federation. I spent 

much of the last two years working to pass legislation 

to restore oversight and accountability to the process in 

which emergency health orders can be issued. Government 

often stifles the expansion of economic opportunities and 

I’m running to be a voice for small business owners and 

families trying to make a better life. 

District 26 • John Kiehne (D) 

johnkiehne.com 

1. While the root causes for inflation may be beyond the 

reach of the Missouri Legislature we can do a few things to 

help to improve the lives of Missouri residents over time. 

Creating better-paying jobs; making healthcare more accessible 

and affordable; bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. 

and back to Missouri; improving our infrastructure, including 

making broadband internet available in rural Missouri; 

making childcare more available and affordable, et cetera are 

a few things that we can do to help grow Missouri’s economy 

while improving the lives of Missouri families statewide. 

2. West St. Louis County residents are fortunate to have 

access to some of the best public schools in the state, and 

they pay for it. By tying educational funding to local revenue 

many less-affluent communities are challenged to pay 

teachers, staff, and transportation costs. Fabricated crises 

intended to anger voters with extremist right-wing rhetoric 

only serve to divide our communities and harm our schools 

and students in the process. I support local control and also 

believe that Missouri Republicans should end their vicious 

attacks on minorities, vulnerable children,and their families 

and focus on improving our public schools instead. 

3. According to current jobs data – despite a tight job 

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market – college graduates are seeing advancing employment 

opportunities and tend to make significantly higher 

wages and endure less job uncertainty than those who 

lack a college degree. If career readiness is speaking to 

providing workers for entry-level jobs that often don’t pay 

a living wage or provide adequate, affordable benefits it 

may be time for those industries to step up and value their 

employees more. In addition, entering the skilled trades is 

an excellent way to receive paid training in career fields 

that provide a middle-class (or better) income plus benefits. 

4. Missouri’s state government is woefully dysfunctional 

and its departments have been starved for support, guidance 

and resources for decades by Republican leadership. It’s time 

that Missouri starts honoring it’s obligations to the people of 

Missouri instead of being used as a stepping stone for ambitious 

politicians, a facilitator of cronyism, and a means to make 

the rich richer while ignoring the needs of the majority of Missouri 

residents – certainly the ones in my Senate district. 

5. As someone who’s been self-employed for many years, I 

understand how to hustle and manage work in a wide variety 

of situations. As a professional musician for 40 years, I understand 

operating and living within a budget and being frugal. 

As a provider, guardian and advocate for victims of domestic 

violence for the last 15 years, I have first-hand experience 

dealing with state agencies, educators, healthcare providers, 

et cetera in efforts to improve the lives of others. 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE 

District 87 • Paula Brown (D) 

• • • 

District 88 • Holly Jones (R) 

hollyjones4mo.com 

1. We need to work to put people back to work. The 

elementary premise of economics is supply and demand. 

If there is not enough of something and the demand is 

high, the price goes up. We need to stop handing out so 

much money (federally). We must incentivize people to 

work. 

2. It is the responsibility of the state government to return 

power back to the parents. The overreach of school systems 

into the lives of children has reached an absurd level. We 

must fight for parental rights while supporting teachers to 

teach fundamentals and leave parenting to parents. 

3. Forcing kids into a one-size-fits-all liberal arts college 

doesn’t cut it. It is imperative that we encourage trade 

schools and technical colleges as well. Many programs are 

available to students post high school that will get them 

ready for real world experiences in the work place. We 

need to stand behind teachers on the fundamentals of education 

that will truly do the preparing. 

4. Limiting governmental overreach into the lives of 

citizens. 

5. I was born with a stone constitution. I think what qualifies 

me most is that I am a normal regular American who is willing 

to stand and fight for the basic fundamentals this country 

was founded upon: God, family and country. We need more 

people in office willing to listen to their constituents. 

District 88 • Kyle Luzynski (D) 

• • • 

District 89 • Dean Plocher (R)* 

plocherformissouri.com 

1. Out-of-control government spending at the federal 

level has contributed to inflation and is leading our economy 

into a recession. This is devastating for families. At 

the state level we need an agenda rooted in common sense 

and common values that puts more money back into the 

pockets of Missourians, grows incomes for working families, 

empowers businesses to invest in Missouri, and brings 

greater job opportunities. That is why in the recent special 

session I fought for and led the Missouri House to pass a 

common sense tax cut that will benefit every Missourian. 

2. State government should be focused on a collaborative 

approach that provides the best educational opportunities 

for children in our state. I am supportive of a 

pro-parent, pro-family rational approach to education that 

brings transparency and allows parents to have a say in 

their child’s education. 

3. During my time in the legislature we have made great 

strides to make Missouri a leader in workforce development 

by investing in our workforce through job training 

programs in innovative technology, lowering taxes to 

bring investment and grow jobs, and reducing government 

regulations. We are seeing results in each of these areas 

through increased private sector investment and business 

expansion. We will continue pursuing every avenue to 

develop a world-class workforce so Missourians have the 

opportunities for the jobs of tomorrow. 

4. I know our government can be more efficient and 

more accountable to the people we serve, and I am committed 

to working with anyone who wants to join me 

toward achieving this goal. 

5. I have led the Missouri House for the last two years 

as majority floor leader and in that time we have passed 

bills that deliver on conservative promises to cut taxes for 

working Missourians, invest in education and our workforce, 

and preserve our constitutional freedoms. I know 

from experience what it takes to impact and grow Mis- 


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souri’s economy, and we need common sense leadership 

that is focused on moving our state forward. 

District 89 • Luke Barber (D) 

upballot.com/luke-barber 

1. As legislator we can regulate businesses. We can eliminate 

or reduce sales tax especially on necessities such as 

diapers, food and clothing. 

2. Government should allow local control of schools. 

We also should allow teachers to teach based on established 

guidelines and recommended curriculum that can 

be modified to meet student comprehension and learning. 

3. We need to increase our quality of education to be 

stronger in math, reading and writing as these skills are 

often needed in many industries and fields. We also need 

to increase training and the trade schools so that there is a 

choice between work or higher education. 

4. I would change the partisan nature of government and 

push for greater transparency to ensure that bipartisanship 

legislation gets passed. I am challenging the speaker 

because the speaker and majority floor leader basically can 

decide what gets priority in Jefferson City. 

5. I am an Eagle Scout of Troop 313. I also recently 

graduated from University of Missouri-St. Louis with my 

Bachelor’s of Science in public policy and administration. 

I currently serve in an appointed role on the St. Louis 

County Commission on Disabilities. 

• • • 

District 98 • Ryan Higgins (R) 

HigginsforMissouri.com 

1. Missouri’s middle class has been hit hard by unprecedented 

inflation and soaring costs. At the state level there 

are two major policy changes that can be made. One is 

repealing the burden of the Missouri gas tax and secondly, 

continuing to lower or do away with the state income 

tax. The hard earned money of middle class Missourians 

should stay in their pockets. 

2. Parents deserve to have transparency in their sons’ 

and daughters’ classrooms and school. I will always support 

legislative policies that give parents a bigger voice in 

their sons’ and daughters’ education. 

3. I would like to see a stronger emphasis put on preparing 

students and young adults for trade jobs. This could 

be done while students are still in the secondary setting or 

just after graduating high school. I believe the state should 

invest some more money into providing opportunities for 

students to attend trade schools to earn licenses, associates 

degrees and overall job skills to work in trade jobs. 

4. I would like for all legislators, regardless of party, 

to be able to sit down together and make common sense 

changes that help improve our middle class. There are 

opportunities at the state level in areas of economic growth, 

improving education, protecting our small businesses, and 

supporting our law enforcement officers that all legislators 

can surely come together on. 

5. My life has always been about service to others. Spending 

a decade in education, the one constant I have always 

strived to achieve is to try and find the true potential in all 

my students. That is how the legislature should also operate. 

Finding the true potential in our state should be the goal 

of every legislator. I also believe the state legislature needs 

middle class representation; people who know what it is 

like to struggle to pay bills and make ends meet. I would be 

honored to represent the great people of the 98th Missouri 

House District and humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 8. 

District 98 • Deb Lavender (D) 

upballot.com/deb-lavender 

1. Missouri has over $13 billion sitting in a bank account 

that could be used to create a gas, grocery and diaper 

sales tax holiday to help families through these inflationary 

times. Hoarding this money does not help Missouri 

families. The recent tax cut of the governor will help millionaire 

families, but not yours or mine and might actually 

add to inflationary concerns for our state. Investing in our 

police and firefighters to keep communities safe, investing 

in education, infrastructure, and mental health care will 

help Missouri get through these challenging times. 

2. As parents, we have always had the right to communicate 

our preferences to a teacher on behalf of our children. 

Parents should always have the right to object to a book they 

do not want their child reading. Parents should always have 

the right to speak at school board meetings without anyone 

feeling threatened with violence. School board members 

have the right to feel safe in their communities. The state’s 

role is to provide funding and assure accountability of our 

schools. The state and local schools’ boards should work 

together for the best education possible for our children. 

3. Missouri needs to invest in education. We are 45th in 

the nation for state funding for education. We are last in the 

nation for our starting teacher pay and 47th in overall salaries 

for our teachers. In real dollars we are spending 10% 

less on higher education than we did a decade ago. Whether 

we are talking about college, technical or trade schools, we 

are not funding our students’ needs. Compounding the issue 

is the concerted effort of some to take the limited resources 

we have for education and subsidize vouchers and charter 

school programs with little or no accountability. 

4. These last several years Missouri’s government has 

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focused on social issues with the intent to divide us. State 

government should focus on policies that use our tax dollars 

to assure that basic services are done well for everyone 

in Missouri – rural, urban and city. We need to look 

ahead 10 years for job opportunities so Missouri can grow 

and expand. We should work to create policies that are 

welcoming to all our children and appeal to businesses that 

this is a great state in which to live, play and work. Missouri 

needs policies that work for you and me. 

5. I am a small business owner with years of experience 

in meeting payroll and generating business. I have experience 

with Missouri’s budget and know the legislature super 

majority has hoarded over $13 billion that can and should 

be invested in the people of Missouri. These investments 

should include safety, education, health care, fixing roads 

and bridges, and opportunities for our children. I have successfully 

worked across the aisle for solutions that work 

for Missouri, including increasing money for broadband 

and ensuring healthcare gets into the homes of our seniors 

and people who live with disabilities. 

• • • 

District 100 • Philip Oehlerking (R) 

electphiloehlerking.com 

1. As reckless government spending in Washington 

increases so does inflation, which is causing the rising 

cost of living. As your representative, I will work toward 

reducing needless regulations on small businesses to lower 

their costs and diminish the tax burden on Missourians. In 

addition, the General Assembly bypassed the voters and 

approved a gas tax increase, which contributes to higher 

gas prices. This gas tax increase should be repealed to 

allow taxpayers to keep more of their money. I favor policies 

to reduce property taxes to ensure seniors and those 



on fixed incomes are not taxed out of their homes. 

2. Educating our children on topics that will benefit their 

futures is very important. I will always support teachers 

that strive to challenge their students to perform academically. 

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, more parents 

were made aware of the curriculums in their children’s 

schools. This caused a great deal of concern due to the 

nature of certain lesson plans. I believe the state’s role in 

education is to guarantee parents have a fundamental right 

to partake and direct the education of their children, and to 

ensure curriculums are posted online, like Rockwood and 

Parkway school districts. 

3. I have talked to many college graduates buried under student 

loan debt which is preventing them from buying a home 

or starting a family. I will work to make higher education 

affordable for those pursuing STEM jobs. I would continue 

to support the Missouri Fast Track program for those who 

elect to pursue skilled jobs, such as mechanics, plumbers or 

HVAC workers. Most of these jobs not only require degrees 

from a technical school or community college, which have a 

lower potential for crippling student loan debt, but also have 

a higher potential for jobs with higher earnings. 

4. If I were to change one thing about how state government 

operates, it would be how it addresses problems. 

Increasingly, when a problem arises, the first instinct is to 

ask government how they will fix it, when in many times, 

it helped create the problem in the first place. To be sure, 

government can have a role, but vilifying free market 

solutions that made this country great while increasing the 

power of the government decreases our freedoms. I am 

running because I believe government’s role is to protect 

the people, not run their lives. 

5. As a husband, father and church deacon, I believe in 

I ELECTION PREVIEW I 51 

family and will support pro-family policies. I have written 

and worked toward policies that promote free market 

solutions that reduce regulations and taxes that kill jobs 

and discourage outside business investment. As a business 

analyst for a company that services billions of dollars in 

assets, I work to identify and solve problems holistically; 

I’ll bring that experience as your legislator. As a grassroots 

leader, I know our community and will strive to put your 

interests first and defend our constitutional rights against 

government encroachment. 

District 100 • Colin Lovett (D) 

votelovett.com 

1. State governments have few direct ways to stop inflation, 

as U.S. Monetary policy is controlled by the Federal 

Reserve. To reduce prices, Missouri must eliminate unnecessary 

taxes (i.e., tampon tax, grocery tax, etc.) and impact 

supply by investing in infrastructure – particularly in-state 

manufacturing, transport of goods, rural broadband and 

increasing state worker pay (teachers, police, first responders). 

Labor supply also impacts consumer prices, and we 

have job openings that remain unfilled. Reducing limits 

on working-age legal immigration into Missouri will fill 

jobs and strengthen the economy. I’m eager to listen and 

collaborate on other solutions – please submit your ideas! 

2. We must save public education from privatization and 

hold all schools accountable to minimum standards. Book 

and critical race theory bans, diversity attacks, and a focus 

on “parental rights” (parents have lots of control now) are 

distractions from the underlying goal of dismantling and 

defunding public education and tax-funding private schools. 

This will jeopardize the future of our kids and Missouri’s 


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future workforce. Government’s role is to work to fully fund 

the education formula and provide students access to education 

across the state. We must equip educators with the tools 

they need instead of allowing lawsuits for teaching expertapproved 

and age-appropriate curriculum. 

3. We need to fund post K-12 options for students that 

may need additional training and experience before entering 

the workforce full time. This includes affordable (up 

to free) access to community colleges, skilled trade training 

and apprenticeship programs, and partnerships with 

Missouri businesses for job shadowing, mentoring, and 

experience-building. We should also encourage partnership 

between schools and businesses to ensure high school 

curriculum requirements ensure students meet updated 

basic minimum standards so that they are better prepared 

for the needs of today’s labor market. 

4. Voter registration and voting itself should be easier to 

access, while remaining secure and transparent. Enacting 

automatic voter registration when people get a state ID or 

pay taxes reduces disenfranchisement and takes the administrative 

burden off of citizens. Creating a mail-in voting 

system with stringent protocol and protections will ease the 

burden of physically getting to the polls on a particular time 

and date and make sure everyone has a chance to make their 

voices heard. Ranked choice voting in primaries and general 

elections could ease partisan divisiveness and get back to 

ideas and solutions instead of party affiliation. 

5. I’m from the district and have the education and experience 

to do the job well, and the empathy and ability to 

listen to many perspectives. This is supported by the many 

groups endorsing me. I know firsthand what it’s like to 

face discrimination. I will be a voice of reason and fight 

for our community’s dignity and rights, and will drive 

the Missouri House to act with integrity and represent 

all people. I’ll collaborate with other elected officials to 

get things done and create value and opportunities for our 

people instead of wasting time and tax money. 

• • • 

District 101 • Ben Keathley (R) 

benkeathley.com 

1. Government causes inflation through its overspending 

and over-controlling the markets. Last year, Missouri 

unwisely enacted its largest gas tax hike ever. More government 

causes more inflation. Subsidizing corporations 

instead of letting people keep their money doesn’t work. I 

will fight to reduce property taxes and red tape so businesses 

can operate freely without government intervention. Easing 

regulatory burdens supports the supply chain and helps 

combat inflation. I will fight to freeze property tax assessments 

for senior citizens and limit property assessment 

increases for everyone. We need to update the Hancock 

Amendment and increase circuit breaker income levels. 

2. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 

Education (DESE) has the fiduciary responsibility to 

make sure Missouri has a strong public education system 

that educates students to become productive citizens who 

can meet the established academic standards. DESE should 

confine itself to academic preparation. It’s not a political 

body. DESE must make sure school districts, like Parkway 

and Rockwood, focus on a student’s academic success, 

inform parents, and treat taxpayers like stakeholders. DESE 

should make sure every school district is trustworthy and 

transparent with its curriculum. Open enrollment ensures 

every student has access to the highest quality education. 

3. Districts receive funding regardless of their ability 

to prepare students for work after graduation. Schools 

should be allowed to select knowledge-based courses, and 

technical skill classes. Students must learn skills society 

values. Students should select their schools through openenrollment. 

Useful knowledge and skill-based programs 

will succeed and less successful programs will fade. Missouri 

should fund students not systems. Today, teachers 

and districts don’t have any incentive to modernize curricula. 

Elementary schools are not an appropriate place for 

obscene and sexualized materials. 

4. Every year, across all government departments and 

agencies, the prior year’s budget automatically rolls 

over to establish a minimum baseline for spending. This 

makes it difficult, if not impossible, to weed out failing 

and inefficient programs and areas. This results in an evergrowing 

government with expensive pensions regardless 

of functionality or productivity. All government spending 

deserves regular and constant scrutiny to ensure each program 

is valuable and worth keeping. We should require 

zero-based budgeting, just like families do, to ensure each 

system and expenditure is regularly reviewed. 

5. America is the greatest country in the world; Missouri 

is the best state; and I care. I’ve lived in my district, Chesterfield, 

for 30 years. I’ve prepared for a life of public service 

my whole life. My wife, two children, and I go to the 

same church I was raised in. My law practice has always 

been in Chesterfield. I served two terms on the Chesterfield 

City Council, including two years as chair of the Public 

Safety Committee. As council member, I served residents 

not lobbyists. I helped reduce expenditures, opposed new 

taxes and helped strengthen our court system. 

District 101 • Melissa Greenstein (D) 

melissaformissouri.com 

1. Given that the state of Missouri has a huge surplus, I 

think we should be doing much more to help middle- and 

lower-income families. I just spoke with a Missourian this 

past week who was desperate and frustrated. Her family 

can’t afford to pay its bills and buy food because of rising 

inflation. Our state legislature just passed a tax cut that 

will only save the middle 20% of earners $131 a year on 

average, while the top 1% would be saving over $9,500. 

That’s ridiculous, and does almost nothing to help those 

who need it the most. 

2. Government should play an active and involved role 

in supporting our students’ education. We should be paying 

our teachers better, we shouldn’t be banning books that 

encourage learning, and we should be empowering teachers 

to give our kids an exceptional education. Public school, 

private school or home school can all be the right choice. 

But all parents should have the option to send their children 

to a good public school that will prepare them for success. 

Missouri should be focused on how to best educate our children 

and prepare them to live and work in a complex world. 

3. For a start, we need to support a high school experience 

that leads to an excellent and well-rounded education, 

including transferable skills that will help graduates adapt 

to an ever-changing work environment. Secondly, our 

state needs to do a better job of encouraging students to 

look at all of their post-secondary options – including twoyear 

and four-year colleges, trade schools, the military and 

directly joining the workforce. Supporting apprenticeship 

and internship programs for students and new graduates 

will also help to reduce the number of graduates who are 

saddled with enormous debt and few job prospects. 

4. Make state government easier for everyday people to 

access and navigate. There are so many people in need of 

answers to questions or help with problems, and as things 

stand our government does a regrettable job of getting them 

the information and assistance they need. Departments that 

look like they do redundant work and a confusing IT infrastructure 

mean that even people who are trying their best 

end up discouraged and lost. That’s unacceptable, and we 

can simplify and streamline how we help our constituents. 

5. Being an effective representative involves listening, 

advocating, empathizing and most importantly, taking 

action on behalf of my constituents. I am a mom, a military 

wife, a teacher, a coach, a Girl Scout leader and a small 

business owner. I have spent my whole life building people 

up and going to bat for them. I’ve worked hard to help my 

family and my community. I have spent decades advocating 

for people, and teaching people to advocate for themselves. 

I’m ready to do just that for the people of the 101st District. 

District 101 • Jeff Coleman (L) 

• • • 

District 110 • Justin Sparks (R) 

Sparksformissouri.com 

1. The House and Senate has approved a plan to reduce 

Missouri’s top individual income tax rate from 5.3% to 

4.95% in 2023. We must continue to work hard to ensure 

that economic growth triggers are codified into law in order 

for that rate to continue to decline and more money can 

remain where it belongs – in the wallets of the taxpayers. 

2. Books containing pornographic content have no place 

in our schools. Transparency and accountability are the 

hallmarks of any successful institution and academia is no 

different. Parents should be able to know exactly what is 

being taught to their children and should be welcomed into 

the classroom periodically to audit their child’s educational 

experience. A student should have the opportunity to grow, 

learn and develop in an atmosphere of unbiased analytical 

thought without fear of reprisal or retribution. Government 

can ensure that standards of education are uniform and are 

focused on our children learning how to read, write and 

think critically instead of worrying about whether or not 

they are inherently racist because of the color of their skin. 

3. The legislature can ensure uniform educational standards 

exist with a balanced focus on the entire spectrum 

ranging from higher education to trade school development. 

University education is not necessarily appropriate 

for every student, and multiple options and paths for success 

should be readily available. 

4. Well over half of our state budget comes from Washington, 

D.C., and as a result, the federal government has 

the ability to directly influence and control the lives of 

Missourians through the power of the pocketbook. This is 

not what the original founders of our republic envisioned. 

We must reduce our reliance on federal dollars so we can 

stand independently as a state with our own unique vision 

for the safety and prosperity of all. 

5. As a police officer for nearly 15 years, I have spent 

the majority of that time in the Division of Special Operations 

dealing with high risk critical incident assignments. 

I have had to lead men and women in life and death situations, 

and I have learned how to make hard decisions with 

courage, honor and integrity. These aren’t just esoteric 

concepts when lives are on the line. Our state needs men 

and women who will serve honorably with conviction. I 

intend to do both with a spirit of humility and reverence 

for the office I hope to hold. 

District 110 • Josh Thackston (D) 

COUNTY EXECUTIVE 

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County as the county executive? 

2. What will be your priorities as county executive if you 






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@WESTNEWSMAG 



are elected? [For answers to additional questions asked of 

these candidates, visit “Page, Mantovani face off in County 

Executive midterm elections” on westnewsmagazine.com.] 

Mark Montavani (R) 

markforstl.com 

1. I have been a lawyer, college teacher, and chairman of 

the Downtown Partnership. More recently, I was chairman, 

president and CEO of Ansira, a St. Louis-based data and 

analytics-focused diversified marketing services business, 

where I managed all company operations. Under my leadership, 

the company expanded from a small, family-owned, 

local, 50-person company to a highly regarded industry 

leader with 800 employees in multiple locations. Ansira 

was ranked as one of the nation’s three largest privately 

owned digital marketing agencies. I have also been actively 

engaged in numerous civic and charitable activities including 

the St. Louis Zoo and St. Louis Sports Commission. 

2. My priorities will be ethical leadership, safe communities, 

economic opportunities and bi-partisan cooperation. 

Under Sam Page’s leadership, our police have become 

defunded and demoralized while violent crime has skyrocketed. 

Our families and children no longer feel safe in 

St. Louis County. I will reinvigorate our law enforcement 

agencies, improve county-city police cooperation and make 

keeping our families and businesses safe my top priority. 

Sam Page* (D) 

sampage.com 

1. I don’t have to ask voters to gamble whether my business 

skills will translate into government. I have been the 

county executive since 2019. I have worked in all levels of 

government and have the temperament and on the ground 

experience to be the adult in every room, regardless of the 

politics of the day. I’ve led the county through four crises: 

Cleaning up the mess left by Steve Stenger after he went to 

prison; managing the COVID-19 pandemic and its public 

health, humanitarian and economic impacts; leading the 

county during a civil rights movement; and fighting for the 

right to abortion. 

2. My priorities are: Maintaining a well-trained and 

equipped police department while also focusing on criminal 

justice reform and advocating for common sense gun 

laws. Supporting access to abortion and all other reproductive 

healthcare services. Investing federal and windfall 

revenue to maintain and build transportation infrastructure. 

Investing in care work and small businesses. Promoting 

workers’ rights. Maintaining the public health capacity to 

address current and future emergencies. 

ST. LOUIS COUNTY ASSESSOR 


1. What qualifies you for this office? 

2. What are your top three priorities if elected? 

3. What else would you like our readers to know about 

you before heading to the polls? 

Peter A. Pfeifer 

newassessor.com 

1. I am a 20-plus year real estate professional with over 

500 transactions completed. I have represented many local 

firms with their most important assets and advocated for 

each client toward the most beneficial outcome. I know St. 

Louis real estate and I know St. Louis real estate values. In 

2000-2002, I served as alderman in the city of Brentwood. 

2. I will be your advocate in the assessor’s office, which is 

the first step in the taxation process. I will utilize more meaningful 

data in addition to comparable sales resulting in a more 

predictable and reasonable valuations of property. I will coax, 

cajole and lobby the legislators of Missouri to help shield 

those on fixed incomes from increases in property taxes. 

3. The current assessor has been in office for 12 years and 

values of homes through out St. Louis County are overvalued 

resulting in a higher tax burden. I will ensure that St. 

Louis County is fairly valued with my loyalty always fixed 

on the voters and property owners in St. Louis County. I 

look forward to fixing a broken system of valuation in the 

assessor’s office. 

Jake Zimmerman* 

jakezimmerman.org 

COUNTY COUNCIL 

District 3 • Dennis Hancock (R) 

dennishancock.org 

1. I’m the only person in this race with the proven experience 

to serve the people of the third district and address the 

issues we face today and in the future. As mayor of Fenton 

for 12 years, I was a strong advocate for our first responders; 

that’s why I’m the only candidate in this race who’s 

been endorsed by the St. Louis County Police Association. 

I led our city through a fiscal crisis after the closure of the 

Chrysler plants by reducing spending and not increasing 

taxes. And we undertook millions of dollars in infrastructure 

projects, consistently coming in under budget. 

2. Crime: I will work with the county police to develop 

a plan to address crime countywide. And when that plan is 

ready to implement, I’ll ensure that it is fully funded. Corruption: 

We continually see stories of county employees 

selling influence, not disclosing clear conflicts of interest, 

or having sex in county offices. We need to send a clear 

message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. 

Competence: The county has a looming $40 million budget 

deficit. We need someone on the county council who has 

the experience to address this deficit without raising taxes. 

3. During the 12 years I served as mayor of Fenton, I 

helped bring new jobs to the region, reduced violent crime 

and made our city a better place for families and businesses. 

I plan to use that experience and work with the 

county police to reduce crime countywide; to work with 

our business community to stop driving businesses and 

jobs out of St. Louis County; and to collaborate with the 

council and staff to address the county’s looming budget 

deficit and restore confidence in our government. St. Louis 

County needs this kind of leadership now more than ever. 

District 3 • Vicky Englund (D) 

vickienglund.com 

1. As a legislator, school board member and small business 

owner, I have honed my skills in cooperation and 

problem-solving. St. Louis County has always been a good 

place to raise our families and I want to refocus the council 

on how we heal and put aside the lingering partisanship 

and angst that has kept the council from progressing. As a 

small business owner, I know the next four years will be 

important for St. Louis County as we determine how to 

focus ARPA, Rams Settlement and other funding to help 

our community address challenges, such as workforce 

development and infrastructure. 

2. Current county leadership spends time bickering and 

not doing the work of the people. My first priority is to 

return professionalism back to the council and get to work! 

Priority 2 is paying our police more to do the important 

work we rely on them for every day. Priority 3 is economic 

development, which includes workforce development, 

transportation and infrastructure. We must realize 

that extreme positions on a woman’s right to choose such 

as ignoring rape and incest are not only horrendous for 

women, but detract from our region being able to attract 

the most talented workers for our economy. 

3. Born and raised in South St. Louis County, I am the 

daughter of a Vietnam veteran and a fast food worker. I 

attended St. Catherine Laboure, Lindbergh High and am 

the first in my family to attend college, graduating with a 

Bachelor’s of Arts and Master’s of Arts in political science 

from American University, Washington, D.C. My parents’ 

work ethic guided my service in the Missouri House of 

Representatives and on the Lindbergh School Board. My 

entrepreneurial drive led me to start my current online 

small business in 1999. I live in Sunset Hills with husband, 

Byron DeLear, and three children, Ellie (19), Peter 

(16) and Walker (3). 

District 3 • Jeanne Chickanosky (L) 

• • • 

District 7 • Mark Harder (R)* 

harderforcouncil.com 

1. Throughout my previous two terms, I have worked to 

make sure the need for county services and the voices of 

West Countians are not overlooked because of the prevalent, 

but inaccurate belief that our municipalities take care 

of everything. The pandemic demonstrated that county 

policy can still have a large impact on people’s everyday 

lives, so the voices of people living in District 7 cannot 

be systematically ignored. I have rooted out corruption, 

stopped waste, and will continue to do so with the bi-partisan 

relationships I have built and my in depth knowledge 

of how county government works. 

2. My top priority is bringing fiscal restraint back to county 

government. We have over a $41 million structural deficit 

that cannot be sustained or ignored. Possible solutions are 

bound to be unpopular with some subset of the citizenry, 

nevertheless, actions must be taken and I am ready to identify 

and start taking those steps. In addition, the condition of 

our roads and bridges is a top priority. I will continue to look 

for funding to address them. Lastly, I will work to minimize 

capricious government mandates, like public EV charging 

stations, whose costs outweigh their benefits and attempt to 

manipulate the free market to satisfy ideological ends. 

3. I have faith that most people are capable of making 

good decisions for themselves. Government is established 

to protect our freedoms to do those things, not to take care 

of us. I will continue working to get government out of 

your way. As a life-long resident of St. Louis County, I 

want this to be the best place to raise a family, start a business 

and find community. I have enjoyed the past seven 

years serving all the residents of West County and look 

forward to continuing my service. 

District 7 • Kristine Callis (D) 

electkris.org 

1. As a mom with a background in healthcare, I support a 

woman’s right to make the best choices for her own health 

and family. As an educator and scientist, I bring experience 

creating workforce and economic development programs 

that grow communities. As a professional and wife, 

I have honed the art of collaboration that will make our 

communities safe, kind places for all. As a leader, I serve 

the community on several educational boards, such as the 

advisory board for the St. Louis Public School’s Collegiate 

School for Medicine and Biosciences. 

2. My priorities are ensuring basic needs are met in terms 

of food, shelter and public safety for every community 

member: supporting food desert to food oasis programs; 

expanding community-based housing programs; working 






I MATURE FOCUS I 55 

News & Notes 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Caring about caregivers 

It’s estimated that one in five American 

adults – and one in three women – now 

provides regular care to a parent, sibling 

or friend who needs assistance on a 

daily basis. These unpaid, unrecognized 

caregivers have become a cornerstone of 

healthcare in the U.S. As the nation marks 

National Family Caregivers Month in 

November, a new University of Chicago 

Medicine study points to the major challenges 

faced by caregivers in the early 

days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that 

many still are facing as they fill a critical 

and growing need in society. 

Before the pandemic, female caregivers 

reported significantly higher odds of experiencing 

health-related socioeconomic vulnerabilities 

(HRSVs) including financial 

strain, food insecurity, or transportation 

difficulties than others, with 63% of caregivers 

reporting at least one vulnerability 

compared to 47% of non-caregivers. 

As the pandemic worsened, things got 

even more challenging for caregivers, the 

study found. Their odds of experiencing 

vulnerability in one or more of these areas 

rose nearly 10% higher, especially for 

financial strain and food insecurity. Gaps 

between caregivers and non-caregivers also 

During National Family Caregivers Month, 

a recent study highlights the increasing 

challenges faced by caregivers, now 

estimated to include one in every three 

American women. 

(Source: Adobe Stock) 

widened for every type of HRSV measured. 

Because caregivers already face these 

risks in greater numbers, any event that 

jeopardizes their ability to care for themselves 

and their dependents – like a global 

pandemic – places additional strain on this 

“invisible” workforce, the authors said. 

Those who experience financial instability 

or housing insecurity, for example, may 

quickly find themselves unable to provide 

necessary care both for their loved ones 

and themselves. 

The researchers stressed that these challenges 

must be addressed now through 

increased community and government 

support, because the services caregivers 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 56 

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314-469-1696 

Give 5 ‘civic matchmaking’ program launched 

A new program designed to match 

the talents of retired baby boomers to 

the needs of area nonprofit organizations 

has just launched in St. Louis 

County, with goals of benefiting both 

these organizations and the senior volunteers 

who serve them. 

Give 5, a “civic matchmaking” program, 

held its first meeting Nov. 1. It is 

co-sponsored here by St. Louis Oasis, a 

leader in providing healthy aging programs 

for older adults in the St. Louis 

area, and UnitedHealthcare. Classes 

for interested seniors will be held each 

Tuesday through Dec. 6 beginning at 

9:30 a.m. at Clarendale Clayton, 7651 

Clayton Road. 

The program will seek to not only 

fulfill the needs of local nonprofits in a 

highly competitive labor market, but also 

to combat the social isolation and loss of 

purpose that can often come with retiring, 

according to Oasis President Paul Weiss. 

Roughly 10,000 baby boomers are turning 

65 every day in the United States, and 

most are not seeking a traditional retirement. 

That “wave” of talented retirees 

has skills, experience and – many for the 

first time in their lives – time to give. 

“No one tells us how to retire. We discuss 

our financial futures when getting 

ready for retirement, but no one tells you 

how it’s going to feel when you turn in 

your key. It can be disorienting,” Weiss 

said. “Give 5 is a way for retirees and 

seniors to apply their talents and passions 

directly to a community’s primary 

areas of need…The program provides 

the journey to find the best individual fit 

between program participant and nonprofit 

volunteer opportunity. They find 

what touches their heart.” 

During each Give 5 class session, participants 

will travel throughout the area to 

visit nonprofit organizations in hopes of 

sparking a match between their interests 

and current volunteer opportunities. More 

information and registration for the Give 

5 program are available by visiting the St. 

Louis Oasis website, st-louis.oasisnet.org.

56 I MATURE FOCUS I 



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MATURE FOCUS, from page 55 

provide will only grow more important as 

the population ages. 

“These caregivers fill a critical role in 

healthcare. If caregivers suddenly weren’t 

able to provide care for whatever reason, 

we’d have a problem, because our system 

couldn’t handle the sudden influx of support 

needs,” said Jennifer Makelarski, Ph.D., 

MPH, the study’s senior author. “Things got 

worse for everyone during the pandemic, but 

even more so for women caregivers. These 

are the things that we can work toward intervening 

on, to better support this essential 

component of our healthcare system.” 

The study results were published in 

the Annals of Family Medicine. 

Meal timing matters 

Obesity is now a fact of life for more 

than 40% of U.S. adults. According to statistics 

from the CDC, it peaks at 44.3% of 

Americans between the ages of 40 and 59, 

falling only slightly to 41.5% after age 60. 

Of course, the specific foods we eat – and 

how much of them – are primary reasons 

why so many of us develop obesity. But 

when we eat is also an important contributing 

factor, according to scientists at Brigham 

and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts. 

They recently looked into the effects of 

late eating on body weight regulation, and 

found that the timing of meals has significant 

impacts on energy expenditure, appetite, 

and how the body stores fat. 

“Previous research by us and others had 

shown that late eating is associated with 

increased obesity risk, increased body fat, 

and impaired weight loss success…We 

wanted to understand why,” explained 

senior author Frank A.J. L. Scheer, Ph.D., 

director of the hospital’s Medical Chronobiology 

Program and the study’s lead author. 

Scheer and his team studied a small 

group of 16 adults with a body mass index 

(BMI) in the overweight or obese range. 

Each participant completed two laboratory 

protocols: one with a strict early meal 

It’s not only what we eat, but when we eat 

that contributes to obesity as we age, a recent 

study found. 


@WESTNEWSMAG 


schedule, and the other with the exact same 

meals, except that they were eaten about 

four hours later in the day. Other aspects of 

their daily routines, including sleep schedules, 

diets eaten and meal schedules, were 

kept as identical as possible before each of 

the two experiments. 

While in the lab, participants regularly 

documented their hunger and appetite levels, 

provided frequent small blood samples, and 

had both their body temperature and energy 

expenditure measured. Biopsies of adipose 

(fat) tissue were also taken from some participants 

during laboratory testing for both 

the early and late eating protocols. 

The results showed that a four-hour 

delay in mealtimes had major effects on 

participants’ feelings of hunger as well as 

their levels of the appetite-regulating hormones 

leptin and ghrelin, which influence 

the urge to eat. Specifically, levels of leptin, 

which signals the brain to stop eating when 

someone is full, were lower throughout 

the late-eating experiment. When participants 

ate later, they also burned calories 

at a slower rate, and their adipose tissue 

showed more fat growth. 

The authors say this study sheds new 

light on the relationship between meal 

timing and obesity. Their results were 

recently published in Cell Metabolism. 

A pitfall of napping 

For millions of Americans, it’s tough to 

resist taking a break for a few minutes – or 

longer – of shuteye when drowsiness hits 

during the day. But regular daytime napping 

may put older adults in particular at 

higher risk for high blood pressure and 

stroke, according to new research recently 

published in Hypertension. 

Researchers looked at data from about 

360,000 participants in the UK Biobank, 

which includes detailed health and behavioral 

information from half a million people 

between the ages of 40 and 69 – including 

reports about how often they napped. 

Participants were divided into three groups 

based on their napping frequency: “never/ 

rarely,” “sometimes,” or “usually.” Their 

health was monitored over a period of 

about 11 years. 

The study found that people who usually 

napped had a 12% higher likelihood of 

developing high blood pressure and a 24% 

higher likelihood of having a stroke than 

those who never did. Those who napped 

daily or on most days were more likely to 

be men, as well as to snore, suffer from 

insomnia, usually stay up late, and have 

other potentially unhealthy daily habits 

like cigarette smoking or drinking. 

Participants younger than 60 who usually 

napped had a 20% higher risk of developing 

high blood pressure than people in the 

same age group who never did. After age






New research shows that frequent napping 

may be linked to a higher risk of high blood 

pressure and stroke. (Source: Adobe Stock) 

60, the increase in risk fell to 10%. While 

most participants stayed in the same napping 

category during the study, those whose 

frequency increased (from never to sometimes 

or sometimes to usually) saw their 

high blood pressure risk increase by 40%. 

The scientists explained that while feeling 

the need to nap is not harmful by itself, 

many people who take naps do so because 

of poor sleep at night – which is also associated 

with poorer health overall. They said 

these findings echo other research showing 

that frequent napping seems to reflect an 

increased risk for heart-related problems 

and other health issues. 

More evidence 

backing omega-3’s 

Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied 

for years in relation to their wide-ranging 

health benefits, from reducing inflammation 

and heart disease risk to improving 

symptoms of ADHD and depression. 

Recently, a study of middle-aged adults 

found that omega-3’s can help to preserve 

and protect the brain. 

Omega-3’s are plentiful in foods such 

as salmon, tuna and other cold-water fish, 

nuts and seeds, plant oils like canola and 

flaxseed oil, and other fortified foods as 

well as supplements. 

The new study found that having at least 

some of these fatty acids in red blood cells 

was linked with better brain structure and 

cognitive functioning among healthy study 

volunteers in their 40s and 50s. 

Researchers from the University of 

Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio 

recruited about 2,200 volunteers who 

were 46 years old on average, with no history 

of either dementia or stroke. 

They used MRI exams to measure concentrations 

of omega-3s in the participants’ 

red blood cells, and conducted cognitive 

tests to evaluate brain aging. They also 

studied the effects of omega-3s in the 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 58 

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58 I MATURE FOCUS I 



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MATURE FOCUS, from page 57 

volunteers who carry a genetic variation 

called APOE4, which is linked to a higher 

risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Their testing showed that higher concentrations 

of omega-3s were related to larger 

volume of the hippocampus, a brain structure 

which plays a major role in learning 

and memory. Consuming more omega-3s 

was also associated with better abstract 

reasoning skills. In addition, those with the 

APOE4 gene who ate more omega-3’s had 

less small-vessel disease, which could help 

to counteract the gene’s impact, they said. 

“The new contribution here is that, even 

at younger ages, if you have a diet that 

includes some omega-3 fatty acids, you are 

already protecting your brain for most of 

the indicators of brain aging that we see at 

middle age,” lead author Claudia Satizabal, 

Ph.D., said of these findings. 

Although it is not yet known exactly how 

omega-3’s provide these benefits, theories 

include their role in stabilizing the membranes 

of neurons in the brain, along with 

their anti-inflammatory properties, she added. 

“It’s complex…We don’t understand 

everything yet, but we show that, somehow, 

if you increase your consumption of 

omega-3s even by a little bit, you are protecting 

your brain,” Satizabal said. 

On the calendar 

BJC Missouri Baptist Medical Center 

sponsors a free community event, A Healthy 

Heart is a Happy Heart, on Saturday, Nov. 

5 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the hospital’s 

Clinical Learning Institute, 3005 N. Ballas 

Road. Join Missouri Baptist experts for 

educational tips on how to live a balanced, 

heart-healthy life at any age. Learn from physicians 

during your choice of small breakout 

sessions, and get free health screenings if 

desired. Those who wish to schedule screenings 

are asked to sign up separately online for 

the “Screening with Event” option; registration 

for both attendance options is available 

at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis presents a Stress Elimination 

virtual class on Thursday, Nov. 10 

from 10 a.m.-noon. How stressed are you – 

driven, dragging, losing it, hitting the wall, or 

burned out? Discover your “stress stage” and 

get solutions to stress less and even become 

stress-free. The course fee is $7. It will be 

held online via Zoom, and is sponsored by 

BJC Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Register 

online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital offers a Bone Builders 

class on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 1-2:30 

p.m., presented virtually via Webex. Join us 

for a free online event to learn more about 

exercise, nutrition and medications for bone 

health and osteoporosis prevention from a 

physical therapist, pharmacist and registered 

dietitian from St. Luke’s. Register online at 

stlukes-stl.com or call (314) 205-6881. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis presents a Pump it Up to 

Beat Cardiovascular Disease virtual class 

on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m.-noon. 

Are you living with some form of cardiovascular 

disease? Learn how to incorporate 

exercise and activity into your management 

of cardiovascular disease with a physical 

therapist – no gym membership required. 

Whether you are thinking about starting an 

exercise regimen or spicing up an established 

routine, this free course, presented 

via Zoom and sponsored by BJC Missouri 

Baptist Medical Center, is for you. Register 

online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents a free community 

program, Healthy Hands, on 

Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 10-11 a.m. at the 

Chesterfield Community Center, 237 Chesterfield 

Mall (second floor near Macy’s). 

Learn about taking care of your hands from 

a St. Luke’s occupational therapist, including 

simple hand and arm exercises to support 

your joints and muscles. All abilities 

are welcome, and those with Parkinson’s 

and arthritis are especially encouraged to 

attend. Register online at stlukes-stl.com, 

email olderadults@chesterfield.mo.us, or 

call (636) 812-9500. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital sponsors 

a free virtual class, 10 Warning Signs of 

Alzheimer’s, on Monday, Nov. 28 from 

10 a.m.-noon. Learn about typical agerelated 

changes, common warning signs 

of Alzheimer’s disease, how to approach 

someone about memory concerns, early 

detection, the benefits of diagnosis, what 

to expect during the diagnostic process, 

and community resources. The class is 

presented via Zoom by St. Louis Oasis. 

Register online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents a free community 

program, Power to Your Posture, 

on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 10-11 a.m. at 

the Chesterfield Community Center, 237 

Chesterfield Mall (second floor near 

Macy’s). Learn from a St. Luke’s exercise 

physiologist about the benefits of good 

posture, the importance of maintaining it 

and ways to improve it. Register online at 

stlukes-stl.com, email olderadults@chesterfield.mo.us, 

or call (636) 812-9500. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital offers a 

Today’s Grandparents class on Thursday, 

Dec. 8 from 6:30-9 p.m. This popular 

hands-on class offers updates on current 

trends in infant care and feeding, and provides 

tips on local and long-distance grandparenting. 

Registration is required for each 

person attending; the cost is $20 per person. 

Register online at classes-events.bjc.org.






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60 I HEALTH I 



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The wide assortment of delicious treats available during the holidays lead many 

Americans to “write off” the end of the year when it comes to weight gain. 


health 

capsules 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Many Americans plan to 

‘write off’ holiday weight gain 

The fourth annual “Writing Off the End 

of the Year” survey, conducted in late 

2021 by OnePoll, asked 2,000 Americans 

how much weight they expected to gain 

over the holiday season. Their answer, on 

average, was eight pounds, up from seven 

pounds in 2020 and six in 2019 and 2018. 

Nearly all of the survey respondents 

(90%) said they planned to simply enjoy 

the coming holiday festivities without worrying 

about their diet. 

While studies have found that actual 

weight gain for adults during the holidays 

is more like one or two pounds, they also 

show that most people have trouble losing 

any amount of extra holiday weight in the 

new year. After many holiday seasons, 

those pounds often accumulate. 

However, there are proven ways to prevent 

annual end-of-year weight gain … 

and even though they require some effort, 

they are less complicated than many may 

think. Following are a few researchbacked 

methods recommended by health 

experts, for those who prefer to keep their 

weight management goals in mind during 

the upcoming holiday season. 

• Weigh yourself every day. Awareness 

of a slight weight gain can increase 

the motivation to lose it immediately; a 

supporting study found that adults who 

weighed themselves daily while viewing 

a graph of their weight trends during the 

holidays did not gain any weight. 

• Keep a food and activity diary. Several 

studies have shown that recording 

both foods eaten and daily physical activity 

helps adults avoid weight gain during the 

holidays. For example, writing down extra 

calories consumed at a holiday party can 

provide the motivation to eat healthier and 

exercise more the next day. 

• Enjoy holiday treats mindfully. 

There’s no need to deprive yourself of your 

favorite holiday foods, but research shows 

one way to prevent overindulging is to eat 

them slowly and savor each bite. Be deliberate 

and choose one favorite treat, rather 

than trying everything on the dessert tray 

and regretting it later. 

• Plan ahead for parties. Mark all of the 

holiday events you’ll be attending on your 

calendar, and plan to eat lighter the day of 

the event to balance the extra calories you 

may consume at the party. Research also 

shows that having a light snack before the 

event can help you avoid overindulging. 

• Keep up with your exercise routine. 

Between decorating, baking, gift-buying; 

wrapping and holiday get-togethers, it’s 

easy to let go of your regular healthy activities. 

Exercise is both a well-known stress 

reliever and a proven method to prevent 

weight gain, so making time for regular 

workouts is important. 

Too much processed food may 

raise men’s colon cancer risk 

While most adults are aware that a long 

list of foods like sugary cereals, hot dogs, 

frozen and pre-packaged meals, salty 

snacks, fast food and many more aren’t 

good for our health, the vast majority of us 

eat them anyway. 

Meanwhile, the amount of research linking 

these “ultra-processed” foods and significant 

risks of disease also seems to be 

increasing daily. One such study, recently 

published in The BMJ, found a clear link 

between highly processed food consumption 

and an increased risk of colorectal 

cancer – but only in men. 

The study was led by researchers at 

Tufts University and Harvard University. It 

found that men who ate the most ultra-processed 

food over a long follow-up period 

of 25 years faced nearly a 30% higher risk 

of colorectal cancer than those who ate 

the least. While it included a large group 

of more than 200,000 adults of both sexes 

whose dietary habits were followed over 

that same period, there was no similar link 

found among the female participants. 

Because colorectal cancer is the third 

most common cancer type diagnosed in the 

U.S., the researchers said they expected to 

A recent study found a clear link between 

ultra-processed food consumption and 

colorectal cancer risk for men, but not for 

women. 


find an increased incidence related to these 

foods. Processed meats are a well-known 

cancer risk factor, and the low fiber and 

high sugar content of many other ultraprocessed 

foods also connects them to 

obesity…another major factor underlying 

colon cancer risk. 

Among men in the study, the foods most 

clearly associated with colon cancer were 

in fact processed meats including sausages, 

bacon, ham and ready-to-eat seafood products. 

Sugary beverages like soda and fruit 

juices were also linked to a higher risk in 

men. 

But the data showed no significant association 

between these foods and a higher 

risk of colorectal cancer in women. Instead, 

the study found an “inverse association” 

between ultra-processed dairy products 

like yogurt and dairy-based desserts and 

colon cancer, even though women didn’t 

consume higher amounts of these products 

than men overall. 

While the reasons for these differences 

between the sexes are still unclear, women 

may tend to make some healthier ultra-processed 

food choices which counteract the 

harmful effects of others, the authors said. 

Family mealtimes help with 

stress management 

Chronic stress is a well-researched factor 

underlying an increased lifetime risk of 

heart disease and stroke. One simple yet 

effective way to reduce that stress is for 

families and friends to enjoy regular meals 

together, a recent survey found. 

The American Heart Association’s 

Healthy for Good TM movement by Wakefield 

Research surveyed 1,000 American 

adults in September. Well over half (65%) 

said they feel at least somewhat stressed 

most of the time, while 27% rated their 

stress levels as “very” or “extremely” high. 

Nearly all parents who participated in the 

survey (91%) said they notice a reduced 

level of stress in their family members 

when they share meals together, and a 

similarly high number (84%) said they 

wish their family could sit down for a meal 

together more often. Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) 

of survey respondents who work in an 

office said they would feel less stressed at





I HEALTH I 61 

work if they had more time to take breaks 

and share a meal with a co-worker. 

However, all the survey respondents 

– whether at home or at work – reported 

that they end up eating alone about half the 

time, due to being too busy or problems 

aligning schedules. 

The benefits of sharing meals go beyond 

stress relief, the survey also found. More 

than two-thirds of respondents said sharing 

a meal reminds them of the importance of 

connecting with others, and well over half 

(59%) said it makes them more likely to 

choose healthier foods. 

As a follow-up to the survey, the American 

Heart Association is sharing practical, 

budget-friendly meal tips every Tuesday 

through December, via the hashtag 

“TogetherTuesday” on social media platforms 

or by texting the word “2gether” 

to 51555 to get these tips sent directly to 

smartphones. 

Our dogs can smell when 

we’re upset, study finds 

Many dog owners can relate personal 

stories of their pets seeming to sense when 

they are going through stressful or difficult 

experiences, and refusing to leave 

their side. This seeming “sixth sense” is 

indeed real – but it’s actually based in dogs’ 

remarkable sense of smell, researchers in 

the U.K. recently reported. 

Our dogs’ remarkable sense of smell alerts 

them to our stress, a recent study found. 


Given dogs’ long history of effectively 

supporting people with psychological 

conditions such as anxiety, panic attacks 

and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 

scientists at Queens University Belfast 

wondered whether they could be sensing 

chemical signals of these conditions. 

They designed several experiments where 

dogs were exposed to breath and sweat 

samples of people both before and after a 

stress-inducing task. Samples from 36 participants 

who reported an increase in stress 

because of the task, and experienced an 

increase in their heart rate and blood pressure 

during the task, were shown to trained 

dogs within three hours of being collected. 

The first time they were exposed to a participant’s 

stressed and relaxed samples, the 

dogs correctly “alerted” to the stress sample 

just over 94% of the time on average. 

The authors concluded that dogs can 

detect odors associated with changes 

in organic compounds produced by the 

human body in response to stress – and 

they can do so with extreme accuracy. The 

findings tell us more about the closeness of 

the human-dog relationship and could also 

be applied to the training of service dogs 

that are now trained to respond mainly to 

visual cues, they said. The study was published 

in the journal PLOS ONE. 

On the calendar 

BJC sponsors a Family and Friends CPR 

course on Tuesday, Nov. 8 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 

(course does not include certification upon 

completion). The cost is $50. Register online 

by visiting classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital Spirit of Women 

presents All Decked Out, a special holiday 

event for women, on Thursday, Nov. 10 

from 6-8 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton 

Hotel St. Louis - Chesterfield, 16625 

Swingley Ridge Road. Spend an evening 

with family and friends enjoying appetizers, 

beverages and shopping while you 

learn motivating tips from St. Luke’s physicians 

on how to be at your best. The event 

will feature free health screenings, attendance 

prizes and more. The cost is $25 per 

person, which includes appetizers and two 

drink tickets. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors 

a Babysitting 101 virtual class on 

Tuesday, Nov. 15 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. The cost is $25 per child. 

Register online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

Staying Home Alone, sponsored by BJC, 

is on Wednesday, Nov. 16 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. The cost is $25 per family. To 

register, call (314) 454-5437. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Make 

Peace with Food: Basics of Mindful 

Eating on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 6:30- 

8:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 

121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in Chesterfield, 

in Conference Room 3 of Building A. 

Most of us struggle with food at times – we 

eat when we are stressed, bored, sad and 

more. Learn the basics of mindful eating 

and move closer to being at peace in your 

relationship with food at this free in-person 

event. Register to attend at stlukes-stl.com. 

St. Louis Community College - Meramec Campus 

BA-116 

11333 Big Bend Road, Saint Louis, MO 63122 

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT OPTIONS 

November 15th @ 6pm 

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November 17th @6pm 

• How to properly file for 

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amount you are eligible for 

• How to avoid common 

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• How to optimize your 

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paying taxes on your 

Social Security benefits 

• How much income you 

can make and still draw 

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• How Social Security is taxed 

• How to file and restrict 

benefits 

• How to establish retirement 

goals and objectives based 

on your risk tolerance 

• Identifying the IRA 

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• How to optimize your 

asset allocation to 

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• Why paying off your 

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• How to use banking 

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• How to use current 

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tax-free retirement


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9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

Sunday, November 13 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 



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ON THE BALLOT: The issues 

The following constitutional amendments 

will be on the Nov. 8 ballot statewide. 

Additionally, voters will be asked 

to decide if a Constitutional Convention 

should be held for the purpose of revising 

and amending the State Constitution. 

Voters who reside within the boundaries 

of Parkway School District will be asked 

to vote on a $265 bond issue (for more on 

this issue, visit “Parkway puts $265 million 

bond issue on November ballot” on 

westnewsmagazine.com). 

Constitutional Amendment 1 

Do you want to amend the Missouri 

Constitution to: 

• allow the General Assembly to override 

the current constitutional restrictions of 

state investments by the state treasurer; and 

• allow state investments in municipal 

securities possessing one of the top five 

highest long term ratings or the highest 

short term rating? 

State governmental entities estimate no 

costs and increased interest revenue of $2 

million per year. Local governmental entities 

estimate no costs and increased interest 

revenue of at least $34,000 per year. 


Do you want to amend the Missouri 

Constitution to: 

• remove state prohibitions on purchasing, 

possessing, consuming, using, delivering, 

manufacturing, and selling marijuana for 

personal use for adults over the age of 21; 

• require a registration card for personal 

cultivation with prescribed limits; 

• allow persons with certain marijuanarelated 

non-violent offenses to petition 

for release from incarceration or parole and 

probation and have records expunged; 

• establish a lottery selection process to 

award licenses and certificates; 

• issue equally distributed licenses to 

each congressional district; and 

• impose a six percent tax on the retail price 

of marijuana to benefit various programs? 

State governmental entities estimate initial 

costs of $3.1 million, initial revenues of at 

least $7.9 million, annual costs of $5.5 million, 

and annual revenues of at least $40.8 

million. Local governments are estimated 

to have annual costs of at least $35,000 and 

annual revenues of at least $13.8 million. 


Shall the Missouri Constitution be 

amended to authorize laws, passed before 

December 31, 2026, that increase minimum 

funding for a police force established 

by a state board of police commissioners 

to ensure such police force has additional 

resources to serve its communities? State 

and local governmental entities estimate 

no additional costs or savings related to 

this proposal. 


Shall the Missouri National Guard currently 

under the Missouri Department of 

Public Safety be its own department, known 

as the Missouri Department of the National 

Guard, which shall be required to protect 

the constitutional rights and civil liberties 

of Missourians? State governmental entities 

estimate no savings and ongoing costs 

of $132,000 annually. Local governmental 

entities estimate no costs or savings. 

Parkway School District Proposition S 

Shall the Parkway School District borrow 

money in the amount of Two Hundred 

SixtyFive Million Dollars ($265,000,000) 

and issue general obligation bonds for the 

payment thereof, resulting in no estimated 

increase to the debt service property tax 

levy, for the purpose of renovating, repairing, 

improving, furnishing and equipping 

school facilities, including but not limited 

to capital replacements, classroom technology 

and network upgrades, constructing an 

early childhood center, upgrading locker 

rooms and playgrounds, building additions 

and ADA and safety upgrades? If this 

proposition is approved, the adjusted debt 

service levy of the school district is estimated 

to remain unchanged at $0.49 per 

one hundred dollars assessed valuation of 

real and personal property. 

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with community leaders and public safety 

officers (police, fire, mental health advocates) 

to design common sense programs 

to foster public safety cooperation. Access 

to community health initiatives, including 

women’s health and mental health clinics 

and programs that are affordable for every 

community member. Access to educational 

and workforce programs that directly lead 

to careers and further economic development 

working with STL Economic Development 

Partnership. 

3. I have been driven my whole life by 

the desire to have a positive impact on my 

community. This desire led me into healthcare, 

then into science research, and finally 

into education. I have instilled this desire in 

my own three young children, as our family 

emphasizes kindness and collaboration in 

every relationship and interaction. I believe 

these skills will serve to bring together the 

county council, move away from district 

silos into respectful collaborations that 

allow the entire county to be successful 

together.


WEST NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 63 

St. Louis Home Fires can make your home the place to gather 



BY TRACEY BRUCE 

Whether it’s at the hearth or at the grill, 

people naturally congregate around a 

flame, said Frank Schmer, owner of St. 

Louis Home Fires. 

“It’s the warmth of the fire, it goes 

back to the very beginning, cavemen 

sitting around a fire cooking up meat,” 

he said. 

Now in the 21st century, with gas fireplaces 

and gas grills, heating and cooking 

have never been easier. 

Gas fireplaces take the drudgery out 

of building, stoking and extinguishing a 

fire, he said. 

“This is convenience. It’s all about 

the ease of it. We have remote control, 

so literally its about the turn of a knob 

or the click of a button, and it’s instant 

fire,” Schmer said. “There is no mess, 

no carrying wood through your house or 

walking out to the woodpile when its 10 

below zero.” 

People are using their fireplaces more 

because of it, he said. 

“You would never think to have a 

wood fire for half an hour, but you can 

turn these on and off. Take the chill off 

the room; have a cup of coffee, run them 

for half an hour, then go about your day 

(St. Louis Home Fires photo) 

and turn them back on in the 

evening.” 

St. Louis Home Fires also 

offers 99% efficient logs, 

Schmer said. 

Schmer 

“If people are concerned about home 

heating or the price of gas, you can actually 

add heat more efficiently than your furnace 

because the logs burn so clean they can be 

operated with the damper closed,” he said. 

As a reminder, Schmer says those who 

want gas logs by Christmas, need to get 

them on the schedule now. Installations 

are already booked into late November and 

early December. And before the fire season 

gets under way in earnest its a good idea to 

take care of any needed maintenance. 

“It’s not a bad idea every two or three 

years to have a maintenance call, a log tune 

up,” Schmer said. “We check the gas pressure, 

make sure the gas logs are working 

properly. It’s a really popular service.” 

St. Louis Home Fires also offers grill maintenance 

and grill cleaning in the off season. 

As for grills, some people make good use 

of them in every season, Schmer said. 

“You can cook outdoors all year 

round with smokers and pellet cookers. 

They need very little attention. 

They are kind of a set it and forget it 

type of smoking,” he said. 

Cooking outdoors is one of 

Schmer’s greatest pleasures. The 

founder and now president emeritus 

of the St. Louis BBQ Society said 

that the attraction of a good BBQ is 

about hospitality and entertaining family 

and friends. 

“I think our whole business is based on 

cooking for other people, cooking in the 

backyard. There’s something very gratifying 

about it. There’s nothing more worthwhile 

than cooking for someone else,” he 

said. 

Recently, St. Louis Home Fires expanded 

its space and its line to include prebuilt 

outdoor kitchens. Instead of stone or brick 

these appliance cabinets are made of aluminum 

and are much more affordable, Schmer 

said. The store also carries a variety of outdoor 

gas and wood fire pits. 

In 2023, St. Louis Home Fires will celebrate 

20 years in business. 

“Business has been good,” Schmer said. 

We are a part of the community both from 

an event standpoint and working with the 

people. We have a lot of regulars, and there 

is nothing more about community than barbecue 

and cooking in the backyard or family 

and friends sitting around their fireplace on 

the interior,” Schmer said. 

“We are in the service business,” Schmer 

said. “The products we sell are provided by 

companies we partner with that are just like 

us, reputable businesses that provide the 

best product and the best service. We don’t 

do a lot of different things. We don’t do 

patio furniture and hot tubs and all that kind 

of stuff. We do grills and fireplaces and gas 

logs, and we think what we do, we do better 

than anyone else.” 

St. Louis Home Fires 


stlhomefires@sbcglobal.net 

stlhomefires.com • 636-256-6564 

Hunger Isn’t Seasonal; 

The Need Continues Year Round! 

Give a gift of $200 or more to Circle of Concern and receive 

a Missouri Food Pantry Tax Credit up to $2,500 for single 

filers or $5,000 for joint filers! 

Your generous donation provides low income families in 

west St. Louis County with: 

• Wholesome Foods 

• Financial Assistance 

• Summer Camp Opportunities 

• Career Mentorship 

• Scholarships 

• Holiday Programs 

(636) 861-2623 • www.circleofconcern.org 

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64 I BUSINESS I 



NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 

Notice is hereby given that the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Ellisville will hold a 

public hearing at the Ellisville City Hall, #1 Weis Avenue, on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. 

to consider a City-initiated petition for text amendments to: (1) Title IV: Land Use; Chapter 400: Zoning 

Regulations, of the Code of the City of Ellisville, Missouri, to revise Section 400.492, regarding outdoor 

lighting requirements, and Section 400.493, regarding sidewalk and streetlighting requirements; and (2) 

Title IV: Land Use; Chapter 410: Signs and Advertising Devices, of the Code of the City of Ellisville, 

Missouri, to revise the lighting requirements applicable to signs and advertising devices. 

Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Ellisville will hold a public hearing at the Ellisville 

City Hall, #1 Weis Avenue, on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. to consider a City-initiated 

petition for text amendments to: (1) Title IV: Land Use; Chapter 400: Zoning Regulations, of the Code of 

the City of Ellisville, Missouri, to revise Section 400.492, regarding outdoor lighting requirements, and 

Section 400.493, regarding sidewalk and streetlighting requirements; and (2) Title IV: Land Use; Chapter 

410: Signs and Advertising Devices, of the Code of the City of Ellisville, Missouri, to revise the lighting 

requirements applicable to signs and advertising devices. 

These public hearings are in compliance with Title IV, Land Use, of the Municipal Code of the City of Ellisville. 

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• • • 

The University of Missouri-St. Louis 

honored a distinguished group of creators 

and innovators at its inaugural UMSL 

Accelerate Entrepreneur of the Year 

Awards. The awards were established by 

Peter A. Racen, partner on the Gast Freeman 

Troyer Racen Team at Moneta and an 

UMSL business alumnus, in conjunction 

with UMSL Accelerate, the entrepreneurship 

resource of the College of Business 

Administration. The accolades celebrate 

entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial 

spirit through recognition of innovators 

who are entrepreneurs, corporate innova- 

INSTEAD OF 

2 YEARS 

(Conveniently located in Winchester Plaza by St. Louis Bread Co.) 

tors or those who have been advocates of 

14560 Manchester Rd. Suite 25 

entrepreneurship. 

(Conveniently located in Winchester Plaza) 

• • • 

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish 

Hospital and Washington University 

visit our website: www.ClineDentalGroup.com or call us at 636-230-8081 

Please visit our website: www.ClineDentalGroup.com or call us at 636-230-8081 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital opens at 14309 Manchester Ave. (Photo Provided) 

business 

briefs 

School of Medicine is expanding proton 

therapy for patients with new technology 

that will allow pencil-beam scanning to 

deliver proton therapy in a single, narrow 

proton beam aimed directly at the tumor 

and adjusted for intensity. The beam then 

“paints” the radiation dose on the tumor. 

• • • 

The Boeing Company has been presented 

with UMSL’s 2022 E. Desmond 

and Mary Ann Lee Medal for Philanthropy 

– the university’s highest honor – at its 31st 

annual Founders Celebration. Boeing has 

given generously to support scholarships, 

helped fund new academic programs and 

contributed to the construction of both the 

Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center 

and Anheuser-Busch Hall. Boeing has also 

employed more UMSL graduates than any 

other company and provided tuition assistance 

to scores of its employees seeking an 

UMSL education. 

PEOPLE 

KAI has hired Micah Gray, AIA, to the 

new position of director of technology and 

innovation. Gray comes to KAI with over 10 

years of industry experience. Gray has previously 

worked with GMA Architects, the 

Lawrence Group, and Tarlton Corporation. 

• • • 

St. Louis-based law firm Lewis Rice has 

announced six new associates: Patrick F. 

Ganninger (Estate planning and probate) 

a 2022 graduate of Saint Louis University 

School of Law; Allison E. Knopp 

(litigation) a 2022 graduate of South Texas 

College of Law Houston; Ryan J. Krutz 

(general business and transactional law, 

a 2022 Saint Louis University School of 

Law; Andrew J. Meyer (corporate), a 

2022 graduate of University of Missouri 

School of Law; Skylar S. Petitt (litigation), 

a 2020 graduate of Southern Illinois 

University School of Law and a U.S. Army 

veteran; and Jaquelyne H. Sicilia (corporate) 

who has experience negotiating, 

drafting and reviewing a wide variety of 

documents to facilitate the closing of business 

deals.


WEST NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 65 

Transitions for Senior Living – a trusted resource for a senior’s best life 



Transitions for Senior Living 

is a service born in response to 

a need, a need for resources to 

help families face the challenge 

of finding the right place for their 

loved one’s best life. 

Jeff Balleau, co-founder of 

Transitions, knows the difficulty 

of helping aged parents find 

living arrangements that are the 

right fit. He has experienced the 

frustration of trying to get transparent, 

honest information for 

his own aging father. That experience 

later resulted in the creation of 

Transitions for Senior Living. 

“We’ve been through it with our own 

family, and we still remember that overwhelming 

feeling,” said Jeff, now a 

senior care advocate. “It is a daunting 

task, and even more so when done on 

your own. The good news is, you don’t 

have to do this alone.” 

Transitions for Senior Living has 

resources for families. They work with 

senior living communities at all levels 

of care from independent living, to 

assisted living, to memory care and 

skilled nursing. Their mission is to find 

the right fit in lifestyle and services for 

older adults, and they never charge a fee 

From left, Carmen Worley, Jeff Balleau, Sharon Balleau and 

Tena Barry 

(Transitions for Senior Living photo) 

for their services. 

Carmen Worley is also a senior care advocate 

with Transitions. 

“It’s apparent when you’ve been through 

it all yourself, that no two persons’ needs are 

exactly the same and you have to be able 

to figure out what’s going on in the family 

situation, interview people, meet the clients 

and understand who they are.” 

“The goal is to help our clients continue to 

live well,” Carmen said. “They have done so 

much for us as our elders, and they’ve had a 

beautiful life up until now. Our job is to help 

them continue living a fulfilled life. It’s about 

finding the best place, a place where they can 

flourish at whatever level of care they need,” 

she said. “It helps to work with someone who 

can walk you through the process to 

find the best fit.” 

The first step is to make a phone 

call to Transitions for Senior Living. 

A senior care advocate will respond 

quickly. Their first conversation with 

a family member will focus on the 

physical, cognitive and social care 

needs of the potential client and on 

setting a time for an in-person interview. 

At the meeting, the advocate will 

discuss various care options that might 

be the best fit for the family member. 

Physical and social needs, geographic 

preferences and budget are considered. If 

placement is not an immediate need, the 

advocate will discuss other resources. They 

can give referrals for home care, counseling 

for seniors or their caregivers, recommend 

support groups and more. 

“What sets Transitions For Senior Living 

apart is our dedication to the time and effort 

needed to personally meet with you and your 

loved ones,” said co-founder Sharon Balleau, 

Lorem ipsum 

a senior care advocate. “We take the time 

to truly understand the care needs of your 

family and create an individual assessment 

before we begin to recommend a home.” 

Together the advocate, the client and the 

family then make a plan. 

“We will identify three to five communities 

that would be a good fit for your 

family,” Sharon said. “We will schedule 

tours, accompany you to each community, 

ask questions that will give you the most 

comprehensive understanding of the care 

for each community, be an advocate, answer 

questions and when the choice is made, help 

the client make a smooth transition.” 

“Transitions for Senior Living was intentionally 

created as an independent familyowned 

business so that there would be no 

limitations from a franchise on how we 

choose to help families,” she said. 

So, whether your family is in crisis-mode 

or planning ahead, Transitions for Senior 

Living can help. They have the comprehensive 

knowledge, experience and connections 

for all facets of senior care. They 

want to educate clients and families so they 

can make the best choice for their loved one. 

Call Transitions for Senior Living when you 

need a trusted resource for senior living. 

*Due to federal guidelines, Transitions is 

unable to work directly with Medicaid recipients. 

Transitions for Senior Living 

314-606-8531 

transitionsforseniorliving.com 

Manchester 

1266 Old Orchard Center 

314-627-2499 

Festus 

12285 Highway 67 South 

314-627-2599 

Ellisville 

15396 Manchester Rd Rd 

314-627-2699 

House Springs 

3 Walters Walter’s Place 

(Coming 314-627-2566 

summer 2021) 

Open to the public for CBD 

Medical marijuana for certified patients 

Learn how to obtain your medical card 

nblisscannabis.com

66 I EVENTS I 



Holiday Happenings 

The city of Town & Country hosts its 

annual 5K Turkey Trot at 9 a.m. (with a 

1/2-mile kids fun run at 10 a.m.) on Thanksgiving 

Day at Longview Farm House, 13525 

Clayton Road. Registration is required. Cost 

to participate is $25 per runner over age 14 

and $10 per child, age 13 and younger. Register 

at town-and-country.org. 

• • • 

Chesterfield’s annual Turkey Trot race is at 

8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving 

Day) at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. 

Participants can choose between a 5K or a 

1K Fun Run (at 9:30 a.m.) geared toward 

children. Participation is $30 for the 5K; 

$15 for the Fun Run in advance of the race 

day. For details, or to register, visit chesterfield.mo.us/turkeytrot.html. 

• • • 

The city of Manchester invites its residents 

and businesses to enter its Snowman 

Building Contest by sending photos (after 

it snows) of the snowmen they build. Entries 

must include the builder’s name, address 

and phone and the date the snowman was 

built. Email entries to shardesty@manchestermo.gov 

from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28. 

• • • 

Holiday Tree Lighting is from 5-8 p.m. 

Public Hearing 

on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Central Ave. 

Spur, 394 South Central Ave. in Eureka. 

There will be hot cocoa, crafts and entertainment. 

Two of Santa’s reindeer will 

make an appearance. Free with a nonperishable 

food item donation. For more 

details, visit eureka.mo.us. 

• • • 

A Holiday Boutique is Saturday, Nov. 19 

from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Longview Farm House, 

13525 Clayton Road. Admission is free. 

• • • 

Winter Jewels - Enchanted Celebration 

is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 

25 through Friday, Dec. 30 at the Sophia 

M. Sachs Butterfly House, 15050 Faust 

Park in Chesterfield. Escape the cold as 

the Butterfly House magically transforms. 

Included with admission. For more information, 

visit missouribotanicalgarden.org. 

• • • 

Pictures with Santa and Santa Paws is 

from noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 

the Central Ave. Spur, 394 South Central 

Ave. in Eureka. Free with a non-perishable 

food item donation. For more information, 

visit eureka.mo.us. 

• • • 

Pizza with Santa is from 6:30-8 p.m. on 

A public hearing is scheduled before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the 

City of Ballwin at the Ballwin Government Center on Monday, December 5, 2022, at 

7:00 P.M. upon the following: 

• A petition submitted by Sophia Tran and Noel Fehr in regards to permitting the 

establishment of a restaurant without sale of alcohol at 14788 Manchester Rd. 

• A petition submitted by Shannon Moore in regards to permitting the establishment of 

a restaurant without the sale of alcohol by the drink at 109 Ballpark Dr. 

• A petition submitted by the City of Ballwin for the amendment of legislation under 

Article XVI, Section 30 of the Ballwin Zoning Ordinance regarding home-based 

businesses. 

For more information, call: 

The Ballwin Government Center at 636-227-9000 (voice), 636-527-9200 (TDD), 1-800- 

735-2966 (RELAY MISSOURI). 

Residents of Ballwin are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in the programs and 

services of the City of Ballwin regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, familial 

status, national origin, or political affiliation. If one requires an accommodation, please call 

the above numbers no later than 5:00 P.M. on the third business day preceding the hearing. 

Offices are open between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M, Monday through Friday. 

Shawn Edghill, 

Planning Technician 

1 Government Ctr. Ballwin, MO, 63011 

Thursday, Dec. 1, 6:30-8 p.m. on Friday, 

Dec. 2 and from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on 

Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Eureka Community 

Center, 333 Bald Hill Road in Eureka. 

Hunt for decorations, decorate cookies and 

write letters to Santa. Pizza and refreshments 

included. Free with a non-perishable 

food item donation. To register, visit 

eureka.mo.us. 

• • • 

Cookies with the Claus’ is at 6:30 p.m. 

on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Chesterfield Community 

Center, 237 Chesterfield Mall in 

Chesterfield. Enjoy a holiday cookie and sit 

by the tree as Santa reads stories. For ages 

2-12. Price is $5 per person. To register, visit 

chesterfield.mo.us/cookies-with-the-claus. 

• • • 

Return to the Manger will be performed 

at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, 

Dec. 3 and at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, 

Dec. 4 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 

15750 Baxter Road in Chesterfield, featuring 

a musical reenactment performed and 

directed by Dr. Mark Laverty. Free. Make 

reservations now at lordoflifelcms.org. 

• • • 

A Candy Cane Hunt at the Pointe at 

Ballwin Commons is at 10 a.m. (check-in 

at 9:30 a.m.) on Saturday, Dec. 3. Young 

guests will receive a goodie bag and have 

the opportunity to snap a picture with Santa! 

This is an outdoor event. Separate hunting 

areas will be set up for ages 2-4 and 5-10. 

Advance registration is required on the 

events page at ballwin.mo.us. Cost is $8 for 

residents and $10 for non-residents. 

• • • 

Chesterfield Holiday Celebration is 

from. 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 at Central 

Park, 16365 Lydia Hill Drive in Chesterfield. 

Candy cane hunt is at 4 p.m. Ages 2-12. Cost 

is $10. Stay for crafts and the tree lighting 

at 5:30. Holiday characters will make an 

appearance throughout the events. For details 

and to register, visit chesterfield.mo.us. 

• • • 

Photos with Santa in Town & Country’s 

Town Square, 13360 Clayton Road, is from 

9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. Participants 

@WESTNEWSMAG 


must register for a time slot at town-andcountry.org. 

• • • 

Candy Cane Hunt is at 5 p.m. on Saturday, 

Dec. 10 at Bluebird Park, 225 Kiefer 

Creek Road in Ellisville. Santa’s elves 

have been hiding candy canes in Bluebird 

Park. Bring a flashlight and bag to help 

Santa find them. Enjoy hot cocoa, cookies 

and a visit from Santa. Cost is $5. Preregistration 

is required at ellisville.recdesk. 

com/Community/Program. 

• • • 

Breakfast with Santa is at 8:30, 9:30 

and 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 at the Manchester 

Recreation Building in Schroeder 

Park, 359 Old Meramec Station Road. 

Tickets must be purchased in advance at 

manchestermo.gov/parks (event sells out 

fast). Everyone age 1 and older must have 

a ticket. Residents are $8 per child and $10 

per adult; non-residents are $9.60 per child 

and $12 per adult. 

• • • 

Supper with Santa is from 5:30-7:30 

p.m. on Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18 at the Butterfly 

House, 15050 Faust Park in Chesterfield. 

Dinner and crafts then cookies and cocoa. 

Advanced registration required. $20 for 

garden members, $25 for non-members. For 

details, visit missouribotanicalgarden.org. 

• • • 

St. Charles County Youth Orchestra 

Winter Concert is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, 

Dec.18 at the Missouri Baptist University 

Pillsbury Chapel, 1 College Park Drive in 

St. Louis. Tickets at sccyotickets.org. 

• • • 

The Town & Country Orchestra and the 

Allegro Chorus present a free concert, “Holiday 

Traditions,” at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, 

Dec. 18 at The Principia’s Ridgway Auditorium, 

13201 Clayton Road. 

• • • 

Manchester kids can send their Letters to 

Santa by Dec. 16 to Santa Claus, C/O Manchester 

Parks Department, 359 Old Meramec 

Station Rd., Manchester, MO 63021. 

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope 

and he’ll write back. 

Dental assistant: 

No experience? We offer a 10-week 

program taught in an actual dentist office 

for training in this exciting field. 

Begin your new career in this 

rewarding professions! 

Next Class Starts: February 18, 2023 

CALL NOW! 

Our program is now approved by the Missouri Dept. of Higher Education 

Dental Assisting of West County 

314-578-4781 www.dawcstl.com



Weekly Bingo is at 6:20 p.m. every 

Wednesday at the Ballwin VFW Post 6274, 

115 Mimosa Lane in Ballwin. Doors open 

at 5 p.m. Bingo is back to full capacity with 

cash prizes. Bingo players may not save 

seats. No food or snacks are allowed; nonalcoholic 

drinks only. 

• • • 

Monthly Bingo is at 7 p.m. every third 

Saturday at the Holy Infant School-Upper 

Cafeteria, 248 New Ballwin Road in Ballwin. 

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. $25 per person 

includes 15 games of Bingo and beer, wine, 

soda and water. Pull tabs, sandwiches and 

snacks for sale. Cash prizes, raffles and 

50/50. For ages 21 and up. For more information, 

call or text (314) 283-1339. 

• • • 

Cash Bingo is at 7 p.m. on the first Saturday 

of every month at St. Joseph’s Parish 

Center, 567 Saint Joseph Lane in Manchester. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost is $20 and 

includes beverages, popcorn and the use 

of daubers and game sheets. Hot dogs and 

snacks available for purchase. For ages 21 

and up. For more information, email joecaratenuto@hotmail.com. 

• • • 

Ballwin and Wildwood Historical Society 

Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, 

Nov. 5 at the Ballwin Golf Club at 333 Holloway 

Road in Ballwin. Teams of eight will 

compete in ten rounds of trivia. Mulligans, 

50-50 drawing, silent auction and more. $200 

for a table of 8. Price includes complimentary 

beer and soda, outside drinks are prohibited. 

Bring your own snacks. Doors open at 6 p.m. 

For more information visit ballwin.mo.us. 

• • • 

The St. Alban Roe Knights of Columbus 

Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 

St. Alban Roe Parish Life Center Gym, 2005 

Shepard Road in Wildwood. Registration is 

required. $30 per person or $240 for a table 

of 8. Refreshments and light snacks provided. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. To register, visit charityauctionstoday.com 

and search ‘St. Alban Roe 

Trivia Night.’ Reservations confirmed upon 

receipt of payment. Proceeds benefit SSM 

Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. 

For details call (314) 630 2958. 

• • • 

Bacon Log Cabin Chili Sale is from 

noon-2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Historic 

Bacon Log Cabin, 687 Henry Ave. in 

Ballwin. Purchase carry-out quart containers 

of homemade chili for $8/quart. Cornbread 

and other baked items available. (Check, 

cash or PayPal) All proceeds support the 

maintenance and preservation of the cabin. 

• • • 

KIDTALK Celebration is at 6 p.m. 

on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Sheraton Westlocal 

events 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

‘Water to Wine’ by the St. Louis 

Chamber Chorus is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, 

Nov. 13 at Ursuline Academy, 341 S. Sappington 

Road in St. Louis. Tickets are $30 

for general admission, $10 for students. To 

purchase tickets, visit chamberchorus.org. 

Masks are required. For more information, 

email info@chamberchorus.org. 

• • • 

The Winter Opera Saint Louis begins its 

season with La Rondine by Giacomo Puccini 

at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 and at 

2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Kirkwood 

Performing Arts Center, 210 E Monroe 

Ave. in Kirkwood. Ticket prices range 

from $45 to $65 along with student and 

group discounts. To purchase tickets, visit 

winteroperastl.org or call (314) 865-0038. 

• • • 

Harmony in Music is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, 

Nov. 19 at the Kirkwood Performing 

Arts Center, 210 East Monroe Ave. in 

Kirkwood. Harmony in music brings out the 

nuances of the Indian classical styles Carnatic 

and Hindustani in an attempt to blend 

beautifully with Jazz and new age standards. 

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at 

metrotix.com. Search for Harmony in Music. 

Area Craft Fairs 

Eureka High, 4525 Hwy. 109 

Saturday, Nov. 5 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Lafayette High School, 

17050 Clayton Road 

Saturday, Dec. 3 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Rockwood Summit High School, 

1780 Hawkins Rd. 

Saturday, Nov. 19 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Parkway Central High, 

369 N. Woods Mill Road 

Saturday, Nov 12 & Sunday, Nov 13 • 

10 a.m.-4 p.m., both days 

Parkway North, 12860 Fee Fee Road 

Saturday, Nov. 5 & Sunday, Nov. 6 • 10 

a.m.-4 p.m., both days 

Parkway South, 801 Hanna Road 

Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • 

Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

BENEFITS 

See EVENTS, page 68 

Bundt Cakes 

FOR THE 

Dessert Table 

purchase of $25 or more 

St. Louis-Chesterfield (Town & Country) 

159 Lamp and Lantern Village 

11/30/2022 


(636) 220-6087 

Expires 11/30/2022. Limit one (1) coupon per 

guest. Coupon must be presented at time of 

purchase. Valid only at the Nothing Bundt Cakes 

bakery(ies) listed. Valid only on baked goods; 

not valid on retail items. Must be claimed in 

bakery during normal business hours. Not valid 

for online orders. Not valid with any other offer. 

Discounts applied before tax. Coupon may not 

be reproduced, transferred or sold. Internet 

distribution strictly prohibited. No cash value. 

For 

Bakery 



I EVENTS I 67 

Saturday, November 5th 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Pet Show begins at 11 a.m. 

BETHEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 

17500 MANCHESTER RD • WILDWOOD 

1/2 mile west of Wildwood Middle School 

Come show off your pet 

and have your pet blessed. 

Refreshments will be served. 

REGISTER AT 

www.bethelunitedmethodist.org 

OR ON DAY OF EVENT 

St. Peters 

6123 Mid Rivers Mall Blvd. 

St. Peters, MO 63376 

(314) 492-2325 

PET BLESSING 

and 

FUN PET SHOW 

gooD FrienDS. 

great FooD. 

colD DrinkS. 

Daily lunch & Dinner SpecialS 

happy hour Mon - Fri, 3-6 

288 laMp & lantern Village - upper leVel 

636-256-7201 

THANKSGIVING MENU 

PACKAGES 

(feeds 8-10) - $95.00 

Meat: Choose Whole Smoked Turkey with Gravy or Bacon-Wrapped Ham 

Sides: Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Peach Casserole 

ALA CARTE ITEMS 

TURKEYS & HAMS (Ala Carte) 

Whole Smoked Turkey (feeds 8-10) $70.00 

Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Ham (feeds 8-10) $70.00 

Smoked Turkey Breast (feeds 5-7) $52.00 

SIDES (Ala Carte) 

Sweet Potato Peach Casserole (feeds 12) $20.00 

Green Bean Casserole (feeds 12) $20.00 

*PRE-ORDER TODAY!* 

Call 636.529.1898 

*Limited quantities - don't delay!* 

ORDER DEADLINE: Fri., 11/18 or when sold out

68 I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


EVENTS, from page 67 

port Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza Drive in 

St. Louis. Entertainment by Brian Owens 

with dinner, open bar, and a silent auction. 

Theme is ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ 

Wear rainbow cocktail attire. Tickets start 

at $50. For more information, visit srclinic. 

org/kidtalk or call (314) 529-9349. 

• • • 

MOCM Trivia Night & Silent Auction 

is at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 at The 

Heights, 8001 Dale Ave in St. Louis. Doors 

open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 each or $200 

for Table of 8. Enjoy a wide range of trivia 

categories and a silent auction. Bring your 

own drinks and food. Proceeds support 

MOCM. To purchase tickets, visit eventbrite.com, 

search MOCM Trivia Night. 

• • • 

Ten by Three’s Warehouse Sale is 

from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 

at Ten by Three Warehouse, 5234 Oakland 

Ave. in St. Louis. Shop thousands of handcrafted 

baskets and textiles from artisans 

all around the world. Ten by Three is a 

501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers impoverished 

artisans to exit extreme poverty. For 

more information, visit tenbythree.org. 

FAMILY & KIDS 

Tons of Trucks is from 10 a.m.-noon on 

Saturday, Nov. 5 at Target, 15025 Manchester 

Road in Ballwin. The Target parking 

lot will be filled with trucks and other 

vehicles of all shapes and sizes to admire, 

wander around, climb on and sit in. There 

will be a siren-free quiet hour from 10-11 

a.m. Registration is not required. Free. For 

details, visit ballwin.mo.us. 

• • • 

Cops and Bobbers, Hooks and Ladders 

Youth Fishing Derby is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 

on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Hilltop Lake, 17180 

Hilltop Ridge Drive in Eureka. The Eureka 

Police Department and Eureka Fire District 

will hold a contest. Team police wear blue. 

Team fire wear red. For children under 15. 

Free. For details, visit eureka.mo.us. 

• • • 

Bethel United Methodist Church, 17500 

Manchester Road in Wildwood, hosts a Pet 

Blessing and Pet Show from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

(pet show begins at 11 a.m.) on Saturday, Nov. 

5. Refreshments will be served. The event is 

free but registration is required at bethelunitedmethodist.org, 

or on the day of event. 

• • • 

Pages and Pals is at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 

Nov. 10 at the Paul Schroeder Park Building, 

359 Old Meramec Station Road in Manchester. 

For ages 2-5. Hear a story and do a craft. 

Must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration 

is required. $4 Res./$5.20 NonRes. 

For details, visit manchestermo.gov. 

• • • 

Snuggies, S’mores & Science Experiments 

is from 5:30-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 

19 at The Pointe, 1 Ballwin Commons Circle 

in Ballwin. Featuring hands-on science experiments, 

like creating elephant toothpaste and 

Mentos soda rockets. Bring s’mores supplies, 

roasting sticks will be provided. Snuggies are 

optional. Ages 4-7, with an adult. Cost is $8 

for residents, $10 for non-resident. For more 

information, visit ballwin.mo.us. 

SPEAKERS 

Emily Jaycox presents “St. Louis History 

Through Maps” is from 9-10 a.m. on 

Thursday, Nov. 10 at The National Museum 

of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station 

Road in Kirkwood. Part of TNMOT 2022 

Speaker Series. Free admission. Advanced 

registration required. For more information, 

visit tnmot.org. 

• • • 

The Ballwin-Chesterfield Branch of 

the American Association of University 

Women presents “Forgotten Trunk In 

The Attic” with Galen Gritts, Cherokee 

Indian, at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10 

at Ballwin Golf Course and Event Center, 

333 Holloway Road in Ballwin. For more 

information, visit ballwin-chesterfield.com. 

• • • 

The Wildwood Historical Society will 

host Jan Jacobi to discuss his book “Lincoln 

I don't know about you but I have a lot of things 

that I'm thankful for! And at the top of my list is 

Family and Friends. Thanksgiving is worth it! 

Meet for a dinner or just a drink. 

I know I'm going to be busy. 


636-391-3700 

14312 South Outer 40 Road 

314-485-8800 

in Springfield” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 

at the Wildwood Historical Society, 18750 

Hwy. 100 in Wildwood. For more information, 

visit wildwoodhistoricalsociety.org or 

call (314) 374-3159. 

• • • 

Restored Hearts is from 9:30-11:30 

a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 at Bonhomme 

Church, 14820 Conway Road in Chesterfield 

with Sandi Brown from 99.1 JOY FM. 

Free childcare available. To register, visit 

bonpres.org/events. 

• • • 

Garden Talk Series is at 1 p.m. on 

Sunday, Nov. 20 at Passiglia’s Nursery and 

Garden Center, 1855 MO-109 in Wildwood. 

Create a holiday winter planter. 

There will be a fee for this class. For more 

information, call (636) 458-9202. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

The Virgin Air Hyperloop is on display 

now at the Orthwein Education & Visitor 

Center, 2933 Barrett Station Road in St. 

Louis. The Museum is open Wednesday- 

Sunday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, 

visit tnmot.org 

• • • 

TOPS - Take Off Pounds Sensibly is at 

9 a.m. on Friday mornings at Winchester 

City Hall, 109 Lindy Blvd. in Winchester. 

For more information, contact Joyce 

Molnar at (314) 603-1641. 

• • • 

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival is 

Thursday, Nov. 6 through Thursday, Nov. 

13 at The J, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in 

St. Louis. Featuring former U.S. Ambassador 

to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch to 

discuss her book, “Lessons from The Edge: 

A Memoir.” The festival continues with a 

lineup of bestselling authors, investigative 

journalists, Netflix stars, nationally known 

chefs, and more. Masks required. For a 

schedule of events, visit jccstl.com/artsideas/st-louis-jewish-book-festival. 

• • • 

Chesterfield Golden Lunch Bunch 

is at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 

> 

> 

Charro 

Mexican Restaurant & Bar 

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE 

> 

$2.50 

> 

MARGARITA 

(on the rocks) 

MONDAYS! 

HAPPY 

HOUR! 

4-7PM DAILY 

LUNCH 

SPECIALS 

START AT 

$5.25 

KIDS 

EAT 

FREE 

SUNDAYS 

1 PER FAMILY 

Open Sunday-Thursday: 11:00 - 10:00 pm 

Friday - Saturday: 11:00 - 10:30 pm 

14839 Clayton Road • Chesterfield 

> 

636.256.7071 

www.charromexicanrestaurant.com 

> 

> 

at Espino’s Mexican Bar & Grill, 17409 

Chesterfield Airport Road in Chesterfield. 

The Lunch Bunch program is an opportunity 

for seniors to meet and make new 

friends. Each person is responsible for 

the cost of their own food and beverages. 

Reservations are required at olderadults@ 

chesterfield.mo.us or call (636) 812-9500. 

• • • 

Autohaus BMW and the St. Louis Men’s 

Group Against Cancer are teaming up for 

a 2023 BMW X3 raffle. To enter, visit 

mensgroupagainstcancer.org before Nov. 10. 

• • • 

Novak Jewelers, 1442 Clayton Road in 

Ballwin, hosts a Vahan Trunk Show on 

Nov. 11. 

• • • 

A Turkey Bowl 18 Hole Scramble at 

the Ballwin Golf Course is from 10 a.m.-4 

p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Three person per 

team. Registration cost per team is $165 and 

includes cart and greens fees, lunch and prizes. 

VETERANS DAY 

Veterans Day Breakfast is from 7-10 

a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 at American Legion 

Post #208, 225 Old Sulphur Spring Road in 

Manchester. All active, inactive and retired 

military personnel and their families will 

receive a free breakfast. Pre-registration is 

not required. For more information, visit 

manchestermo.gov. 

• • • 

A Veterans Day Ceremony is at 11:11 

a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 at The Chesterfield 

Heritage Museum inside Chesterfield Mall. 

Those attending will have the opportunity 

to view a display of Vietnam-era photographs 

and memorabilia. For more information, 

call (636) 735-1309. 

• • • 

The city of Manchester’s Flags of Valor 

will be on display all day on Friday, Nov. 

11 at Margaret Stoecker Park, 224 Henry 

Ave. The flags are from the 2016 Flags of 

Valor display that was flown on Art Hill 

in remembrance of American troops who 

died in the War on Terror since 9/11/2001. 

MARIACHI BANDS 6:30-8:30 PM FRI & SAT 

$3.00 OFF 

Purchase of 

$15 or More 

Mon.-Thurs. 

Coupon must be presented 

at time of purchase. Not 

valid with any other offers. 

Expires 11/30/22 

$5.00 OFF 

Purchase of 

$25 or More 

Mon.-Thurs. 

Coupon must be presented 

at time of purchase. Not 

valid with any other offers. 

Expires 11/30/22



WEST HOME PAGES 



Singing and friendship: The chords that bind City Voices together 

BY TRACEY BRUCE 

The stories of the women who come 

together to sing in the City Voices 

chorus are varied, but they all have 

certain things in common. 

“We all love music. We all love harmony; 

but it’s the friendship that keeps 

us together,” said Dianne Twyford, 

who has been singing choral music for 

40 years. A charter member, she joined 

City Voices when it formed in 2001. 

“Members from two other choruses 

came together to form the group,” she 

said. 

City Voices held its first rehearsal 

on April 5, 2001, and was chartered 

on Dec. 27 that same year. According 

to the group’s official history, its success 

was based on a few simple philosophies: 

Work well together, support each other in 

a caring manner, continually strive to be 

better, be involved in entertaining our communities 

and have fun as a group. 

Janet Barmeier has been with the group 

for about five years. She hadn’t sung with 

a group since her 20s but she said, “I liked 

what I saw, I liked what I heard, and I joined.” 

Carol Weirich joined City Voices in 

2009 and said she always looks forward to 

Thursday evening rehearsals. 

“I love to sing,” Weirich said. “I was born 

with a singing talent. It runs in my family. 

My uncle sang barbershop many, many 

years ago. The chords just ring.” 

The four separate parts that come 

together in harmony make it special, said 

Louise Spielman. “It’s so tight, so melodic 

and when women do it, it’s a unique sound,” 

Members of the City Voices chorus at a Hoots game, where they sang the National Anthem (Photo provided) 

she said. 

City Voices is a Sweet Adelines chorus. 

They sing a cappella, in barbershop style. 

Founded in Tulsa in 1945, Sweet Adelines 

International is a nonprofit women’s 

music organization that provides chorus 

groups worldwide with opportunities to 

learn, perform and compete. Such choruses 

have different vocal parts than traditional 

women’s choirs – something that every 

member of City Voices will tell you. The 

parts are tenor, lead, baritone and bass. In 

addition, the women incorporate choreography 

into their performances and dress 

to the nines in costumes that bring it all 

together, Spielman said. 

Barb Mersinger directs the chorus. 

“(Members) come from all walks of life. 

They practice their parts, then we all sing 

together,” Mersinger said. Because the 

chorus doesn’t rely on instrumental music, 

the goal of a barbershop group is to stay in 

the key they started in. Usually they do, she 

said. “I don’t have to yell at them too much.” 

The group also forms quartets for competition. 

The chorus and quartet contests 

begin at the regional level. Winners of the 

region move on to the international competition. 

City Voices is in Region 5, known as 

the “Spirit of the Midwest,” and competes 

with choruses and quartets from Iowa, Illinois, 

Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The 

region currently has 19 choruses and over 

600 singers, according to Sweet Adelines. 

Closer to home, City Voices’ goal is to 

perform for its own community. The group, 

now numbering about 35 women, has sung 

the National Anthem at a St. Louis Blues 

Hockey game, performed a Muny preshow 

in the Lichtenstein Plaza, sang at the 

Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow, 

and each year performs at their Holiday 

I 69 

Luncheon at the Genesis Banquet 

Center in South St. Louis County. 

“It’s always a sell-out,” Spielman 

said. 

The group welcomes singers to get 

a feel for the group and if it fits, try 

out. “We’re always looking for new 

members,” McFadden said. 

Interested women can visit a 

rehearsal, sing with the group on the 

risers and request an audition song. 

The singer then rehearses with a quartet 

for six weeks. The group will help 

her learn her part. Then, she’ll audition 

for the section leader and the 

director, McFadden explained. 

Sue Singer, another charter member 

of City Voices who has been singing 

with Sweet Adeline choruses since 1986, 

said singing with the chorus is a joy. She 

too came to City Voices for the music but 

stayed for the friends. 

“A lot of the women have husbands, partners. 

But as a single woman, this is more 

important for me. This is my social circle. 

It’s energizing. I enjoy singing out in the 

community. I enjoyed when we did our 

singing Valentines,” she said. “No matter 

how I feel when I get here, when I get 

home I feel better.” 

Members of City Voices currently meet 

at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 

1166 S. Mason Road in Town & 

Country at 7:15 each Thursday night. For 

more information, call (618) 972-3583 or 

email cityvoicesstl@gmail.com. For tickets 

to the group’s Holiday Luncheon and 

Music Program on Dec. 3, call (314) 651- 

8558 but bear in mind that it does sell out. 

H NEST 

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Exercise Equipment • Hot Tubs • Books • Paint 

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Remodeling Debris • Estate Cleanout 

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cannot be combined with other offers 

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Locally Owned & Operated 

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COMPLETE KITCHEN & BATH REMODELING 

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Patios • Driveways • Sidewalks 

Textured Finishes also available 

Licensed & Insured 

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PLUS OTHER INTERIOR PROJECTS 

References Available 

Serving West County & 

Reasonable Pricing 

surrounding areas since 1985 

Quality Work 

Edwards Remodeling • Call 314-397-5100 • Licensed & Insured 

ROOFING 

GUTTERS 

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HOLIDAY 

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Residential & Commercial 

CALL OR TEXT 

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Locally Owned

70 I 



@WESTNEWSMAG 


WEST HOME PAGES 

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED 

SINCE 1894 

636-391-1233 

www.jjkokeshandson.com 

JL CONCRETE 

SEALING & CAULKING 

Residential and Commercial 

• Sealing (Prevents pitting) 

• Caulking (Keep out the weeds) 

• Power Washing (Fresh & clean) 

• Crack Filling (Keeps moisture out) 

• Fence Washing 


Call Jerry Loosmore Jr. at 636-399-6193 

TOP GUNN FAMILY 

CONSTRUCTION INC. 

Build and Repair Decks & Fences, 

All Painting, Wallpaper Removal, 

Powerwash/Stain Decks, Finish Basements, 

Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths 

Senior Discounts • Military Discounts 

First responders must show ID 

Call Today • 636-466-3956 

GunnFamilyConstruction@gmail.com 

CUSTOM DECKS 

SCREEN ROOMS, ENCLOSURES, 

REPAIRS, RESURFACE, PATIOS, STAMPED CONCRETE, 

4 SEASON ROOMS, OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES 

GENERAL CONTRACTOR | All Types Of Home Improvements 

Insurance Specialist, Fully Insured | A+ BBB Rating, 30 Years Experience 

FREE INSPECTIONS & ESTIMATES 

314-282-1991 | www.CovenantContractingSTL.com 

West County 

ELECTRICAL 

DESIGNS 

Kitchen Lighting Upgrades 

• Recessed Lighting • Pendant Lighting 

• Under Cabinet Lighting • All Residential Electrical 

• Exterior/Security Lighting •Flat Screen/Surround Sound 

• Panel Upgrades/Basement Wiring 

314.836.6400 

“Let Us Shine the Perfect Light on Your Investment.” 

636-938-ROOF (7663) 

Like us on Facebook 

Locally Owned & Operated by Rick Hinkson 

Licensed & Insured 

ALL OF YOUR DECKING NEEDS 

• Wood 

• Vinyl 

• Composite 

• Aluminum 

• Refacing 

• New Decks 

• Deck Repairs 

• IPE (Hardwood) 

Rlinkconstruction@yahoo.com 

314.607.8953 

FIND US ON 

• Deck Construction 

• Deck Repairs 

• Deck Upgrades 

• Deck Staining 

• Staircases 

• Hand Rail 

• Fully Insured 

• Warranty 

• No Money Up Front 

The Original 

BASEMENT 

FINISHING 

SPECIALISTS 

PROFESSIONAL DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION 

OF FINISHED BASEMENTS 

33RD YEAR • STEVE CASSILLY / OWNER 

30+ YEARS 

EXPERIENCE 

County House Washing 

& Painting 

WEST 

A+ 

RATED 

Power Washing • Painting • Staining 

INTERIORS • EXTERIORS • CONCRETE 

CEDAR HOMES • DECKS & FENCES 

(314) 968-0999 

Tim Trog 636.394.0013 

WWW.COUNTYHOUSEWASHING.COM 

RM NELSON 

CONCRETE 

Driveways | Patios | Sidewalks | Porches | Steps 

Garage Floors | Repair Work | Exposed Aggregate 

Stamped | Concrete 

Specializing in Residential Tear Out & Replacement 

Professional Workmanship 

Family Owned | Insured 

314-606-8141 

Driveways, Patios, Pool Decks, Garage Floors, 

Retaining Walls, Stamped and Colored Concrete 

Insured For Your Protection 

When you 

want it 

done right... 

Check our 

ads first. 

636.591.0010 

THE FAN MAN 

INSTAllATIoN ProFESSIoNAlS 

Ceiling Fans • Wholehouse Fans 

Gable Vent Fans • Recessed Lighting 

Specializing in installation for two story homes 

with no wiring on first floor. 

When Handyman Quality Just Won't Do. 

(314) 510-6400 

Our Home Page professionals will help you with your 

AUTUMN HOME 

& GARDEN PROJECTS





WEST CLASSIFIEDS • 636.591.0010 • CLASSIFIEDS@NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM 

I 71 

CARPET 

CARPET REPAIRS 

Restretching, reseaming & 

patching. No job too small. 

Free estimates. 

(314) 892-1003 

CLEANING SERVICES 

SPOTLESS CLEANING 

SERVICES 

for your home or business. 

Specializing in everyday cleaning 

of homes, rentals, move outs & 

home buying, etc. 

Family owned & operated 

Call today (636) 777-9319 

to schedule your cleaning 

or a FREE ESTIMATE. 

Email: spotless.dina@gmail.com 

COLLECTIBLES 

WANTED TO BUY 

• SPORTS MEMORABILIA • 

Baseball Cards, Sports Cards, 

Cardinals Souvenirs and 

Memorabilia. Pre-1975 Only. 

Private Collector: 314-302-1785 

DECKS 

Mark Hicks, LLC 

Construction, Repairs, Upgrades, 

Staining EverythingDecks.Net 

In business since 1982, 

No money up front, 

Warranty, Insured, 

FREE Estimates 

Mark Hicks LLC.com 

BBB A+ 636-337-7733 

ELECTRICAL 

ERIC'S ELECTRIC 

Licensed, Bonded and Insured: 

Service upgrades, fans, can lights, 

switches, outlets, basements, 

code violations fixed, we do it 

all. Emergency calls & backa-up 

generators. No job too small. 

Competitively priced. Free 

Estimates. 

Just call 636-262-5840 

GARAGE DOORS 

DSI/Door Solutions, Inc. 

Garage Doors, Electric Openers. 

Fast Repairs. All makes & models. 

Same day service. Free Estimates. 

Custom Wood and Steel Doors. 

BBB Member • Angie's List 

Call 314-550-4071 

www.dsi-stl.com 

HAULING 

SKIP'S HAULING & DEMOLITION 

Junk hauling and removal. Cleanouts, 

appliances, furniture, debris, 

construction rubble, yard waste, 

excavating & demolition! 10, 15 

& 20 cubic yd. rolloff dumpsters. 

Licensed & insured. Affordable, 

dependable and available! 

VISA/MC accepted. 22 yrs. service. 

Toll Free 1-888-STL-JUNK 

888-785-5865 or 314-644-1948 

BRIDGE LESSONS 

LEARN BRIDGE IN A DAY!!! 

Learn the fun & exciting game of bridge with 

minimal commitment of time and money 

and make new friends. 

Sunday, Dec 4th, 9am-4pm w/lunch break 

For details Call/Email Jay: 314-495-6093 

Email-jay@jsbridgepad.com 

Where: 10423 St. Charles Rock Rd-63074 

American Contract Bridge League 

HAULING 

J & J HAULING 

WE HAUL IT ALL 

Service 7 days. Debris, furniture, 

appliances, household trash, yard 

debris, railroad ties, fencing, decks. 

Garage & Basement Clean-up 

Neat, courteous, affordable rates. 

Call: 636-379-8062 or 

email: jandjhaul@aol.com 

HELP WANTED 

*Hiring FULL TIME Employees 

*Landscape Maintenance 

*Hardscape and Concrete Finisher 

*2nd /3rd Crew Foreman 

* Snow Removal 

Sign On Bonus Based on Hiring 

Placement $400-$700 

Hourly Pay Range $20-$40 

Onsite Interview 

Call 636-393-9800 

Rockwood School District 

Hiring For Positions of: 

-HVAC Maintenance Technician- 

-Plumbing Maintenance Technician- 

- 40 hrs/week 

- 12 months/year 

- Competitive Salary 

Full Benefit Package includes: 

- Retirement through the Public 

Educational Employee Retirement 

System (PEERS) of Missouri 

- Paid Medical, Dental 

& Vision Insurance 

- Flexible Spending Accounts 

- Life Insurance 

- Long-Term Disability 

- Employee Assistance Program 

- Sick Leave Compensation 

- Vacation Compensation 

- 12 Paid Holidays 

Apply at: 

https://rockwood.ted.people 

admin.com/hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 


Hiring For Position of: 

CUSTODIAN 

- 40 hrs/week 
















Apply at: 

https://rockwood.ted. 

peopleadmin.com/ 

hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 

HELP WANTED 


Hiring For Position Of: 

Supervisor 

of Custodial Services 

- Exempt Position with a 

Competitive Salary 



Educational Employee 

Retirement System 

(PEERS) of Missouri 










Apply at: 


peopleadmin.com/hire/ 

ViewJob.aspx?JobID=3141 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 



Food Service 

Our Child Nutrition Assistants 

work school days only 

Part time or Full time, 

No experience needed. 

Starting Pay $13 Hourly. 

Seven Paid Holidays, 

Retirement through PEERS, 

Perfect Attendance Days 

Manager positions available 

with full benefits. 

www.rsdmo.org 

or call 636-733-3253 



Mowing & Landscaping 

Technician in 

Grounds Department 

- 40 hrs/week 















- 11 Paid Holidays 

Apply at: 


peopleadmin.com/hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 

Applied Industrial Technologies, 

Inc., in Maryland Heights, MO 

is seeking a Electrohydraulic 

Systems Engineer responsible for 

providing technical drawings and 

schematics of fluid power systems. 

Teleworking is permitted. 

Apply online at 

https://jobs.applied.com/. 

Please reference job title 

on resume. 

COMPASSIONATE 

CAREGIVERS NEEDED!! 

VISITING ANGELS is hiring for 

Chesterfield/Wildwood/Ballwin/ 

Des Peres/ T&C- $17-19/hr. 

Personal Care Assistants & 

Homemaker shifts. Weekly Pay, 

Flexible Schedules, 401K match. 

Health Ins. after 6 mo. if FT 

Call 636-695-4422 or apply at 

VisitingAngels.com/westplex 

HOME IMPROVEMENT 

REMODEL & REPAIR 

Rotted wood, Painting, Tile, 

Drywall, Floors, Electrical, 

Carpentry, Plumbing, 

Power Washing. Insured. 


Tom Streckfuss 314-910-7458 

sbacontractingllc@gmail.com 

AFFORDABLE CARPENTRY 

Kitchen Remodeling, 

Wainscoting, Cabinets, 

Crown Molding, Trim, Framing, 

Basement Finishing, Custom 

Decks, Doors, Windows. 

Free estimates! 

Anything inside & out! 

Call Joe 636-699-8316 

Total Bathroom Remodeling 

Cabinetry•Plumbing•Electrical 

30 Years Experience 

LANDSCAPING 

LEAF REMOVAL 

OPTIONS 

• Haul to landfill 

• Put at street curbside 

• Dump where you want it. 

Tree and Bush Trimming 

& Removal, Mulching, Aeration 

Landscaping Make-Overs, 

-FAST & FREE Estimates- 

TWO MEN & A MOWER 

636-432-3451 

Sod • Top Soil 

Landscaping •Planting Bush 

Trimming • Maintenance • 

Mulch •Yard Clean Up 

Yard Fertilization Winterizing 

Stonewall Flower Beds 

& Repairs • Firepits & Patios 

Fencing & Repairs 

Concrete Flat Work 

French Dains • Erosion Control 

Repairs 

Call 636-358-8800 

MORALES LANDSCAPE LLC 

• Clean-Up • Mowing • Mulching 

• Planting • Aeration • Sod Install 

• Leaf/Tree Removal • Paver Patios 

• Trimming/Edging • Stone & Brick 

• Retaining Walls • Drainage Work 

- FREE ESTIMATES - 

636-293-2863 

moraleslandscape@hotmail.com 

Retaining Walls • Patios • Pruning 

Chainsaw Work • Seasonal 

Clean-up • Honeysuckle Removal 

Friendly service with attention to detail 

Call Tom 636.938.9874 

www.mienerlandscaping.com 

LAWN MOWING SERVICES 

-Complete Outdoor Service- 

Aeration • Overseeding 

Commercial • Residential 

Reasonable Rates 

Experienced & Insured 

FREE Estimates 

United Lawn Services 

Call Today (314) 660-9080 

curtis@unitedlawnservices.com 

www.unitedlawnservices.com 

LANDSCAPING 

Best Landscaping Values in Town! 

Mizzou Crew Mulch, 

Shrub Trimming, Yard Cleanups, 

Power Washing, Moles, Small 

Walls and Paver Patios. 

Call/text Jeff 

314-520-5222 

or www.MizzouCrew.com 

WE SPECIALIZE IN 

RETAINING WALLS • PAVER PATIOS • DECKS 

FENCES • TREES • NEW LANDSCAPING 

LAWNS & MULCH AND MUCH MORE! 

Free Estimates 

314-280-2779 

poloslawn@aol.com 

LEAF REMOVAL 

LEAF CLEAN UP 

CURBSIDE 

PICK UP 

AVAILABLE! 

636-293-2863 

AFFORDABLE LEAF CLEANUPS 

CURBSIDE VACUUM SERVICE 

Call Now For Free Estimate 

314-749-3947 

PAINTING 

Interior and 

exterior painting 

Deck staining 

- Insured & Free Estimates - 

Dickspainting.com 

314-707-3094 

PAINTER 

DAN VOLLMER 

• I AM INCORPORATED INC. • 

INTERIOR SPECIAL 2022 

$75 Per Avg. Rm Size 

(12’x12’ Walls 3 Room Minimum) 

FOR 46 YEARS 

FREE ESTIMATES: CALL DAN 

(636) 577-8960 

Exterior Painting! 

PET SERVICES 

T Time Pet Services 

In your home pet care! 

Bonded • Insured 

Overnights • Dog walks 

Check in visits and more! 

Contact Tina 

at 314-386-4422 

PIANO LESSONS 

Private piano lessons 

in my home. 

Beginners preferred. 

Located In Manchester 

Call Lois 

314-393-4169 

PLUMBING 

LICENSED PLUMBER 

Bonded & Insured 

Available for all your 

plumbing needs. 

No job is too small. 


35 Years Experience. 

Senior Discounts 

24 hours service! 

314-808-4611 

• ANYTHING IN PLUMBING • 

Good Prices! Basement 

bathrooms, small repairs & code 

violations repaired. Fast Service. 

Certified, licensed plumber - MBC 

Plumbing - Call or text anytime: 

314-409-5051 

REAL ESTATE 

I BUY HOMES 

ALL CASH - AS-IS 

I have been buying and selling 

for over 30 years. 

$ $ 

No obligation. 

No commission. 

No fixing up. 

It doesn’t cost to find out 

how much you can get. 

Must ask for 

Lyndon Anderson 

314-496-5822 

Berkshire Hathaway 

Select Prop. 

Office: 636-394-2424 

TREE SERVICES 

• COLE TREE SERVICE • 

Tree and Stump Removal. 

Trimming and Deadwooding. 

Free Estimates. 

636-475-3661 

www.cole-tree-service.biz 

GET 'ER DONE TREE SERVICE 

Tree trimming, removal, deadwooding, 

pruning and stump 

grinding. Certified arborist. 

Fully Insured • Free Estimates 

A+ BBB • A+ Angie's List 

Serving the Area Since 2004 

314-971-6993 or 636-234-6672 

WATERPROOFING 

TOP NOTCH WATERPROOFING 

& FOUNDATION REPAIR LLC 

Cracks, sub-pump systems, 

structural & concrete repairs. 

Exterior drainage correction. 

Serving Missouri for 15 years. 

Finally, a contractor who is honest 

& leaves the job site clean. 

Lifetime Warranties. 

Free Estimate 

636-281-6982 

WEDDING SERVICES 

ANYTIME ANYWHERE 

- CEREMONIES - 

Marriage Ceremonies Vow 

Renewals • Baptisms 

Pastoral & Graveside Visits 

Full Service Ministry 

(314) 703-7456

PRE-HOLIDAY SALE 

BEAT THE RUSH 

FOR INSTALLATION BY THE HOLIDAYS 

20,000 SQ FT 

OF NEW PRODUCT 

IN STOCK W/SPECIAL PRICING 

COME CHECK IT OUT!!! 

COME MEET OUR EXPERIENCED 

AND OUTSTANDING TEAM 

10% SALE 

CARPET 

LVT 

WOOD 

CERAMIC 

THE ENTIRE STORE !! 

12 MONTHS 

FREE FINANCING 

Visit our beautiful showroom which has an expansive 

sample selection of carpet, wood, luxury vinyl and ceramic. 

We would love to schedule a free in-home consultation 

and measurement at your convenience. 

Our 350+ 5 star reviews = superior customer service. 

HOURS: MON-FRI 8-6 • SAT 10-4 • SUN - CLOSED 

14932 Manchester Rd., Ballwin, MO 63011 

636-230-6900 • www.allsurfaceflooringstl.com

West Newsmagazine 11-2-22

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