Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 7-3-24

Vol. 21 No. 13 • July 3, 2024 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

Greatest 

Generation 

Local veterans reflect on WWII 

PLUS: Library District Tables Proposal ■ Francis Howell Reaches Final Four ■ Mature Focus

2 I 

July 3, 2024 

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

@MIDRIVERS_NEWS 

MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM 

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STAR PARKER 

Tim Scott’s 

important message 

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim 

Scott hosted an event in Washington, D.C., 

marking the Juneteenth holiday, which 

showcased why he has been included 

among the candidates President Donald 

Trump is considering as his running mate. 

Juneteenth, now a national holiday, 

commemorates June 19, 1865, the date of 

the final implementation of the Emancipation 

Proclamation in the state of Texas. 

It’s considered the official end of slavery 

in the United States. 

Scott’s event, attended by a list of major 

Republican donors – which I also had the 

privilege of attending – was entitled the 

Great Opportunity Policy Summit. 

This following the announcement of 

Scott’s Great Opportunity PAC of plans 

to spend $14 million on outreach to Black 

and Hispanic Americans leading up to the 

presidential election. 

The centerpiece of Scott’s message 

about American opportunity has always 

been himself. 

His birth into a poor home in the South 

to a single mother. That is, birth into 

exactly the circumstances which so many 

claim define circumstances that make it 

impossible to succeed. 

Black, poor, no father. In a country that 

is allegedly racist. 

But Scott’s critical message is that 

America is not about racism, but is about 

opportunity. 

Does that mean there are no racists in 

America? Of course, not. But there are 

sinners of all shapes and forms in our 

country. 

Scott is telling Black Americans, and 

all Americans, that you are not defined by 

others. Others do not define your personal 

destiny. You do. 

And he presents himself to show that 

being Black, let alone being born Black 

and poor to a single mother, is not a recipe 

for failure. Despite coming into this world 

under tough circumstances, he now is a 

United States senator and has been a candidate 

for the nation’s highest office. 

It is also important to note that Scott is 

a humble man. He does not say he made 

it because he is so special. What he says 

is special is our country and the values 

that allow even an ordinary guy under the 

worst of circumstances to succeed. 

The essence of Scott’s message was 

once conveyed by Irish playwright George 

Bernard Shaw, which subsequently was 

used by President John F. Kennedy in an 

address to the Irish parliament and then 

by Robert F. Kennedy in his presidential 

campaign in 1968. 

“You see things as they are and ask, 

‘why?’ I dream things that never were and 

ask, ‘Why not?’” 

A more prosaic version says some see 

a glass half full and some see a glass half 

empty. Of course, it is the nature of things 

that work always must be done to make 

things better. 

So, despite the truth that America is a 

free country and that anyone with character, 

determination and the right values can 

make it, things can always be improved. 

So, Scott’s Opportunity Policy program 

targets institutional improvements that 

can be made in the country to make the 

path to success even smoother and more 

accessible. 

He is an advocate of giving parents 

choice and control over where to send 

their child to school. And he supports the 

Opportunity Zone program, which provides 

tax incentives for business investment 

in our nation’s most troubled ZIP 

codes. 

There is no freedom without law, so 

Scott supports rigorous law enforcement 

both in our cities and on our border. 

Black Americans are making it in 

America. Twenty-two percent of Blacks 

earn over $100,000 a year, and 33% earn 

over $75,000. 

Scott’s vitally important message to all 

Americans, of every background, is this is 

a land of opportunity. 

Taking advantage of it means taking 

responsibility for your life. 

The more individuals take control 

of their personal destiny, the less they 

believe that others control their lives, the 

greater our country will become. 

• • • 

Star Parker is president of the Center 

for Urban Renewal and Education and 

host of the weekly television show “Cure 

America with Star Parker.” 

© 2024 Creators.com 

Read more on midriversnewsmagazine.com 



I OPINION I 3 

TREE SERVICE 

Tom Hoff 

MW-5578A 

Conservative Republican 

Rich Chrismer 

STATE SENATE 

INTEGRITY | LEADERSHIP | EXPERIENCE 

Defending America’s southern border, including deporting illegal immigrants. 

Protecting parental rights and safety in our schools. Protecting our kids from 

sexual predators and the Left’s radical Woke ideology. 

Fighting inflation, providing real tax relief. Passed 

legislation eliminating the state tax on groceries 

from the budget in 1997, totaling almost 

$13 Billion so far. 

Championing pro-life initiative, authoring and 

passing a ban on partial-birth abortions in 1997. 

Vietnam Veteran with 3 tours of duty. Brought 

the Veterans Administration Clinic to St. Charles, 

serving over 54,000 veterans. 

Proud Golden Eagle member of the NRA. 

Dear Voter, 

Our Country is in trouble, and this election is critical. You deserve common sense 

decisions, and integrity addressing your interests and concerns. I ask for your support 

and vote, this August 6, 2024. 

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6 I OPINION I 





EDITORIAL 

Random Thoughts 

With a tip of the cap to our old friend 

Thomas Sowell, we offer the following 

random thoughts on the passing scene: 

Last week’s presidential debate was one 

of the darkest days in the history of our 

great country. That is all. 

The massive Gateway Studios project in 

the Chesterfield Valley launched to great 

fanfare and great public expense. Some 

$130 million in bonds were issued. A tax 

credit was created by Missouri specifically 

tailored for this development. The 

32-acre music rehearsal, studio and hotel 

space was meant to insert our area into 

the thriving global touring business. Last 

week, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported 

the project, already more than a year 

behind schedule, came to an abrupt halt 

with Arco Construction ordering all subcontractors 

off the site for non-payment; 

Gateway claimed Arco is to blame for the 

project and payment delays. Pardon the 

pun, but none of that sounds good. 

First came the Tide Pods challenge, 

where the lure of social media stardom 

led many kids to intentionally consume 

laundry detergent. Now, we have what 

the Creve Coeur police department says 

is called the “Orbeez Challenge.” This 

is where people are encouraged to shoot 

a gel bead gun at unsuspecting strangers. 

On June 22 a juvenile stood up in a dark 

movie theater and did just that. “Inside 

Out 2” – a Pixar film about feelings – was 

playing at the AMC 12 at the time. Are we 

still trying to claim that social media isn’t 

making us stupider? 

The young black bear spotted in Ballwin 

has since been tracked to Arnold, followed 

by Barnhart. The Missouri Department of 

Conservation considers the southward trail 

a good thing. Unconfirmed reports suggest 

that the bear was confused by St. Louis 

County’s sales tax pool and decided to 

move to an area where his tax dollars made 

a more immediate impact. 

Several pro athletes with St. Louis 

ties have had pretty good days recently. 

Congrats are due to recent Stanley Cup 

winner (and former Chaminade student) 

Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk’s Florida 

Panthers bested the Edmonton Oilers in a 

thrilling seven-game championship series. 

Fellow Chaminade legend Jayson Tatum 

also hoisted his first championship trophy, 

leading his Boston Celtics team to an 

NBA championship in five games over the 

Dallas Mavericks. In regard to Tkachuk’s 

teammate, former St. Louis Blue Vladimir 

Tarasenko, winning his first cup outside the 

Lou, well…it’s complicated. 

(And listen, don’t tell anyone because 

it feels precarious, but the St. Louis Cardinals 

went 26-14 from Mother’s Day 

through last week’s Braves series. That’s 

the second-best record in baseball over 

that span. Shhhh, baseball is a very superstitious 

game.) 

St. Charles County Executive Steve 

Ehlmann and St. Charles City Mayor Dan 

Borgmeyer could oversee a big shakeup 

to the most partisan non-partisan board 

the world has ever known. Five of the 

nine seats on the St. Charles City-County 

Library Board of Trustees are potentially 

available over the next few months. Ehlmann 

and Borgmeyer nominate the candidates, 

and their respective councils 

approve the appointments. The library 

district has been in the news far more 

than a library ever should be of late, initially 

over social policy and more recently 

over a widely-panned plan to close three 

branch locations. 

Founder 

Publisher Emeritus 

Publisher 

Managing Editor 

Associate Editor 

Staff Writer 

Features Editor 

Business Manager 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Layout 

Advertising Account Executives 

Nancy Anderson 

Vicky Czapla 

Ellen Hartbeck 

Jessica Baumgartner 

Bethany Coad 

Suzanne Corbett 

Reporters 

Doug Huber 

Sharon Huber 

Tim Weber 

Dan Fox 

Kate Uptergrove 

Laura Brown 

Lisa Russell 

Erica Myers 

Donna Deck 

Aly Doty 

Emily Rothermich 

Linda Joyce 

Joe Ritter 

Sheila Roberts 

Robin S. Jefferson 

DeAnne LeBlanc 

John Tremmel 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

Unclaimed property tax 

During June and July, newspapers 

across Missouri are publishing tens of 

thousands of names of people for whom 

the State Treasurer’s Office is holding 

unclaimed property totaling more than $1 

billion. This is not the state’s money – it is 

Missourians’ money, and I am committed 

to returning it to its rightful owner. 

Please scan these lists to see if they 

include your name, or the names of relatives 

or friends, including those who may 

be deceased or who no longer live in 

Missouri. One in 10 Missourians have 

unclaimed money, and there are nearly 

330,000 unclaimed property accounts, so 

it is likely you or someone you know is on 

the list. Even if you don’t find yourself on 

the list, please still check our database – 

the listings in the newspaper are for those 

with over $50 in unclaimed property. You 

may have some under that value! 

It is fast, free and easy to go online 

at showmemoney.com to find out more 

information and apply to get your money 

returned. Just enter your name exactly as 

it appears in the newspaper list, starting 

with the last name first. 

Since I became State Treasurer in January 

2023, my office has returned more 

than $80 million to its rightful owners. 

The average amount returned is nearly 

$300, so it is worth your while to check 

the database. 

Why does the state of Missouri hold 

unclaimed property? State law requires 

financial institutions, insurance companies, 

governmental agencies and many 

businesses to turn over unclaimed assets 

to the State Treasurer’s Office after several 

years of no activity on accounts. 

This includes cash from bank accounts, 

stocks and bonds, utility refunds and the 

contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes. 

The vast majority of unclaimed property 

is cash or the equivalent, but there 

are also many items from safety deposit 

boxes, and these have ranged from valuable 

jewelry, historical books and documents, 

even false teeth. There are always 

surprises. 

If these items of actual property go 

unclaimed from the State Treasurer’s 

Office for several years, they are subject 

to public auction. This year’s Unclaimed 

Property Auction will be held July 29-30, 

starting at 9 a.m. each day, with previews 

starting July 28. The auction location is 

the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, 

2546 North Glenstone Avenue, in Springfield. 

Vivek Malek 

Missouri State Treasurer 

754 Spirit 40 Park Drive 

Chesterfield, MO 63005 

(636) 591-0010 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

Please send 

Comments, Letters and Press Releases to: 

editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com 

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is published 24 times per 

year by 21 Publishing LLC. 35,000 distribution (direct 

mailed and newsstands) in St. Charles County. Products 

and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed 

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WANT TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION? 

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hullabazoo-Mid Rivers Magazine - STL-6-10-241151.pdf 1 6/12/24 July 8:44 3, AM 2024 


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Vietnam veteran Rick Saunders accepts his quilt. 

NEWS 

BRIEFS 

COTTLEVILLE 

Soccer field for independent 

teams opens 

Cottleville City Fields (CCF) are now 

open to give a home base to small and 

independent soccer clubs. The sports field 

facility broke ground in December and celebrated 

its grand opening on June 14. 

Co-owner Andy Kohl previously had 

said although interest in soccer has grown 

throughout the area, independent teams 

were lacking permanent spaces to practice 

and play. 

Now, CCF is ready to house teams with 

artificial turf, LED lighting and expanded 

areas for spectators to enjoy food trucks 

and vending machines. 

CCF is situated at 5854 Hwy. N in Cottleville. 

This brand-new facility welcomed 

hundreds of soccer enthusiasts to the grand 

opening. 

Several food trucks including Tacos 4 

Life, O’Kanes Kitchen and Dirty Dough 

Cookies attended so attendees could test 

out the picnic tables and St. Louis Ambush 

soccer had a booth for those interested in 

the local team. 

Then, the SLSG U19 ECNL team 

(coached by CCF co-owner Brad Davis) 

took on the St. Charles FC USL 2 team. 

The pre-professional league game displayed 

the local talent and drew in a crowd. 

Afterward, the fields were opened up for 

kids and parents to play on. 

Kohl said the grand opening was an 

“incredible success.” 

“Over 300 people attended, showcasing 

the overwhelming support from the community,” 

Kohl said. 

He added that it was “a commemoration 

of all the hard work and dedication that 

brought this project to life.” 

“We are deeply grateful to everyone 

involved and excited for the future of Cottleville 

City Fields,” Kohl said. 

DARDENNE PRAIRIE 

Next phase of Villas 

project introduced 

Jeff Simmons of Bax Engineering displayed 

plans for Phase II and Phase III of 

the Villas at Dardenne Prairie, a Bridgewater 

Communities Inc. property, at the city’s 

June 18 Board of Aldermen meeting. Two 

bills rezoning both pieces of land were also 

introduced to rezone the lots for these plans. 

“Phase one was successful,” Simmons 

said as he shared visuals of the next phases 

of work the developers are seeking to offer. 

“Phase II is very similar to Phase I,” he 

added. Simmons also pointed out that the 

new single-family houses are virtually the 

Quilters hard at work preparing the gifts for veterans. 

same homes with the same layouts as what 

has already been constructed. 

Phase II is to be placed on 2.88 acres at 

the southwest corner of Hanley Road and 

Feise Road and would add nine singlefamily 

houses. 

Phase III was presented as well, and is 

designed to develop 14 homes on the 4.02- 

acre plot at the southeast corner of Hanley 

and Feise. 

During the public hearing, Mayor John 

Gotway questioned whether sewer line 

issues previously realized at the initial 

Planning & Zoning Commission meeting 

had been addressed, and the developer 

confirmed they had been taken care of. 

Alderman Carla Detweiler (Ward 2) 

addressed concerns regarding traffic issues 

that could become problematic for Phase 

II, due to the property’s proximity to Prairie 

View Elementary School. 

“Unless you witness it, you don’t understand 

what a problem that is,” Detweiler said. 

“The side of the subdivision butts up to 

the side of the school.” 

Detweiler said parents would be enticed 

to park in the subdivision when waiting 

to pick students up from school. She also 

described how cars and buses congest the 

area, noting that children will be walking 

along the busy area, increasing the likelihood 

of traffic accidents with the current 

plans for the new homes. 

Detweiler requested the developers 

reconfigure the road design to force drivers 

to utilize the light at Hanley Road and only 

(Photos by Jessica Marie Baumgartner) 

allow a right-turn exit onto Feise Road. 

The board discussed these concerns and 

the developer agreed to update the plans to 

better direct car flow. The vote to approve 

the rezoning bills was postponed to the 

July 3 meeting. 

O’FALLON 

Veterans honored with 

patriotic quilts 

Eight special veterans were honored by 

the Assumption Quilters and the O’Fallon 

Knights of Columbus Ladies Axillary 

#2269 on June 25. This group was given 

handmade patriotic quilts during a ceremony 

at the Assumption of the Blessed 

Virgin Mary Parish in O’Fallon. 

The room was filled with dozens of 

quilters who worked tirelessly up until the 

ceremony. 

Among those honored during the festivities 

were four Army service members, two 

Navy men, one marine and an Air Force 

member. Each solder, sailor or airman had 

served the country overseas. 

John Blank, Jim Hellard, Dave Mackey, 

Rick Saunders, Michael Saxon and Lonnie 

Willis Sr. all served in Vietnam, with Hellard 

being sent to Vietnam twice and Willis 

Sr. also serving in the Gulf War. 

Ty Bingaman fought in the Korean War 

and Desert Storm. Shannon Holdahl was 

the youngest veteran honored for her service; 

she served as a paratrooper in the 90s.



“All of our quilts have lots – hundreds, 

thousands of little tiny stitches, and those 

represent our love, our prayers and our 

commitment to you veterans,” event emcee 

Mary Jo Edson said. “And that is the reason 

that we stitch a heart in each quilt.” 

Edson introduced the veterans one by one 

as they received a handmade quilt, noting 

their individual service among smiles, 

laughter and a few tears from those gathered. 

“Our quilts are our way of saying thank 

you, but are also meant to bring comfort 

and healing,” she said. 

Willis Sr. proudly displayed his medals at 

his table, and Holdahl was acknowledged 

for representing the “unsung women” who 

have and continue to serve. 

Attention also focused on Saunders 

when he received his quilt. 

Wheelchair-bound, his health has been 

affected by Agent Orange as a result of his 

service in Vietnam. 

Saunders was born in Nova Scotia, 

Canada, and joined the U.S. Army because 

he wished to become an American citizen. 

He was honored during the ceremony for 

his service and patriotism, alongside his 

service brothers and sister. 

It was an emotional moment for everyone 

in attendance. 

“Behind every soldier, sailor…is a family, 

a family who supports you, stands behind 

you and loves you,” Edson said after the 

eight veterans had received their quilts. 

The veterans were treated to a standing 

ovation and family members helped open 

the quilts to display them. 

Assumption Senior Associate Pastor 

Monsignor Dennis Stehly gave a blessing 

and led the crowd in reciting the Pledge of 

Allegiance with the veterans. 

“This is the greatest country in the world,” 

Stehly said, thanking the veterans for their 

service. 

ST. CHARLES CITY 

City, county partner on 

real-time parking app 

St. Charles City and St. Charles County 

are launching a real-time parking app in 

response to parking and navigation difficulties 

in the area. 

The Park StC mobile app is free of 

charge, offering a user-friendly experience 

in securing a parking spot at major city 

and county events. The app roll-out comes 

ahead of popular community events such 

as Riverfest and Festival of the Little Hills. 

“By offering instant access to available 

parking spots in St. Charles, residents and 

visitors alike can avoid frustrations,” St. 

Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said in a 

release. 

Using comprehensive maps, Park StC 

displays color-coded parking spaces 

according to real-time availability: red 

(unavailable), green (available) or blue 

(ADA accessible). Users can navigate to 

open spaces quickly and even access information 

related to time limits. 

The city and county developed the app 

as a solution to time and stress concerns for 

historical attraction visitors. 

“We hope this will encourage more visitors 

all the while making it easier for residents to 

visit Historic Main Street,” Borgmeyer said. 

The app is available on both Android 

and iOS devices and does not require any 

registration. Park StC is free to use, as 

street and surface lot parking spaces in St. 

Charles are free. 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

County Council approves grant 

for Smartt Field Regional Airport 

On June 10, the St. Charles County 

Council approved a bill authorizing amendments 

to a funding agreement for a project 

at the Smartt Field Regional Airport. 

For several years now, the Smartt Field 

Airport has been the topic of an infrastructure 

improvement initiative. The proposal, sent by 

Director of Parks Ryan Graham, requested 

funding for the design and construction of 

taxi lane pavements at the airport. 

The process started in June 2022, when 

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See NEWS BRIEFS, page 13 

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10 I NEWS I MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

Library board takes official vote to “indefinitely” delay controversial cost-savings plan 

By ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON 

The St. Charles City-County Library will 

not be closing the Kisker Road, McClay and 

Deer Run library branches – at least for now. 

The Board of Trustees approved a resolution 

on June 18 to table a proposal by the 

district’s CEO that would have closed three 

libraries, laid off nearly 40 employees and 

left 25 vacant positions unfilled. 

Though the nine-member board voted to 

“indefinitely” delay Library District CEO 

Jason Kuhl’s plan to address the district’s 

financial issues, caused by the rising costs 

of electronic books and streaming platforms 

and capital expenditures, board members 

said they still want Kuhl to come up with a 

different plan, utilizing input from the community 

and front-line library staff. 

Officials also say they plan to hold public 

listening sessions on any future proposals, 

though no formal plans or dates have been 

set. 

Still, some members of the board – as 

well as residents of the district – wanted an 

explanation as to why the proposal was even 

in consideration in the first place. Questions 

made to Kuhl on June 18 centered around 

why, if the district is in a financial emergency, 

no plan has been put into place to 

address it before now. 

“This isn’t anything you didn’t know about 

six years ago, is it?” board member William 

“Buddy” Clark Hardin IV asked Kuhl during 

the meeting. “It’s just exasperating that you 

knew what was going on, and you waited six 

years, and your big cut was just to close three 

libraries and cut a bunch of people, so you 

could raise the pay of the ones you kept.” 

In an email, Kuhl said Hardin’s statements 

were “simply untrue.” 

“One of the primary functions of the Board 

of Trustees is to provide fiscal oversight and 

set the financial course for the organization,” 

Kuhl wrote. “The financial status of the 

library has been a conversation with the board 

in public meetings since at least 2019. To say 

we waited six years to take action is simply 

untrue. There have been many cost-savings 

measures implemented. Some of those have 

been met with great resistance from the community 

and elected officials such as reduced 

hours and closing on Sundays – all of which 

have happened in the past several years. As 

a new board member, trustee Hardin doesn’t 

have that background.” 

Kuhl and the library board have taken 

heat from citizens who said they were blindsided 

by the special Friday-night meeting of 

the board in May, where the original proposal 

was presented. 

Hardin’s questions came following a presentation 

by Kuhl on June 18, wherein he 

addressed, among other things, library revenue, 

property taxes, operating costs, capital 

expenditures and overall library health. 

Kuhl referred to a long list of operating 

cost reduction measures in recent years that 

the library has undertaken, which include 

hiring and pay freezes, adjustment of operating 

hours and holiday schedules, eliminiation 

of printed event guides and an Interstate 

70 billboard rental and introduction of new 

catalog which saves approximately $25,000 

annually. 

Kuhl also referred to a chart included with 

his presentation which outlines increases in 

annual revenue and operating expenditures 

in four-year increments from 2000 through 

2023, noting that in three of the six four-year 

periods, operating expenditures increased at 

a rate exceeding that of annual revenues. 

“Most significantly, in the eight years 

encompassing Fiscal Year 2008 through 

Fiscal Year 2015, operating expenses 

increased 27% while revenues only 

increased 6%,” Kuhl said in an email. 

“Operating costs growing more quickly than 

revenue is a marker of an organization that 

is on an unsustainable path.” 

Kuhl also reminded board members and 

the audience that 94% of the district’s budget 

is funded by property tax revenue, with the 

district losing money on tax abatements. 

“That’s revenue we lose every year to 

various tax districts,” he said. “Cities collectively 

pulled $595,000 out of our revenue. 

We don’t get to see that made up by 

increases in sales tax, for example. That 

may be good for the community, but libraries 

see no real benefit from them and they 

do take money out of our revenue.” 

Kuhl told the board it is “not the case” 

that the library is in a bad financial position 

as a whole. 

“What is at issue, though, is the cost of 

daily operations versus revenue and how 

daily operations is escalating at a rate that 

is higher than the increases we’re seeing in 

revenue,” he said. 

In response, Hardin asked, “If we’re in 

such a strong financial position, why do we 

need to address the long-term financial sustainability 

for the district and why are we 



taking those steps now?” 

“We are so far behind in infrastructure,” 

Kuhl said in response, listing equipment 

the district has purchased on the cheap to 

save money, such as plumbing fixtures, consumer-grade 

electronics and subpar office 

equipment. “We are the neighbor who has 

the fancy car and goes on the vacation, but 

can’t cover the $400 emergency expenses.” 

Hardin said all of those things necessitated 

a comprehensive plan. 

“My question is why is there not a comprehensive 

plan?” Hardin said. “You came here 

in 2018. Those things should be in a comprehensive 

plan. There is no comprehensive 

capital funding plan, and here we are saying 

to the public ‘trust us.’ They feel like, ‘show 

me a plan,’ and the only plan they saw was 

quickly released to them and to me. The 

‘let’s close three libraries plan.’ It’s hard for 

me to see that it’s an emergency. But if it is 

an emergency why did you let it happen?” 

Board President Staci Alvarez said, “It’s 

not an emergency yet.” 

“Closing three libraries in six weeks or 

eight weeks, that’s an emergency,” Hardin 

countered. 

Board member Josiah Schmidt asked Kuhl 

about whether he and his staff had considered 

any thoughts from front-line staff. 

“So maybe our public-facing staff have 

some ideas for cost-saving measures, and 

maybe we haven’t tried asking them,” 

Schmidt said. “I would encourage us to try 

to think more creatively about how we can 

get more unfiltered feedback from our frontline 

staff so we actually know what’s going 

on on the ground.” 

School board proposes restrictions on gender identity discussion, curriculum in draft policies 

By RISA CIDONI 

The June 20 meeting for the Francis 

Howell School District (FHSD) Board of 

Education saw disputes among the board 

and from public commenters over several 

proposed new policies. Among the seven 

proposed policies were those that would 

bar discussions of gender identity and 

sexual orientation, political campaigns on 

school grounds and adoption of new curriculum 

without board approval. These 

proposals were introduced for a first reading 

at the meeting, which was preceded by 

a rally, organized in part by progressive 

political action group Francis Howell Forward, 

where protesters gathered in opposition 

to the policies. 

Of the proposed policies, a restriction on 

gender discussion in schools was a particular 

focus of public comments. 

The proposal was provided by Board 

President Adam Bertrand and would, 

“What if I complain I don’t like any of 

the books in (the) library? Immediately, 

nobody can read those books?” 

among other guidelines, prohibit district 

employees from discussing gender 

identity, encouraging students to pursue 

gender reassignment surgery or encouraging 

students to adopt a gender identity or 

sexual orientation. Students would require 

approval through a consultation with their 

parents before having conversations with 

teachers or administrators about adopting 

– Board member Carolie Owens 

a gender other than that of their biological 

sex. 

During public comments, parents and 

teachers expressed concern with the policy. 

Amy Easterling, who identified herself as a 

parent to a non-binary child, criticized the 

regulation as insensitive. 

“Again and again, you deem LGBTQ 

people as some sort of social or political 

agenda, and you constantly oversexualize 

them,” Easterling said. “You are 

saying that my child’s very existence is an 

agenda and somehow inappropriate in your 

warped vision of society.” 

Another proposed policy revision looked 

at restrictions to curriculum resources 

and library books, or Learning Commons 

materials. Proposed amendments would 

limit student access to library materials 

and bar any writing material containing 

explicitly sexual conduct, normalized drug 

use, illegal violence or excessive profanity. 

Community members would also hold 

influence over Learning Commons materials 

through another proposed regulation, 

where formal challenges to any school 

library materials deemed “obscene” by the 

petitioner would be reviewed by a committee. 

Arguments against the proposed review 

See FRANCIS HOWELL, page 13



EPA Region 7 

Iowa, Kansas, 

Missouri, Nebraska 

and Nine Tribal Nations 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 

11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219 

Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425 

PUBLIC NOTICE 

Public Comment Period for Settlement Agreement 

Findett Corp. Superfund Site 

St. Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri 

July 2024 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announces the filing of a 

settlement agreement with three parties, requiring the payment of cleanup costs at 

the Findett Corp. Superfund Site in St. Charles, Missouri. The settlement was filed in 

the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri. 

The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court 

approval. The public comment period ends July 17, 2024. 

The public may find information on how to submit their comments on the Federal 

Register website at the QR code below or at the following link: 

www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/06/17/2024-13204/notice-of-lodgingof-proposed-consent-decree-under-the-comprehensive-environmental-response 

Site project information is available to the public at web repositories. To view 

cleanup documents, please visit EPA’s Site Profile page at 

www.epa.gov/superfund/findettcorp (see Site Documents & Data). 

If you do not have internet access, you can view these documents online at this 

location: Kathryn Linnemann Branch Library, 2323 Elm Street, St. Charles, MO 63301. 

If you have questions about the site, please contact Jessica Evans, EPA community 

involvement coordinator, at evans.jessica@epa.gov or 314-296-8182. 

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12 I NEWS I 





Groundbreaking conducted for new 

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O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy, O’Fallon City Council members and City Administrator 

Mike Snowden. 

(John Tremmel photo) 

Serving the St. Charles Community 

bibbforcouncil@outlook.com @BibbForCouncil 

Paid for by Citizens for Nathan Bibb, Treasurer- Dan Luigs 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

On Monday, June 24, on a 98-degree 

afternoon, O’Fallon and St. Charles City 

hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a 

new regional law enforcement facility to 

be constructed on an 87-acre site at 2400 

Hwy. 79. St. Charles County Council 

member, Mike Elam (District 3) was the 

event’s master of ceremonies. 

The two cities have partnered to develop 

the training center, officially named the 

Center for Advanced Skills Training in 

Law Enforcement. 

“Through this collaboration, we’re fostering 

teamwork, sharing expertise and 

creating a stronger, united front against the 

crime that plagues our cities,” an O’Fallon 

press release stated. 

Training facility construction will be 

in phases over several years as funding 

becomes available from the two cities, 

state funding and federal grants. On June 

30, 2023, Missouri Governor Mike Parson 

signed the 2024 state budget, but line-item 

vetoed a planned $12 million for this police 

training center. Funds were again placed in 

the 2025 state budget for this facility, but it 

is not known at press time if the governor 

will approve it. 

Phase 1A for the training center involved 

very basic grading of the site. Actual facility 

construction begins with Phase 1B in 

2024, which will involve building a 200- 

yard firing range. 

This training center will be a unique 

facility for the state, bringing the needed 

training components for police officer 

training into one location. The facility 

will include a live-firing range for pistols 

and rifles, training facility for breaching 

a building, K-9 area, an obstacle course, 

“simuinition” house, emergency vehicle 

operations course, helicopter training 

area, SWAT training area, and drone 

training area. 

Elam said every year he sees one of the 

cities in the county listed as one of the best 

places to live in the state and the country. 

“A key reason is safety, and this stateof-the-art 

facility with training all in one 

place will help maintain that,” Elam said. 

Speakers at the groundbreaking included 

Elam, O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy, St. 

Charles City Mayor Dan Borgmeyer, State 

Representative Dave Hinman (R-District 

103) and State Senator Nick Schroer 

(R-District 2). Attendees included the city 

councils from O’Fallon and St. Charles, 

both city administrators, the cities’ staff, St. 

Peters Mayor Len Pagano, O’Fallon Police 

Chief Frank Mininni and St. Charles Police 

Chief Ray Juengst. 

All four speakers lauded the partnership, 

cooperation and hard work by numerous 

parties to make this facility happen. 

Hennessy said the facility will provide 

training needed for the 21st century, and 

that he is most proud that the facility was 

visualized and designed “by boots on the 

ground, not politicians.” 

Borgmeyer outlined three high-priority 

things needed for life in St. Charles: Water 

from the tap, an ambulance when critical 

medical care is needed and safety. 

“Without safety, the other two won’t 

matter,” Borgmeyer said. “Juvenile crime 

is out of control. We all need to tighten up. 

The police, senators and legislators must 

take every step possible to reduce this 

crime.” 

This facility has also received support 

from several law enforcement associations, 

including the Missouri Police 

Chiefs Association and the St. Louis Area 

Police Chiefs Association. The Economic 

Development Council of St. Charles 

County endorsed the construction of the 

facility because of its positive economic 

impact on the region.





I NEWS I 13 

FRANCIS HOWELL, from page 10 

process included concerns about the logistics 

of implementation and potentially 

biased removal of educational materials. 

“What if I complain I don’t like any 

of the books in (the) library?” board 

member Carolie Owens asked. “Immediately, 

nobody can read those books? That 

doesn’t sound like America to me.” Owens, 

and board member Steven Blair, were the 

two winning candidates backed by Francis 

Howell Forward in the April election. 

An additional piece of the Learning 

Commons proposal would require board 

approval for all additional curriculum and 

supplemental materials. The proposal follows 

the board’s decision in early June to 

bar the use of BrainPOP videos for district 

learning. On June 20, board Treasurer Jane 

Puszkar described the 5-2 conservative 

majority board’s decision earlier that month 

against “brain propaganda” as a motion 

against political influence in schools. 

“By removing BrainPOP…you do realize 

we are removing the politics contained 

in those little videos, videos that disparage 

any conservative leader and exalt those 

that are liberal,” Puszkar said. “Children 

are very impressionable at that age and 

need a balanced discussion of history.” 

However, speakers contested the board’s 

decision on BrainPOP and potential further 

restriction on learning materials in the 

name of separating politics and education. 

“It has become increasingly clear that 

your political agendas influence our rights 

and education rather than our welfare,” 

said Harper Schnieder, a rising junior at 

Francis Howell North. Schnieder spoke 

NEWS BRIEFS, from page 9 

funds to complete the project, granted 

through the BiPartisan Infrastructure Law 

(BIL) of the State Block Grant Program. 

The funds represent the state’s 90% 

share of project costs. 

“Without these grants, we would not have 

been able to complete the project to replace 

existing pavements and further additional 

growth and development,” Smartt Field 

Airport Director Dennis Wiss said. 

The amendment discussed and passed 

at the June 10 meeting required county 

approval for the state’s increased construction 

funds through BIL, and approval of 

the county’s matching funds of $65,157. 

The improved airport taxi lanes are 

expected to be finished in 2024. Additional 

development of existing hangars is 

being discussed. 

“The project has met its intention of 

drawing in new development,” Wiss said. 

“Since we’ve finished the construction, we 

are in negotiation to build a new hangar in 

the next six months to a year.” 

against Puszkar’s released statements on 

the BrainPOP ban. “Shielding students 

from certain topics and curiosity impedes 

student intellectual growth and destroys 

our education system.” 

Another proposal introduced on June 20 

covered electioneering on school property. 

Under the policy revisions, employees 

and community members alike could not 

advocate or support candidates, discuss 

ballot proposals, or politically campaign 

on school property outside of election day. 

Several parents and teachers voiced concerns 

about how the policy may restrict 

public education on school district matters. 

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Blair claimed political campaigning on 

school grounds was a valuable aspect of 

his election experience. 

“It (is) valuable for parents to hear from 

candidates,” Blair said. “This is a removal 

of access and speech.” 

Adriana Kuhn, who lost a bid for an open 

school board seat in April and was backed 

by the conservative Francis Howell Families 

PAC, spoke in support of the proposed 

policies. She contested the growth of political 

influence in board discussions. 

“Open-session board meetings should 

be held to a high standard where directors 

are prohibited from speaking for or against 

N 

94 

CENTER 

POINTE 

HOSPITAL 

elected political officials,” Kuhn said. She 

criticized Blair, claiming he had enacted 

political discussions on the board. “You ran 

on slogans of ‘no politics in schools’ and now 

is the time to show if you meant those words.” 

Board member Randy Cook proposed 

most of the introduced policies but was 

unable to attend the board’s meeting. The 

board discussed the process moving forward 

at length, including the potential 

of several amendments to the proposals 

before a second and final reading is conducted. 

A potential second reading of the 

proposals could take place at a future 

meeting in July or August. 

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14 I NEWS I 



Stories of courage: Local WWII veterans remember service 



By LAURA BROWN 

Army Cpl. Tom Lacey, 99, 

remembers when he thought he 

and his entire company would be 

killed in the Battle of the Bulge. 

“All of a sudden, when a bomber 

has your name on, you know, don’t 

ask me how, but you know,” Lacey 

said. “I heard the 500-pound bomb 

coming, and oh my God, there was 

nothing we could do. We’re gone. 

“And all of a sudden, about the 

time I should hear it explode, I 

heard a crash. It was a 600-gallon 

auxiliary fuel tank that a pilot had 

ejected. I had written us off.” 

Lacey, of St. Charles, and Army 

Capt. Ralph Goldsticker, 102, of 

Creve Coeur, were deployed to 

Europe in 1944, joining the fight 

in the final year of the war. This 

year, they each returned to Europe for the 

80th anniversary of D-Day. 

Thousands of Americans joined an Allied 

force of 150,000 men from 12 countries 

storming the beaches of Normandy, France 

on June 6, 1944 to regain control on the Western 

Front, changing the course of the war that 

began on Sept. 1, 1939, and ended on Sept. 2, 

1945. Officials still mark the significance of 

D-Day in France each year with ceremonies 

and parades in honor and memory of World 

War II veterans. 

This year, Lacey and Goldsticker traveled 

overseas for the events, sponsored respectively 

by nonprofits Best Defense Foundation 

and Old Glory Honor Flight. 

No atheists in foxholes 

Lacey was in the Army and served with 

Company C, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 

99th Infantry Division. He enlisted on July 

Army Cpl. Tom Lacey, 99, is welcomed to France. 

(Photo courtesy of Best Defence Foundation) 

15, 1943. He had just graduated from high 

school and said joining the Army was the 

thing to do because the war had been going 

on for several years. 

Lacey arrived in England in October of 

1944. After a couple of transfers, he ended 

up in Hurtgen Forest, and on Dec. 16, 1944 

he woke to the start of one of the largest and 

bloodiest battles of WWII – the Battle of the 

Bulge. Resulting in 19,000 American soldier 

deaths and 75,000 casualties, the Battle of 

the Bulge was Hitler’s last major offensive in 

WWII and lasted six brutal weeks, from Dec. 

16, 1944-Jan. 25, 1945. The frigid weather 

made this battle miserable and difficult. The 

average temperature was 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Lacey said a lot of casualties were 

due to trench foot, a condition that causes 

pain, numbness and swelling in the feet 

from standing in a cold, wet environment for 

extended amounts of time. 

Lacey was his company’s radio 

operator. He volunteered for the job 

when the military put into operation 

the new SCR-300, the first wireless 

communication radio. Lacey said it 

weighed 40 pounds and was worn 

like a backpack. 

“It was the first radio that was frequency 

modulated,” Lacey said. “In 

open country, it could send a signal 

up to 20 miles. We just had one for 

each company, and (because I carried 

it) I was in constant contact 

with the first sergeant or the company 

commander, or both. The nice 

part about it is I would find out what 

was going on during this ‘hurry up 

and wait.’ I knew what was going to 

happen first.” 

When asked if he kept in touch 

with others from his company over 

the years, Lacey said “no.” Most 

of his company was killed in the war. Lacey 

was one of 12 soldiers out of 200 in his company 

who returned from the war. 

“Our case was a little unusual because there 

were so few (of us) left,” Lacey said. “I had 

a friend (in a different company) who (after 

the war) would go to meetings and reunions 

(with others he served with). The difference 

between our companies was, we were fighting 

all the time, and they weren’t. They were 

fighting, but not near the amount of battles 

we were in. They (the Nazis) were concentrating 

all up north. That’s where we were. 

But they were at the south end of the bulge.” 

Lacey said he feels blessed to have survived 

the war. 

“I was a very lucky guy to make it to that 

point,” Lacey said. “I can tell you there aren’t 

any atheists in foxholes. I survived, but I 

wouldn’t want to do it again.” 

Lacey was discharged on Feb. 2, 1945. 

When he returned to St. Charles, Lacey went 

to work at McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, 

as an engineer until he retired. Lacey married 

and had 12 children with his wife. He 

now has 32 grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren. 

One of his granddaughters gave Lacey an 

empty journal several years ago and told him 

it was to write his stories. Lacey began writing 

about his time in the war, and eventually 

had enough for a book, which he published 

in 2019, titled “An Infantryman’s Reflections 

on World War II.” 

Any mission could be the last 

Goldsticker’s trip to Normandy was sponsored 

by the non-profit Old Glory Honor 

Flight and American Airlines. This flight 

included 66 veterans, each with their own 

caretaker to assist them. Goldsticker’s son 

Larry accompanied him. He said the highlight 

of the trip for him was meeting President 

Joe Biden. 

“It was a very moving event, with President 

Biden and President Macron (of France) 

speaking,” Goldsticker said. “I was one of 

the lucky few who got to meet him. My son’s 

highlight was talking to the other veterans.” 

Goldsticker served as a bombardier for the 

Army Air Corps during WWII. He enlisted 

in 1942 at 19 years old. He had a recruitment 

poster that said the Army would train new 

recruits to be a pilot, bombardier or navigator 

in six months. 

“I wanted to be a pilot,” Goldsticker said. 

“I’d never been in an airplane, but I’d seen 

movies with Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart 

acting as pilots, and they’re all heroes. So I 

thought that was what I wanted to do.” 

After completing flight school, Goldsticker 

ended up becoming a bombardier instead of 

See VETERANS, page 31 

Gov. Parson reflects on term as Missouri gears up for crowded primary 

By LAURA BROWN 

The Aug. 6 Primary Election is only one 

month away, and the largest field of competition 

for an individual race is for the 

office of governor. 

Fifteen candidates are running; nine 

Republicans, five Democrats and one 

Libertarian. On the Republican side the 

candidates, in ballot order, are: Darrell 

Leon McClanahan III; Jeremy Gundel; 

Bill Eigel; Robert James Olson; John R. 

(Jay) Ashcroft; Mike Kehoe; Chris Wright; 

Darren L Grant and Amber Thomsen. On 

the Democratic side the candidates in 

ballot order are Eric Morrison; Crystal 

Quade; Sheryl Gladney; Hollis L Laster 

and Mike Hamra. Bill Slantz is representing 

the Libertarian Party. 

Frontrunners have emerged. Polls, 

including those by YouGov and Emmerson 

College Polling, show three consistent 

frontrunners on the Republican side: Eigel, 

Ashcroft and Kehoe. Eigel is the state senator 

for Missouri’s District 23 in St. Charles 

County, where he was first elected in 2016 

and is currently finishing his second and 

final term in the office, due to term limits. 

Ashcroft is serving his second term as Missouri’s 

Secretary of State. Kehoe has been 

Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor since 

2018, currently serving his second term 

in the office. While these candidates are 

working to win votes, current Missouri 

Governor Michael Parson (R), is finishing 

his sixth and final year in office. Parson 

was sworn in as the 57th governor of the 

state in 2018 when the then-governor, 

Eric Greitens (R), resigned. Prior to that, 

Parson was lieutenant governor for a year, 

after serving in both the Missouri House of 

Representatives and Senate. Parson said he 

hopes the next person elected to serve as 

governor will continue to build the state’s 

economy on the foundation that was built 

during his term. 

“We’ve got jobs that are being created 

every day, which gives Missourians an 

opportunity to stay in Missouri,” Parson 

said. “I want our kids and our grandkids to 

have an opportunity to have a good paying 

job, to stay here. So I believe we’ve got 

a foundation built on that, and I want to 

make sure somebody’s going to continue 

to build on that foundation.” 

St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam 

Page said economic development is important 

for the entire state, but said St. Louis 

County is a big part of that success. 

“Regardless of who (is elected governor) 

they have to keep St. Louis County in mind 

because St. Louis County is the engine that 

drives the economy,” Page said. “Twentyfive 

percent of the jobs in Missouri are in 

St. Louis County. Half the jobs in the state 

are in the St. Louis region and we need to 

See PARSON, page 17

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Howell North connects with future 

Knights through SHIELD Program 

A Francis Howell North SHIELD mentor interacts with elementary students. 

(Source: Francis Howell School District) 

By BETHANY COAD 

Francis Howell North Principal Jeffery 

Fletcher is building community with a 

program designed to connect. Currently in 

his third year at North, Fletcher has long 

observed a chasm between elementary students 

in the area and the high school they 

would most likely attend. 

Fletcher wanted to bridge that gap on the 

north side of the Francis Howell School 

District. With this in mind, the SHIELD 

program was designed. 

Modeled after a program Fletcher had 

seen effective with his previous work with 

students, SHIELD embodies the traits that 

are needed in a student role model. Standing 

for Sportsmanship, Honesty, Integrity, 

Excellence, Leadership and Determination, 

the program allows Francis Howell North 

to connect with younger students and families 

and build pride as future Knights. 

“I want every student and family who 

will be sending their student to North to 

be excited and proud to call themselves a 

Knight,” Fletcher said. 

The program is in its second year. Three 

feeder schools are already covered by visiting 

SHIELD students. These students introduce 

younger kids to the extracurricular 

activities of high school, and impress upon 

them the importance of attendance at school, 

grades, hard work and school pride. 

“In schools, we are educating students not 

only in academics but in becoming productive 

and contributing members of the community 

around them,” Fletcher said. “We 

are striving to build leadership skills within 

our students so they can take that into their 

post-secondary endeavors.” 

The students selected to be mentors in 

the SHIELD program must be involved in 

an athletic or an activity at North. Typically 

these are seniors with a track record of good 

grades, attendance, behavior and leadership. 

The students are nominated by the coach 

or sponsor of the activity they’re involved 

with. 

Each of the SHIELD mentors is assigned 

a letter in the acronym to represent. 

“The visits consist of our student leaders 

interacting with all of the elementary 

students during lunch,” Fletcher said. “As 

they visit, they begin to make connections 

with the younger students. The elementary 

students are always excited to see the high 

schoolers come to their buildings. One of 

my favorite parts of the program is how 

much the high school students also get out 

of the program as well.” 

Ava Miller, a North student heavily 

involved in robotics, is one such student. 

“I talked to them about why they should 

start taking STEM classes when they get to 

middle school and why science is a good 

way to get involved,” Miller said. 

Representing “E” for Excellence is Wyatt 

Hines, a wrestler who explained to students 

the importance of hard work. 

“[It’s] doing everything to the best of your 

ability, just putting in all your work and not 

stopping. Not giving up,” Hines said. 

Liza Burgos has played golf for four 

years and represents “H” for Honesty; 

specifically academic and sports honesty. 

Burgos’ favorite part of the program is the 

connection with the kids. 

“It’s just hilarious and the random stories 

they tell you,” Burgos said. 

Fletcher is exploring the possibility of 

expanding the program to other feeders, 

including the two middle schools, though 

the program may take a different approach 

at the middle school level. 

“I want all our schools to be working 

together to improve the effectiveness of our 

schools, and create a positive impact on the 

community around us,” Fletcher said. 

While SHIELD’s direct target is future 

Knights, the program is always looking for 

ways to help support the greater community. 

“Last fall our high school SHIELD members 

volunteered with No Hunger Holiday 

packing Thanksgiving dinner for families in 

need,” Fletcher said. “We’d love to expand 

our support of the greater community.”





I 17 

PARSON, from page 14 

make sure that we’re attentive to that and 

we’re growing our jobs.” 

Parson credits a shift in presenting high 

school students with alternatives to a fouryear 

university as a game changer in the 

workforce. 

“I think that’s one of the reasons we 

had the lowest unemployment rate in our 

state’s history,” Parson said. “It’s why 

more and more people are coming to our 

state to expand businesses. 

project now underway is the Interstate 

70 expansion, which when complete will 

broaden the roadway to six lanes each way 

across that state. 

“I think Missouri probably will be the 

model for the nation on how we handle 

(expanding the interstate),” Parson said. 

“And not only have we done those things, 

but for the next six or seven years that 

money for infrastructure is already locked 

in. So we’re going to continue to build 

on our interstate systems, our river ports, 

our airports, our rail. We just have a great 

opportunity to bring new businesses here 

and create new jobs by building a good 

infrastructure.” 

As for advice for the next governor, 

Parson said he’s learned during his time in 

public office that the people come first. 

“Missouri is very diverse,” Parson said. 

“When you look at Kansas City and St. 

Louis, Springfield and Columbia, it’s a lot 

different in those areas than it is in Wright 

County or Putnam County or wherever 

you might be across the state. I think you 

have to understand that you want the entire 

state of Missouri to do well. And I think 

you have to be very open-minded about the 

way our state is, and one size doesn’t fit all. 

And that’s just the truth of it.” 

Parson also emphasized the importance 

of respect for the office, rather than one’s 

self. 

“Remember (you are) a public servant, 

and at the end of the day, you’re supposed 

to be serving the public,” Parson 

said. “You’re not supposed to be having 

your own agenda. You’re supposed to be 

out here doing what’s right for the people 

of Missouri and for the future, for the next 

generations.” 

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine will feature a 

Primary Election Preview Q&A in the July 

24 issue, featuring answers by candidates 

in contested races. 

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Governor Parson at the I-70 groundbreaking 

on June 13. 

(Source: Office of Missouri Governor Mike Parson) 

“And when you look back on all the 

things that people have come here for, and 

the jobs we’ve created, even through all 

the obstacles we’ve had – COVID, floods, 

droughts, civil unrest and everything – 

we’ve created probably close to 200,000 

jobs in this time, along with billions of dollars 

worth of new businesses that came to 

our state during that time.” 

Regarding what he would have liked to 

have seen accomplished during his administration, 

Parson said he hopes the initiative 

petition reform is approved in the next 

legislative session, along with child care 

initiatives. 

“We just don’t have the daycare facilities 

to be able to handle the need,” Parson said. 

“That’s a huge issue that affects everybody, 

no matter where you live in the state. That’s 

why some people don’t go to work. I think 

that’s a challenge for the next generations, 

but we’ve got to do a better job of providing 

daycare services. When I say “we” provide 

it, I mean to be able to partner with the 

private sectors and to be able to build that 

industry, not (have it) run by the state.” 

Infrastructure has also been a big issue 

that Parson focused on as governor. He 

said he is proud of the funding his administration 

has put into improving rural roads 

across the state. Also of note are bridge 

replacements, river port expansions and 

increased airports in the state. He noted 

new airports in Kansas City, Springfield 

and Columbia. Another big infrastructure 

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18 I SPORTS I 





Francis Howell reaches Final Four 

for first time in boys tennis 

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The Francis Howell Vikings boys tennis team secured the program’s first-ever appearance 

in the Final Four this season. 

(Photo provided) 

By WARREN MAYES 

It was a season to remember for the 

Francis Howell boys tennis team. 

The Vikings achieved a historic milestone 

this spring, securing the program’s 

first-ever appearance in the Final Four. 

Francis Howell was in the mix with such 

heralded programs as Pembroke Hill, John 

Burroughs and Rockhurst in the Class 3 

meet played at the Cooper Tennis Center 

in Springfield. 

Francis Howell was the only public high 

school team to reach the Final Four. 

The Vikings season ended with a 5-2 

loss to Rockhurst in the third-place match. 

Francis Howell finished with a 17-7 record. 

Despite the loss, it was a proud moment 

for the players, coaches and the Francis 

Howell community to have the program 

reach so far. 

Coach Tracy Carlson believed the 

Vikings accomplished a great deal with 

their season. 

“It was more than I could have asked for,” 

Carlson said. “Our program is growing, 

and more boys are buying into tennis and 

having fun. They see how the work in the 

offseason pays off and they are truly more 

than teammates.” 

The Vikings’ journey to the Final Four 

was a testament to the team’s hard work, 

skill and culture built within the program. 

The Vikings were young this season. 

Francis Howell had just one senior, Anderson 

Brown, in the starting lineup. Brown 

played No. 1 singles for the Vikings. 

Carlson was optimistic about the season 

when practice began in February. 

“Progress and improvement upon last 

season was our team goal,” Carlson said. 

“This was the tone and mentality we discussed 

at our end-of-season banquet last 

spring. I knew our level would be elevated 

from last due to the work I had known 

and seen the boys putting in the offseason 

and the fact that we had a good freshman 

coming in Aaron Burzynski.” 

The Vikings – counting regular season, 

tournaments and match play – last year 

was just 6-10, and 2-6 counting only duals. 

This year marked a significant improvement. 

The Vikings finished 7-2 in duals. 

“Pretty big accomplishment,” Carlson 

said. “I’m really proud of the boomerang 

effect in their play and presence on the 

court as a team. We had the majority of the 

team return, but we almost doubled in size. 

“My assistant coach (Mike Muench) 

is the football coach and PE teacher and 

teaches net sports. We are trying to get 

more athletes to try tennis and they did. I 

officially had 50 on the squad this season; 

this happens with the girls, but it is recordbreaking 

for the boys.” 

What caught Carlson’s eye about the 

Vikings this season was the “chemistry and 

confidence” the boys had from the start of 

practice. 

“The boys just instantly clicked with the 

double partners that easily fell into place 

and we would typically start off matches 

up 3-0 or 2-1, which helped boost our confidence 

in singles,” Carlson said. “I really 

enjoy seeing the team lift each other up 

and be proud of each other’s success.” 

As the season progressed, Carlson 

noticed her players were playing well and 

were capable of making some noise when 

it came time for postseason play. 

“I knew our talent level and the way we 

were playing together was the best I had 

seen in years,” Carlson said. 

The Vikings opened the District 3 

meet with a 5-0 win over Troy Buchanan. 

Having a good start in district play was 

important for the squad. 

“We all knew that the Troy match would 

set the tone for the rest of the week,” Carlson 

said. 

The Vikings kept rolling; Francis Howell 

defeated host Liberty 5-4. 

“I expected them to change the lineup 

on us and split up their big power hitters 

See VIKINGS, page 20


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(No.1 and 2 singles players) in an effort to 

beat us. I felt confident overall because I 

knew we should grab at least three doubles 

(matches) and my No. 3-6 (players) had 

been solid all season,” Carlson said. “It 

was a great match and certainly a closer 

match than the beginning, but our guys 

stayed focused to pull it off.” 

Francis Howell faced top-seeded Fort 

Zumwalt West for the district title, and the 

Vikings won 5-3. 

“I knew going into this one we had to win 

two doubles matches,” Carlson said. “And 

they really locked in and took care of business 

for the team. It was very satisfying 

because we knew we weren’t 100 percent 

when we played them earlier in the season.” 

The reaction to the district championship 

by her team is something Carlson won’t 

soon forget. 

“(It was) pure joy and excitement when 

we beat Fort Zumwalt West,” Carlson said. 

“I could really see they believed in each 

other and again, they always celebrate 

each other. They are each other’s biggest 

fans. This match certainly propelled them 

into beating Rock Bridge with confidence.” 

Rock Bridge is a strong program with a 

storied history. The Bruins have won eight 

state championships. 

The Vikings blanked perennial power 

Rock Bridge 5-0 in the quarterfinal. Rain 

delayed the start of the match. 

“It was so cool. We went into every match 

like we always do, but this time we drove 

over 90 minutes to Rock Bridge and squeegeed 

over an hour to even get the match in,” 

Carlson said. “We simply told the boys to 

have fun and they had nothing to lose. They 

played fantastically. It was a great time to 

be playing some of your best tennis.” 

In the semifinals, the Vikings met John 

Burroughs and lost 5-0. 

“We were excited to make history, so the 

goal was to have fun and show we belonged 

and they did,” Carlson said. Several Vikings 

also did well in the 5-2 loss to Rockhurst. 

Brown and Vinay Kondunu won at No. 1 

doubles. Jason Lytle won his match at No. 

4 singles. Wesley Troyes was up 6-3, 5-1, 

40-15 at No. 2 singles when the match was 

stopped when Rockhurst clinched it. 

Afterward, Carlson spoke to her squad. 

“I told them how proud I was of them, 

and we all hugged and celebrated,” Carlson 

said. “We soaked up the moment. They are 

just really special group of student-athletes. 

I’m incredibly proud of the leadership and 

growth they showed this year.” 

The future looks good, Carlson said. 

“I had 150 campers last week at my team 

camp and there is such an elevated interest 

in the game,” Carlson said. “Really I can’t 

wait for next year.” 

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I MATURE FOCUS I 21 

News & Notes 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Traveling through ‘the change’ 

If you’re a woman of a certain age still 

looking for a summer getaway, there’s 

a growing wellness travel trend you may 

want to explore: the menopause retreat. 

These programs vary from one-day 

informational meetings to extended resort 

vacations featuring spa treatments, health 

and hormone tests, exercise classes and 

nutritionally balanced gourmet meals. They 

are designed to support women before and 

during the transition to menopause, which 

typically lasts for years and comes with lifealtering 

symptoms including hot flashes, 

sleep and mood disturbances, fatigue, 

weight changes and a host of others. 

According to the North American Menopause 

Society, over a billion women worldwide 

are either in the midst of “the change” 

or have already gone through it. Menopause 

also has become a far more openly discussed 

topic in recent years, leading more women 

to seek out information and encouragement 

from others as they search for better ways to 

navigate this challenging period of life. 

It turns out that many of them are willing 

to spend thousands of dollars to do so… 

menopause retreats were recently named 

one of the year’s most popular travel trends 

by industry experts at Condé Nast Traveler. 

A Google search of “menopause retreat 

locations” will return a plethora of events in 

the U.S. and all over the world, with price 

tags ranging from about $1,500 to $15,000. 

While these specialized retreats are 

focused on helping women feel less alone in 

their menopause journeys, they are also part 

of a larger shift toward wellness travel for 

both men and women of all ages – and even 

for families with young children interested 

in learning about healthy lifestyle habits 

together. Condé Nast estimates that as a 

whole, the wellness tourism industry will top 

$1.3 trillion worldwide by the end of 2025. 

Mediterranean diet 

and longer life 

In other health news aimed mainly at 

women, a recent study from Brigham and 

Women’s Hospital in Boston links eating 

a Mediterranean diet with nearly a 25% 

lower risk of death from any cause, suggesting 

that the diet could potentially add 

years to an average woman’s lifespan. 

“For women who want to live longer, our 

study says watch your diet! The good news 

is that following a Mediterranean dietary pat- 

A growing number of older women are 

taking time out for themselves at wellnessfocused 

menopause retreats. 

(Adobe Stock photo) 

tern could result in about one quarter reduction 

in risk of death over more than 25 years 

with benefit for both cancer and cardiovascular 

mortality, the top causes of death in 

women … and men … in the U.S. and globally,” 

said senior author Samia Mora, M.D. 

The research followed more than 25,000 

initially healthy American women for up to 

25 years. 

It’s one of the first studies to provide 

long-term information on the health effects 

of a Mediterranean diet. 

Because it included data gathered over 

such a long period, the Brigham scientists 

were able to identify biological changes that 

may underlie the diet’s impacts on healthy 

aging. For example, they detected beneficial 

changes in biomarkers of metabolism, 

inflammation, insulin resistance and more. 

The plant-heavy Mediterranean diet 

focuses on foods like nuts and seeds, fruit 

and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. 

It includes olive oil as a primary source of 

fat, with fish and other lean meats taking 

the place of red meat as its main protein 

sources. The health benefits of the Mediterranean 

diet have been the topic of many 

scientific studies, but to date there has been 

limited understanding of how it’s directly 

related to mortality risk. 

“The health benefits of the Mediterranean 

diet are recognized by medical professionals, 

and our study offers insights into why the 

diet may be so beneficial,” Mora said. The 

results were recently published in JAMA. 

Going up? 

For men and women alike, taking the 

stairs rather than an elevator on a regular 

basis can help you ascend to a longer life, 

say European medical researchers. 

They recently conducted a meta-analysis 

of nine past studies encompassing nearly half 

a million adults between the ages of 35 and 

84. Regardless of the number of floors they 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 22 

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22 I MATURE FOCUS I 





UNLOCKING THE BENEFITS 

OF A PLANT-BASED DIET 

FOR HEALTH 

BY: DR. BETH TEMPLIN, PT, DPT, GCS 

GERIATRIC PHYSICAL THERAPIST 

We are learning more and more 

each year about how strongly what 

we eat is linked to our overall 

health and longevity, or lack 

thereof. The research shows that 

eating a predominantly plant-based 

diet decreases the risk of 

developing our top killers: 

Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, 

Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease 

Colorectal, Prostate, and Breast 

Cancers. 

If you’re like many aging adults 

and are struggling to manage one 

or more chronic conditions, you 

don’t have to try and follow multiple 

diets at the same time. All you 

need to do is eat more fruits, 

vegetables, beans, legumes, and 

whole grains, while minimizing 

dairy, meat and eggs in your diet. 

The good news is any shift 

towards eating more from plants 

and less from animal sources is a 

shift in the right direction for 

preventing and managing chronic 

health issues. It should be noted 

that there are many processed 

plant-based foods now available. 

Just because a food is plantbased, 

does not necessarily mean 

it is healthy. Technically, Diet Coke 

and Oreos are plant-based, but I 

would not consider them to be 

pillars in my healthy eating plan. 

This is why I recommend a Whole 

Food Plant-Based (WFPB) Diet. 

This diet focuses on eating 

minimally processed food in its 

whole, natural state. 

If you struggle to add more fruits 

and veggies to your diet, even 

though you know they are good 

for you. If you have ever thought 

about making changes to your 

diet to improve your health, but 

aren’t sure where to start. If 

you’re worried about getting 

enough protein, calcium and iron 

in your diet. Or if you are trying to 

manage heart disease, diabetes 

or high cholesterol, then you’re 

not alone. I invite to attend our 

upcoming talk. During this FREE 

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Different types of plant-based 

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Taking the stairs whenever possible may have major health benefits, a recent study shows. 


MATURE FOCUS, from page 21 

climbed or how fast, taking the stairs was 

linked to a 24% lower risk of dying from any 

cause and nearly a 40% lower risk of death 

from cardiovascular disease. Stair climbing 

was also associated with less risk of non-fatal 

heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. 

“If you have the choice of taking the stairs 

or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help 

your heart,” said study author Dr. Sophie 

Paddock. “Even brief bursts of physical 

activity have beneficial health impacts, and 

short bouts of stair climbing should be an 

achievable target to integrate into daily routines. 

Our study suggested that the more 

stairs climbed, the greater the benefits.” 

Paddock and her co-authors authors presented 

their research at ESC Preventive 

Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of 

the European Society of Cardiology. 

‘Shockingly’ high risk of TBI 

Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are 

usually caused by a violent blow or jolt to 

the head or body. While they can be successfully 

treated, these injuries can contribute 

to a number of serious conditions 

down the road, including dementia, Parkinson’s 

disease and seizures. 

A recent study from UC San Francisco and 

the city’s VA Health Care System found that 

TBIs are diagnosed at some point in about 

13% of older adults – and in most cases, they 

are caused by falls from ground level. 

The scientists who conducted it say they 

were surprised by their own findings. Not 

only is the frequency of TBI higher than 

expected, but the seniors who appear to be at 

greater risk aren’t who they expected either. 

Unlike previous studies of younger people, it 

suggests that being healthier, having a higher 

income, and being white and female all are 

associated with higher risk of having a TBI. 

“The number of people 65 and older with 

TBI is shockingly high,” said senior author 

Raquel Gardner, M.D. 

The research included about 9,200 older 

adults covered by Medicare whose average 

age was 75 when the study began. It looked 

at factors that made them more vulnerable 

to TBI over 18 years of follow-up. 

One hypothesis is that healthier seniors 

are more physically active, which could 

make them more vulnerable to accidental 

falls. But the findings also may raise questions 

at a time when physical activity is 

highly recommended to prevent or slow 

the development of dementia. 

“The overall evidence still overwhelmingly 

sides with physical activity being 

neuroprotective,” Gardner said. “However, 

taking measures to optimize safety and 

mitigate falls is critical. These measures 

need to change over the life course as an 

individual accumulates physical or cognitive 

disabilities, or both.” 

The new study, published in JAMA Network 

Open, may also underestimate the true 

incidence of TBI injuries, its authors said. A 

previous online survey found that over 40% 

of seniors who participated did not seek any 

medical help after suffering a possible TBI. 

Neglecting nutrition 

Poor diet is a top contributor to cardiovascular 

disease, which also makes it an 

underlying cause of serious events like heart 

attack and heart failure. But in spite of that 

fact, fewer than a quarter of people who survive 

these major heart crises receive dietary 

counseling afterward, according to a team 

from the University of Michigan Health 

Frankel Cardiovascular Center. 

They tracked nearly 150,000 patients 

seen at hospitals across Michigan for serious 

heart conditions between late 2015 

and early 2020. Just 23% of them received 

dietary counseling within 90 days of being 

released. In almost all cases, their counseling 

came as part of a cardiac rehabilitation 

program; and with those programs factored 

out, patients were offered nutritional help 

just 5% of the time. 

“When patients receive this education, we 

have seen tremendous results – some have





I MATURE FOCUS I 23 

cut cholesterol levels in half within weeks,” 

said first author Eric Brandt, M.D., director 

of preventive cardiology at the center. 

“However, physicians are often limited by 

time required to manage other aspects of a 

patient’s condition. Additionally, most cardiologists 

do not receive sufficient education to 

provide the dietary advice themselves.” 

The analysis also found that women, 

adults over 65 and those with chronic 

kidney disease were less likely than others 

to receive nutrition counseling from their 

providers. Traditional Medicare participants 

were less likely to receive dietary counseling 

than patients with private insurance, but 

more likely than those on Medicaid. 

Currently, Medicare only covers medical 

nutrition therapy for patients living with 

diabetes and end stage kidney disease. 

“Lifestyle is the cornerstone for preventing 

cardiovascular disease,” Brandt said. 

“Without providing counseling on changing 

behaviors to choose the foods that our 

patients should eat, many are left without 

the tools to manage nutrition. I hope to see 

the landscape change where eating healthier 

is more well-supported and achievable.” 

On the calendar 

St. Luke’s Hospital offers Medicare 

counseling sessions on Tuesday, July 9 from 

10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the St. Luke’s Resource 

Center, 101 St. Luke’s Center Drive in 

Chesterfield. St. Luke’s is partnering with 

Missouri SHIP to offer Medicare counseling 

and enrollment assistance. Services are 

free, unbiased and confidential. Sign up for 

a 60-minute session to learn more about 

your options and to select the right coverage 

to meet your needs. Appointment times are 

limited. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis offers a 14-session Brain 

and Body Fitness course on Tuesdays 

and Thursdays, July 9-Aug. 22, online via 

Zoom. These full-body workouts for your 

brain and body help enhance your overall 

strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. 

The class fee is $98. Register online 

at st-louis.oasiseverywhere.org. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital offers 

Today’s Grandparents classes on 

Wednesday, July 10 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the 

Missouri Baptist Medical Center Clinical 

Learning Institute, 3005 N. Ballas Road. 

This hands-on class offers updates on current 

trends in infant care and feeding, and 

provides tips on local and long-distance 

grandparenting. The course fee is $20 per 

person (each person attending must register 

separately). Registration is available 

online at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital hosts a 

Stroke Support Group in-person meeting 

on Thursday, July 11 from noon-2 p.m. 

in the hospital’s Clinical Learning Institute, 

3015 N. Ballas Road in St. Louis, in Room 

416. Whether you are a stroke survivor or 

taking care of a loved one, we invite you to 

join our support community. Light refreshments 

and snacks will be provided. There 

is no cost to participate. Registration is 

required by visiting classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital offers a monthly walking 

group, Stepping Up with St. Luke’s. 

The group meets on Thursdays, July 11, 

Aug. 8 and Sept. 12, from 9-10 a.m. at the 

St. Luke’s Walking Trail, 232 S. Woods Mill 

Road in Chesterfield. Each monthly meetup 

will feature a different health education 

topic presented by St. Luke’s clinicians, followed 

by a 30-minute walk. All sessions are 

free. Registration is required and is available 

online at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis presents Better Choices, 

Better Health – Diabetes workshops on 

Fridays, July 12-Aug. 23, from 10 a.m.- 

12:30 p.m. at the St. Charles City-County 

Library Express at Winghaven, 7435 Village 

Center Drive in O’Fallon. Developed by and 

tested at Stanford University, this workshop 

can help you learn how to incorporate foods 

you love into your diet; monitor and manage 

your blood sugar; start or maintain a regular 

exercise program; better communicate health 

needs to family, friends, and your medical 

team, and design your own self-management 

program. Participation is free. Register at 

st-louis.oasiseverywhere.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Coffee and 

Conversations on Wednesday, July 17 from 

10-11 a.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 

121 St. Luke’s Center Drive, in Building A, 

Conference Room 3. Join us monthly for a 

free cup of joe and a conversation with St. 

Luke’s health professionals about health 

and wellness topics. This month’s topic is 

Medicare 101: Gain an understanding of the 

different parts of Medicare, Medicare Supplemental 

and Medicare Advantage plans. 

Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis offers a Strike the Right 

Balance class on Thursday, July 18 from 

10-11:30 a.m. at St. Charles City-County 

Library – McClay Branch, 2760 McClay 

Road in St. Charles. A vestibular physical 

therapist leads this fun and interactive 

presentation. The class is free. Register at 

st-louis.oasiseverywhere.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital sponsors Let’s 

Cook! Plant-Based Proteins on Thursday, 

Aug. 29 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at The Pointe 

at Ballwin Commons, 1 Ballwin Commons 

Circle in Meeting Room B. Join a St. 

Luke’s dietitian for a live cooking demonstration 

and sample a delicious chickpea 

salad that’s packed with protein, fiber and 

flavor. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

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24 I HEALTH I 





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5511 Winghaven Blvd. 

Suite 100 

O'Fallon, MO 63368 

stlukes-stl.com/urgent-care 

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LEARN MORE 

10-0078 

6/2024 

A recent survey shows that getting their young kids to eat healthier is a 

common problem for parents – but their strategies to solve it may backfire. 


HEALTH 

CAPSULES 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Most families struggle with 

healthy diet for kids 

With their kids out of school for the 

summer, many parents are struggling to 

balance nutritious meals and snacks with 

their families’ active schedules. According 

to a recent University of Michigan poll, 

most parents of young children find themselves 

in the same boat – but their efforts to 

promote healthy eating habits can backfire. 

“The preschool and elementary age is an 

important time to establish healthy eating 

patterns. Yet parents’ concern about whether 

their child is eating enough, or if they’re getting 

the nutrients they need, may lead them 

to adopt practices that actually sabotage their 

efforts to get kids to have healthy eating 

habits in the short and long term,” said C.S. 

Mott Poll co-director Susan Woolford, M.D. 

For example, two-thirds of the parents 

surveyed said they recognize that the standard 

American diet contains high amounts 

of added sugar, saturated fats, sodium and 

refined carbohydrates. However, less than 

10% have tried healthier alternatives such 

as the Mediterranean diet. 

This is often because their picky eaters 

refuse to try anything new – much less 

finish the vegetables they’re used to, the poll 

found. And setting rules around eating all or 

a portion of what’s on their plates, which 

more than half of parents in the survey said 

they do, is often counterproductive because 

it can promote overeating, Woodford said. 

In addition to pickiness, the top obstacles 

listed by parents to their child eating 

healthier were the high cost of healthy food 

items, not enough time to prepare healthy 

meals, and their children wasting food. 

To prevent waste, about 60% of survey 

participants said they often become shortorder 

cooks for their kids, serving each 

of them different foods if they don’t like 

what’s on the dinner menu… which often 

results in less-healthy choices. 

When planning meals or grocery shopping, 

parents polled say they try to limit 

the amount of certain items they buy, such 

as processed foods and those with added 

sugars, but also said identifying healthy 

foods in the store can be difficult. Woodford 

advised that parents should read label 

details on the back of packages, and avoid 

those with long, unrecognizable ingredient 

lists. Involving children in grocery trips 

and having them pick out some healthy 

foods can also be helpful, she said. 

The nationally representative poll 

included just over 1,000 parents of children 

ages 3-10 surveyed earlier this year. 

Should prenatal tests include 

genetic cancer screening? 

Women who are hereditary carriers of 

harmful variants in the BRCA1 gene are at a 

high lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian 

or pancreatic cancer. Yet most don’t even 

know they carry the gene until they are actually 

diagnosed with one of these diseases. 

A team of scientists from Weill-Cornell 

Medicine, Columbia University and 

New York-Presbyterian Hospital recently 

looked into the possibility of screening 

women for the gene early, at the same time 

they’re having prenatal tests. They say this 

approach is both cost-effective and could 

potentially save many lives. 

“Many patients will see their pediatrician as 

children, but once they become young adults, 

the next provider they see may very well be 

their OB/GYN when they’re pregnant,” said 

Shayan Dioun, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist 

at Columbia’s Irving Medical Center. 

“Obstetrical prenatal carrier screening is 

genetic testing that is primarily done to pick 

up mutations that affect the fetus or impact 

the pregnancy, but it offers an opportune 

time to test the mothers as well.” 

The study estimated the outcomes of 

BRCA1 testing on a hypothetical group 

of nearly 1.5 million U.S. women during 

pregnancy. Starting the screening process 

at age 33 based on the U.S. median age of 

prenatal carrier screening, their model followed 

them until age 80. 

The team found that adding a BRCA1 

test could identify an additional 3,716 

BRCA1-positive patients, prevent 1,394 

breast and ovarian cancer cases, and result 

in 1,084 fewer deaths in this group alone. 

While this study looked only at BRCA1 

screening, the researchers said adding other 

hereditary cancer genes at the time of prenatal 

carrier screening could also be cost-effective. 

The team is currently in talks with genetic 

testing companies about developing more 

comprehensive genetic tests for women who 

are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. 

Emulsifiers may be ‘villain’ 

in ultra-processed foods 

The list of health harms related to ultraprocessed 

food seems to be getting longer 

and longer. A growing number of studies 

have linked higher consumption of these 

foods with diseases ranging from diabetes 

and obesity to cardiovascular problems. 

Despite this mounting evidence, however, 

most Americans continue to get between 

30% and 60% of their daily calories from 

ultra-processed sources. 

Food additives known as emulsifiers are 

among the most common ingredients in 

many of these foods. They go by names 

such as mono- and diglycerides, carrageenans, 

lecithins, phosphates and gums, among 

others. They are added to processed and 

packaged foods including breads, cakes, 

cookies and other desserts, as well as yogurt, 

ice cream, candy, margarine and ready-toeat 

or ready-to-heat meals. Their purpose is 

to improve the appearance, taste and texture 

of foods and maximize their shelf life. 

CDC issues national health alert on ADHD medications 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention issued a national alert in 

mid-June regarding potential “disrupted 

access” to prescription ADHD medications 

like Adderall for Americans who 

rely on them. 

Amidst a major shortage of these medications 

which has already existed since 

late 2022, two top executives of Done 

Global, a $100 million telehealth company 

which prescribes and sells Adderall 

online, were arrested June 13 for alleged 

conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. 

The CDC estimates that up to 50,000 

patients, mainly U.S. adults over age 18 

who rely on Done or similar subscriptionbased 

telehealth sources for their ADHD 

medications, may be unable to get them. 

During a potential supply crisis, the 

CDC is also concerned that some people 

might turn to unregulated and illegal 

sources for their ADHD medications. 

This would increase their risk of overdose 

due to the huge numbers of counterfeit 

pills now on the illegal market containing 

dangerous substances including fentanyl.





I HEALTH I 25 

A recent long-term study suggests these 

emulsifiers are a primary reason behind ultraprocessed 

foods’ villainous reputation. It shows 

that over time and depending on amounts consumed, 

they incrementally increase one’s risk 

of developing Type 2 diabetes. 

A team of French scientists was able to 

specifically examine the health impacts of 

emulsifiers in a large group of more than 

104,000 adults in that country who participated 

in a nutritional study between 2009 

and 2023. These participants submitted 

periodic records of what they ate for that 

entire 14-year period. 

The results showed that the more ultra-processed 

foods they consumed, the more their 

Type 2 diabetes risk increased, by as much as 

15% per 500 mg (about one-tenth of an ounce) 

of certain emulsifiers per day. This was the 

case even after other variables, such as the 

participants’ age, weight, exercise habits and 

overall diet quality, were factored in. 

While this initial study can’t prove definitively 

that emulsifiers are a cause of Type 

2 diabetes, it certainly raises concerns and 

shows that more investigation is needed, 

the authors said. 

On the calendar 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital will 

offer free helmet checks on Saturday, July 

13 from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Valley Park 

Safety Fair, 1 Main Street in Valley Park. 

Children can bring their own helmets to 

this check, where a trained professional will 

check for correct fitting and ensure it is an 

approved helmet. Please register each child 

needing a fitting; members of the same 

family can be scheduled in consecutive 

10-minute time slots. At the fair, families 

will also be able to learn more about personal 

safety, water safety, bike safety and fire 

safety. While supplies last, children can also 

receive a free helmet provided by the Valley 

Park Safety Fair in memory of Casey Williamson. 

Register at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital 

offers a Bariatric Surgery Information 

Session on Monday, July 15 from 5:30- 

6:30 p.m., live via Zoom. Join a Washington 

University bariatric physician to learn 

more about surgical treatment options 

available at BJC for patients who meet 

certain criteria. To register, visit classesevents.bjc.org; 

to learn more about BJC’s 

bariatric surgery criteria for patients, call 

(314) 454-7224 and press Option 1. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers 

a Pediatric Diabetes Survival Skills 

course on Thursday, July 18 from 10 a.m.- 

noon on the hospital’s main campus at One 

Children’s Place in St. Louis. This free 

class provides a brief general overview of 

all facets of caring for children with diabetes. 

Advance registration is required by 

visiting classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital and Schnucks offer a 

Nutrition class on Monday, July 29 from 

2-3 p.m. at Schnucks Kehrs Mill, 2511 Kehrs 

Mill Road in Ballwin. A St. Luke’s dietitian 

will discuss how to find and make healthier 

choices at the grocery stores. Participants 

will also receive wellness resources, samples 

and a $10 Schnucks gift card. The cost is $5 

per person. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

Mercy offers a Sitter Skills course on 

Friday, Aug. 2 from 6-9 p.m. at Mercy Hospital 

St. Louis, 615 S. New Ballas Road, in 

Classroom #2 on the 7th floor. The cost is 

$30 per child. Register online by visiting 

mercy.net/practice/mercy-hospital-st-louis, 

then clicking on Classes, Seminars & Events. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital presents 

Babysitting 101 on Saturday, Aug. 

3 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the SLCH Specialty 

Care Center West County, 13001 

N. Outer Forty Road in Town & Country. 

This interactive, in-person class is a great 

introduction to the basics of babysitting 

and is recommended for children age 10 

and older. The class may also meet badge 

requirements for Scouting. The cost is $25 

per child. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

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26 I BUSINESS I 

BUSINESS 

BRIEFS 

PEOPLE 

First State Bank Mortgage announced 

that Philip Scaglia, senior loan officer, 

has been named the #1 Top Loan Officer 

in Customer Satisfaction nationwide 

for 2023 by Experience.com. Additionally, 

First State Bank of St. Charles has 

been honored as a Top 10 Mortgage 

Company in Customer Satisfaction in 

Experience.com’s Small Division group. 

These awards highlight the commitment 

to providing exceptional service 

and customer satisfaction. Scaglia has a 

career spanning more than 30 years and 

is consistently ranked among the top 1% 

of mortgage lenders nationwide. 

• • • 

Matt Jannings, chief 

program officer of 

Competitive Employment, 

was elected 

President of the Missouri 

Rehabilitation 

Association Eastern 

Jannings 

Chapter Boone Center 



Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated 

to empowering adults with disabilities. 

With four chapters throughout the state, 

the rehabilitation association promotes 

ethical and cutting-edge vocational rehabilitation 

services for individuals with 

disabilities. 

• • • 

After 10 years as principal 

at Fort Zumwalt 

North Middle School, 

Damon Burkhart was 

named principal of 

Hope High, effective 

Burkhart 

July 1. Burkhart began 

his career with the district 

in 2005, teaching physical education 

and health at South High. He later taught 

for five years at West Middle before 

moving to administration as an assistant 

principal at North Middle in 2013. 

Hope High is home to as many as 120 

students working toward graduation in 

an alternative environment that provides 

smaller class sizes, flexed school hours 

and additional support to lift students to 

their diploma. 

• • • 

Dr. Jeff Blankenship joins Fort Zumwalt 

School District as Principal at North 

Middle School effective July 1. He comes 

to the district after almost 10 years as 

an assistant principal at Francis Howell 

North High School. Before his time at 

Howell North, Blankenship taught six 

years in Parkway. He is an Army veteran 

who served in Afghanistan. 

• • • 

Fort Zumwalt School 

District welcomed Dr. 

Racheal Leckrone as 

the new principal at 

Progress South Elementary 

School, effective 

July 1. Leckrone 

served as an elementary 

school administrator with the Bethalto 

Community School District #8 in Illinois 

since 2018. 

• • • 

Brian Whittle, CPA, 

joins Fort Zumwalt 

School District in June 

as its Chief Financial 

Officer. Whittle 

comes to the district 

from the private sector, 

where he worked as an 

Lecrone 

Whittle 

account executive in the employee health 

and benefits division of a global insurance 

firm. Prior to that, Whittle spent 

10 years as the finance director at the 

Parkway School District and has spent 

time in municipal government. Whittle 



replaces Jeff Orr, who is retiring effective 

June 30 after serving the district for 

17 years. The two will work together in 

June to finalize the district’s budget for 

fiscal year 2024-2025. 

• • • 

Duchesne High School named Paul 

Boschert as the new president ahead of 

the 2024-2025 school year. Until recently 

he served as director of athletics at Duchesne 

and has 43 years of experience in 

education, with 23 served as an athletic 

administrator. Boschert is an alumnus 

of Duchesne High School and is a Lindenwood 

graduate. He was awarded St. 

Louis Area Athletic Director of the Year 

for 2017-2018 and was inducted into 

the Gateway Athletic Conference Hall 

of Fame in 2015 as part of the inaugural 

class. 

• • • 

Duchesne High School announced the 

appointment of Renee (Reimer) Moore 

as the school’s new athletic director. 

Moore is a Duchesne alumnus and fills 

the post previously held by Duchesne’s 

new president Paul Boschert. She was 

the previous assistant athletic director. 

Moore joined the faculty at Duchesne in 

1990 after graduating from the University 

of Missouri-St. Louis.


MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 27 

Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park projected to generate millions, open 2027 



A new report shows Saint Louis Zoo 

WildCare Park is projected to generate 

over $660 million in economic activity 

across the St. Louis region within the 

next 10 years. 

WildCare Park, a safari park and conservation 

center the Zoo is developing 

in north St. Louis County, is expected 

to open to the public in 2027. 

The economic impact report totals 

the project’s estimated operational 

expenditures, visitor spending and the 

larger impact on regional employment 

and wages, business sales and tax revenue 

through 2034. 

“We are creating a place where 

endangered and threatened animals 

can thrive,” said Dwight Scott, Dana 

Brown president & CEO, Saint Louis 

Zoo. “But this report makes it clear 

WildCare Park will help the regional 

economy thrive too.” 

The report projects an average attendance 

of 421,900 guests each year 

after opening with approximately 65% 

of guests originating from outside St. 

Louis City and St. Louis County. 

WildCare Park will support an annual 

average of 384 jobs, which includes 

positions at WildCare Park and in the 

region, according to the report. 

At WildCare Park, guests will have the opportunity to experience close encounters with 

animals, including feeding giraffes. (Source: Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park; created by PGAV) 

The report also projects $97.3 million 

in governmental revenue, including $49.9 

million in state and local tax revenues. 

The development of WildCare park is 

estimated to cost $230 million funded 

through multiple sources, including philanthropy, 

external financing proceeds, 

which includes Zoo and Saint Louis Zoo 

Association cash reserves and tax revenue 

generated by Prop Z passed by St. Louis 

County voters in 2018. With the passage 

of Prop Z, St. Louis County residents 

will be able to experience WildCare Park 

admission-free. 

“WildCare Park will bring with it a major 

tourism boost for our region and an economic 

boost for north St. Louis County,” 

said County Executive Dr. Sam Page. 

“The Zoo is a favorite of locals as well as 

a national tourist destination and WildCare 

Park will join the list of must-sees when in 

the St. Louis region.” 

Tourism Economics and Canopy Strategic 

Partners prepared the WildCare Park 

economic impact report based on analysis 

from the economic impact model IMPLAN. 

“We want WildCare Park to be a job 

creator within and beyond its gates for the 

region,” said Sabarras George, Saint Louis 

Zoo WildCare Park director. “As we grow, 

I look forward to seeing our region’s businesses 

do the same.” 

WildCare Park will feature two different, 

but complementary components. The first 

is a public outdoor adventure that sends 

guests on a safari through herds of animals 

like giraffes, rhinos and zebras. Planned 

guest experiences include a walking safari, 

two driven safaris, an observation tower, 

giraffe feeding and a zoo museum. 

The second component of WildCare 

Park is the Kent Family Conservation and 

Animal Science Center, a dedicated conservation 

facility within the park designed 

to sustain endangered and threatened species, 

made possible by the generosity of 

the Jerry and Judy Kent Family. 

There are now a herd of addax (a type 

of antelope,) several Grevy’s zebras, a banteng 

and a Somali wild ass already living 

in the conservation pastures at WildCare 

Park. The Zoo expects more than 250 animals 

will live on site by the public opening 

in 2027. 

Read the economic impact report and see 

more updates on WildCare Park at stlzoo. 

org/wildcarepark. 

Saint Louis Zoo 

1 Government Drive • St. Louis 

(314) 781-0900 • www.stlzoo.org 

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28 I EVENTS I 

BE INFORMED, MEET ELECTED OFFICIALS 

July 5 | NO MEETING 

July 12 | Will Scharf – 

MO Attorney General candidate 

July 19 I Adam Schwadron, St. Rep. #105 – 

MO Secretary of State candidate 

& Max Calfo, St. Rep. #108 candidate 

July 26 I Bob Onder, former St. Sen. #2 – 

US Rep. District 3 candidate 

MEETING LOCATION: 

B. Hall’s Family Grill | 3782 Monticello Plaza Dr I O’Fallon 63304 

FRIDAY LUNCH MEETINGS AT NOON 

FOLLOW US 

St. Charles County 

Pachyderm Club 

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LOCAL 

EVENTS 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

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

first Friday of every month at the Foundry 

Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in St. 

Charles. Visitors can spend time in the galleries, 

meet resident studio artists, engage with 

the community and enjoy a wide array of 

art programming, entertainment and special 

events. Local business owners will host free 

activities and paid workshops. For details, 

visit foundryartcentre.org/first-fridays. 

• • • 

Hit the Bricks History Tours are on 

most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 

230 S. Main St. in St. Charles. Tours are 

$7 per person. Children (under 10) are free. 

To book a tour, visit discoverstcharles.com/ 

things-to-do/main-street/hit-the-bricks. 

• • • 

St. Charles Riverwalk Market is from 

7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday mornings 

through Nov. 30 at the Foundry Art Centre 

Parking Lot, 520 N. Main Center in St. 

Charles, featuring fresh produce and crafts 

from local vendors, live music and more. 

For details, visit stcharlescitymo.gov/1132/ 

The-St-Charles-Riverwalk-Market. 

• • • 

St. Charles Flea and Artisan Market 

is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Saturday 

of every month through December 

at St. Charles City Hall (upper level of 

parking garage), 200 N. Second St. in St. 

Charles. For details, visit stcharlesflea.com. 

• • • 

Humorous Art Show is on display 

through Sunday, July 14 at the St. Peters Cultural 

Arts Centre, 1 Saint Peters Centre Blvd. 

For details, visit stpetersmo.net/arts-center. 

• • • 

The Missouri Ink Tattoo Exhibition is 

from July 7-Aug. 24 at The Foundry, 520 

N. Main Center in St. Charles. The opening 

reception is from 5-8 p.m. on July 7. For 

details, visit foundryartcentre.org/2024- 

missouri-ink. 

BENEFITS 

Lunch at the Library is through Friday, 

August 16 at the Kathryn Linnemann Branch, 

2323 Elm St. in St. Charles. Children 18 and 

under can visit the library, Monday through 

Friday between noon and 1 p.m. for a free 

meal. The child receiving the meal must be 

present to receive it, and the meal must be 

eaten at the branch. The program is sponsored 

by Operation Food Search. For details, 

visit stcharles.librarycalendar.com. 

• • • 

A non-denominational Bible Trivia 

Night at the Villa Theresa, 206 N. Main 

St. in O’Fallon on Friday, July 19. Sponsored 

by anti-human trafficking services 

provider Tigerlili Resources. Tickets are 

$20 individually or $150 for table of eight; 

purchase at Tigerlili Resources.org or call 

(636) 219-9545. Cash prizes, raffles, silent 

auction and lots of fun. Doors open 6:30 

p.m., trivia begins at 7 p.m. 

• • • 

The Kaufman Fund Golf Tournament 

is on Monday, July 22 at Whitmoor Country 

Club, 1100 Whitmoor Drive in Weldon 

Spring. Details and reservations at one. 

bidpal.net/tkfgolf2024/ticketing. 

• • • 

Support Our Troops Supply Drive 

is from Aug. 5-Sept. 11 at the O’Fallon 

Municipal Centre, 100 N. Main St.; the 

Renaud Center, 2650 Tri Sports Circle and 

the O’Fallon Justice Center, 1019 Bryan 

Road. Drop off personal care items and 

snacks for deployed U.S. troops. Monetary 

donations to sponsor shipping costs should 

be made payable to H.E.R.O.E.S. Care. 

For details, visit ofallon.mo.us/volunteer. 

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS 

O’Fallon Jammin’ Concert Series is 



from 6:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays through 

Aug. 6 at the Civic Park Bandstand, 403 

Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon. Admission 

and parking are free. Food trucks and concessions 

will be available. Bring chairs or 

blankets for lawn seating. For the full concert 

calendar, visit ofallon.mo.us/jammin. 

• • • 

Beale Street Concert Series is from 

6-8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the 

month every month through October in 

the Streets of St. Charles, 1520 S. Fifth 

St. Bring a lawn chair, but no coolers or 

outside food or drink. Free event. To see 

a complete schedule and band lineup, visit 

discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

St. Peters’ Sunset Concert Series is from 

6:30-8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday 

nights through September at 370 Lakeside 

Park in St. Peters. Free event. For a full concert 

schedule, visit stpetersmo.net/sunset. 

• • • 

Hot Summer Nights is from 6-10 p.m. 

on the second Saturday of the month 

through September on Second Street 

between Morgan and Decatur streets in 

Frenchtown. Food trucks, local breweries 

and live music at 7 p.m. For details, visit 

stcharlescitymo.gov. 

• • • 

Twilight Market is from 3-7 p.m. on 

the 2nd Saturday of every month through 

November at 301 Main St. in St. Peters, 

featuring artists, makers, vendors, musicians, 

food and drink. Free event. For 

details, visit stpetersmo.net. 

• • • 

Dardenne Prairie Summer Concerts 

are from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Fridays at 

City Hall Park, 2032 Hanley Road. Bring 

seating. Concessions will be available for 

purchase. July 19 - Trixie Delight. Aug. 

16 - Dr. Zhivegas. For details, visit dardenneprairie.org/parks_and_recreation/events. 

• • • 

New Town Concert Series is from 7-10 

p.m. on weeknights and weekends through 

September at the New Town Amphitheater, 

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I EVENTS I 29 

3312 Rue Royale in St. Charles. Businesses 

are open for food, drinks, ice cream, 

snow cones, pizza and sweets. Bring a 

blanket and lawn chairs. Free event. For 

details, visit discoverstcharles.com/events. 

• • • 

Food Truck Event is from 5-8 p.m. on 

Tuesday, Aug. 13 at Blanchette Park, 1900 

W. Randolph in St. Charles. Enjoy live 

entertainment and local food truck vendors. 

Some trucks may be cash only. Bring seating. 

Free event. No alcoholic beverages or glass 

allowed. No pets, except service animals. For 

details, visit discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

Festival of the Little Hills is from 4-10 

p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16; from 9 a.m.-10 

p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17 and from 9 

a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18 on Main 

Street and Frontier Park in Historic St. 

Charles, featuring over 300 arts and crafts 

vendors, nonprofit organizations and entertainment. 

Free event. No pets allowed 

except service animals. For details, visit 

festivalofthelittlehills.com. 

• • • 

St. Peters’ Sunset Saturday is at 4:30 p.m. 

(doors open at 3 p.m.) on Saturday, Aug. 16 

at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters, featuring 

Bag Lunch Blues and The Salamander Slide. 

For details, visit stpetersmo.net/sunset. 

Erio’s 

Ristorante 

Since 1971 

Fresh Fish Daily • Certified Angus Beef 

Veal • Pasta • Hand-tossed Pizza 

951 Jungermann Rd • St. Peters 

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FAMILY & KIDS 

Friday Night Public Stargazing begins 

at sunset or 7 p.m. on clear Friday nights 

at the Broemmelsiek Park Astronomy Site, 

1593 Schwede Road in Wentzville. Join 

the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri 

at the astronomy viewing area for 

free educational programs for the entire 

family. Viewing begins at sunset and can 

last into the night. Advanced registration is 

requested for groups of 10 or more. Free 

event. For details, visit asemonline.org. 

• • • 

Art Clinic is from 2-5 p.m. on Fridays 

at the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre, 1 

Saint Peters Centre Blvd. All artists are 

welcome to attend. Advanced registration 

is not required. Bring supplies and a current 

project or start something new. Professional 

artist, Jerry Thomas will give 

hands-on guidance and instruction. $12 

for Cultural Arts Centre members and 

non-members. For details or to register, 

call (314) 878-3048 or visit stpetersmo. 

net/242/Art-Classes-Programs. 

• • • 

After School Art Club is from 5-6 p.m. 

weekly on Thursdays at the Foundry Art 

Centre, 520 N Main Center in St. Charles. 

Students will explore various art forms 

See EVENTS, page 30 

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30 I EVENTS I 





EVENTS, from page 31 

from painting to drawing to sculpture and 

more. This drop-in weekly art club is for 

ages 7-11. $10 per week. Sign up for each 

week that you want to attend. Sessions 

include all materials and tools. To register, 

visit foundryartcentre.org/kids-workshops. 

• • • 

Family Fridays are from 2-4 p.m. on the 

second Friday of every month at the Heritage 

Park Museum, 1630 Heritage Landing 

in St. Peters. Each session has games and 

crafts, storytime and hands-on displays. 

Free event. Details at stccparks.org. 

• • • 

Art Start is at 10 a.m. every Tuesday 

at The Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main 

Center in Saint Charles. Children create 

small art projects that pair with a story. 

Free event. For ages 2-5 with a caregiver. 

Details at foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

Dive-In Movie - “Encanto” is at 7:30 

p.m. on Friday, July 19 at Blanchette Aquatic 

Facility, 1900 Randolph in St. Charles. 

Movie snacks and beverages will be available 

for purchase. No outside food or drinks 

are allowed. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased 

in advance. Register at stcharlesparks. 

com/blanchette-aquatic-facility. 

• • • 

Summer Sendoff is from 1-4 p.m. on 

Sunday, Aug. 11 at O’Day Park (Adventure 

Playground), 1000 O’Day Park Drive 

in O’Fallon. Celebrate the end of summer 

and the start of school with hot dogs from 

Pappy’s Well-Dressed Frank and treats 

from Lulu’s Shaved Ice & Creamery. There 

will be a variety of activities courtesy of the 

Renaud Center. Event admission and parking 

are free. For details, visit ofallon.mo.us. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

St. Charles County Pachyderm Club 

meets at noon every Friday at B. Hall’s 

Family Grill, 3782 Monticello Plaza Drive in 

O’Fallon. Be informed and meet elected officials. 

No meetings on holiday weekends. No 

meetings on holiday weekends. For details, 

visit pachyderms.org/stcharlescounty. 

• • • 

Historic Heald Home and Zumwalt’s 

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

on the second and fourth Sunday of each 

month through Sept. 29 at Fort Zumwalt 

Park, 1000 Jessup Drive West in O’Fallon. 

Admission is $5 per person to see both 

attractions; children 10 and under are free. 

For private and group tours of 10 or more, 

call (636) 379-5574. For details, visit 

ofallon.mo.us/parks&rec. 

• • • 

The Rough Writers meet from 7-9 p.m. 

on the second Tuesday of the month at the 

Crossroads Arts Center, 310 W. Pearce Blvd. 

in Wentzville. Join this writing group to share 

writing, encourage others, and improve your 

skills. For details, contact Deborah Bowman 

at deborahbowman12@yahoo.com. 

• • • 

The Cavesprings Toastmasters Club 

offers in-person and online meetings from 

8 a.m.-9 a.m. Wednesdays at the St. Charles 

Ambulance District, 2000 Salt River Road 

in St. Peters. Improve public speaking and 

communication skills by gaining confidence 

when speaking in front of others. RSVP to 

cavespringstoastmasters@gmail.com. 

• • • 

The Wentzville Veteran’s Coffee 

group meets at 9 a.m. every second and 

fourth Wednesday at the Wentzville Senior 

Center, 500 Great Oaks Blvd. Join for 

some comradery and coffee. For details, 

visit wentzvillemo.gov. 

• • • 

Cottleville/Weldon Spring Rotary 

Club meets at noon every Wednesday 

at Bemo’s, 5373 Hwy. N. in Cottleville. 

RSVP to Toddrasche01@gmail.com. 

Details at cwsrotary.org. 

• • • 

The Missouri Numismatic Society hosts 

its 64th Annual July Coin Show from 

Thursday, July 18 starting at 10 a.m. to 

Saturday, July 20 ending at 4 p.m. at the St. 

Charles Convention Center. Scotsman will 

hold an auction on Friday starting at 5 p.m. 

Admission and parking are free. There will 

be numismatic exhibits, young numismatist 

activities and prizes. The Missouri Numismatic 

Society, founded in 1938, is the oldest 

education numismatic society in Missouri. 

• • • 

Beginner Embroidery - Lavender 

is from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 at 

The Foundry, 520 N. Main Center in St. 

Charles. Participants will learn the stem 

stitch, running stitch and French knot as 

they embroider a bouquet of lavender. Supplies 

are provided. Cost is $75. To register, 

visit foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

National Night Out is from 4-8 p.m. 

on Tuesday, Aug. 6 in O’Fallon. National 

Night Out enhances the relationship 

between neighbors and law enforcement. 

If you are an HOA representative of your 

O’Fallon neighborhood, contact Sgt. Jill 

Bloomfield at jbloomfield@ofallon.mo.us 

to register for officers to stop by your 

event. For details, visit natw.org. 

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I 31 

VETERANS, from page 14 

a pilot, arriving in England in May of 1944 

with a 10-man crew flying a B-17 bomber. 

They were part of the 8th Air Force, 452nd 

Bombardment Group, 728th Squadron. 

While he was only in the war from May-Oct. 

of 1944, Goldsticker flew 35 missions, 29 of 

which were against targets in Germany. 

Nicknamed “Goldie,” he sat in the nose of 

the B-17 plane with two .50 caliber guns and 

dropped bombs on targets. He can still recall 

details of every mission he flew. 

“My first mission was Saint Valery, France, 

over a heavy gun emplacement,” Goldsticker 

said. “My second one was over Leipzig in 

Germany. It’s about a nine hour flight, and we 

lost three out of 18 planes that day. We were 

getting ready for the invasion on D-Day.” 

On D-Day, Goldsticker flew two missions, 

spending 14 and a half hours in the air. Flying 

so many missions, Goldsticker admitted he 

had a sense of how dangerous his missions 

were. 

“We weren’t flying every day, but I thought 

I was going to die every day I flew,” Goldsticker 

said. “Any mission could be your last. 

Thirty-five missions. Every time I would 

think I wasn’t coming back, especially 

Berlin, which was my 34th mission. It was 

the heaviest-defended city in all of Europe. 

We lost 17 planes that day, but I came back.” 

The targets he hit included oil refineries, 

railroad junctions and other critical targets 

like aviation factories. 

Goldsticker remembers his 25th mission, 

over Munich, when his co-pilot and 

friend almost died due to the plane being 

hit by German flak, large artillery shells that 

explode mid-air, sending out jagged metal 

fragments to tear through nearby aircraft. 

“One piece of flak came through the bottom 

of our plane,” Goldsticker said. “The pilot 

sits on an armored seat, but the flak came 

through there and hit the co-pilot in the upper 

thigh. The only thing that saved him was the 

40-degree-below-zero temperature where we 

were at 27,000 feet because his blood froze 

as it came out. We lost two engines and as 

we lost altitude and the temperature warmed 

up. He started bleeding. So for three and a 

half hours, I held a bandage on his thigh. He 

survived. That was our worst mission.” 

The 8th Air Force had an extremely high 

casualty rate. Goldsticker said he kept in 

touch with the co-pilot until he died. 

“We’re both Jewish,” Goldsticker said. “At 

home, I went to temple two-three times a 

year, over there we went every Friday. We 

didn’t want to pass up any chances to survive.” 

When WWII ended, Goldsticker was a 

bombardier instructor and was promoted to 

Captain during the Korean War. He made a 

living as a salesman and was married to his 

wife for 63 years before she passed away in 

2012. He has three sons, five grandchildren 

and two great-grandchildren, with two more 

on the way. Goldsticker retired from working 

in sales in 1994 and has been a AAA member 

for 78 years. He recently renewed his driver’s 

license and said it’s good until he turns 105. 

“I drive to the grocery store, my doctor’s 

office and to meet my bridge friends every 

Wednesday and Friday,” Goldsticker said. 

He credits the military for his discipline. 

“I think the order the army gave me, the discipline, 

probably affected me the rest of my 

life,” Goldsticker said. “But there’s no room 

for bombardiers in civilian life.” 

Greatest generation 

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Veterans 

Affairs reported that only 119,550 of the 16.4 

million Americans who served in WWII 

were still alive. Physician George Despotis, 

of Des Peres, predicts that within the next 

two to five years, all of the living WWII veterans 

will be gone. 

“I’ve always had a passion for WWII history,” 

Despotis said. “In 2001 I met some of 

the guys who were in the Battle of the Bulge. 

I thought to myself at the time that their stories 

had to be recorded.” 

Despotis has dedicated a lot of his personal 

time over the past 23 years to meeting and 

connecting with local veterans, and connecting 

them to resources. 

Despotis told Lacey about the Best 

Defense Foundation, which partnered with 

Delta Airlines to fly 53 veterans and a caregiver 

each to Normandy for a 12-day trip 

commemorating the 80th anniversary of 

D-Day. Lacey applied for a spot on the trip 

this year and was chosen to go. 

Goldsticker met Despotis eight years ago 

on D-Day when he was watching a movie 

with some other veteran friends. He said 

Despotis’s daughter asked to have lunch 

with them; now Golsticker said he gets 

together with Despotis once every couple 

of months. 

Every few months Despotis makes plans 

for the groups of veterans he knows to get 

together. In June he attended the Spirit of St. 

Louis Air Show with two veterans and was 

able to receive VIP admission for them. On 

June 6, he took two veterans to a Cardinal’s 

baseball game. Despotis said they received a 

standing ovation in the stadium. 

“They never wanted credit,” Despotis said. 

“All they wanted to say was they fought for 

our country and freedom. That was all they 

needed.” 

Almost 80 years after his last mission, 

Goldsticker hopes to motivate the younger 

generation to volunteer to serve their country 

too. 

“These kids I’ve met from the military 

academies are all as smart as can be,” Goldsticker 

said. “I think they’ll save us. We’re 

going to have good leadership along the way.” 

MID RIVERS CLASSIFIEDS • 636.591.0010 • CLASSIFIEDS@NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM 

AUCTIONS 

Steward Self Storage 

101 N. Service Rd. 

St. Peters, MO 63376 

Notice is hereby given that the 

contents of the following unit 

will be sold in compliance with 

Missouri state law via online 

auction at: 

www.storageauctions.com 

for non-payment of past rent. 

All items in the units below will 

be released for sale. Auction date 

is on or after July 11, 2024 

at 10:00 a.m. 

10X10 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain microwave, 

chairs, kitchenware, tables, and 

plastic containers. 

10x16 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain tool box, 

tools, medical supplies, 

construction supplies, landscaping 

equipment, dressers or armoire, 

chairs, lamps, tables, décor, plastic 

bags, plastic containers, 

miscellaneous boxes, clothing, 

miscellaneous items, sports gear, 

laundry baskets, artwork, pet 

items, and toys. 

10x12 Outside Non-Climate – 

This unit may contain tools, tv, 

microwave, shelving, lamps, 

chairs, tables, kitchenware, décor, 

plastic bags, plastic containers, 

miscellaneous boxes, clothing, 

miscellaneous items, sports gear, 

and cleaning supplies. 

COLLECTIBLES 

WANTED TO BUY 

• SPORTS MEMORABILIA • 

Baseball Cards, Sports Cards, 

Cardinals Souvenirs and 

Memorabilia. Pre-1975 Only. 

Private Collector: 

314-302-1785 

ELECTRICAL 

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Service upgrades, fans, can lights, 

switches, outlets, basements, 

code violations fixed, we do it 

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generators. No job too small. 

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GARAGE DOORS 

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HAULING 

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Rotted wood, Painting, Tile, 

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Custom Decks, Doors, Windows. 

Free estimates! 

Anything inside & out! 

Call Joe 636-699-8316 

LANDSCAPING 

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LANDSCAPING 

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PAINTING 

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PLUMBING 

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PET SERVICES 

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WEDDING SERVICES 

TREE SERVICES 

Complete Tree Service for 

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Tree Pruning & Removal 

Plant Health Care Program 

Deadwooding • Stump Grinding 

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HUSBAND. FATHER. AIR FORCE VETERAN. 

AMERICA FIRST, 

CONSERVATIVE 

REPUBLICAN 

#1 MOST CONSERVATIVE 

MISSOURI SENATOR 

(ACU) 

PASSED THE LARGEST 

SINGLE YEAR STATE 

INCOME TAX CUT IN 

MISSOURI HISTORY 

TIME FOR A RECKONING 

“I’m SICK and TIRED of spineless 

establishment Republicans who act 

like conservatives during 

campaign season ... then stab us in 

the back when they are in office. 

DEPORT Illegals and STOP BIDEN’S INVASION 

at our Southern Border 

ELIMINATE personal property tax & income tax 

PROTECT our children from the Left’s Woke 

Agenda 

BAN ALL foreign ownership of MO Land and 

TAKE BACK what’s been lost 

I’ll bring A RECKONING to the 

Jefferson City Swamp and deliver 

the BIG RED Republican wins that 

we’re all desperate for.” 

DEFEND Life and DEFUND Planned Parenthood 

STOP Red Flag gun grabbing and DEFEND the 

2nd Amendment 

SECURE Elections with HAND COUNTED paper 

ballots (NO MACHINES!) 

END corporate welfare 

VOTE ON AUGUST 6TH 

Paid for by Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC – Debbie McFarland, Treasurer 

1st 

CANDIDATE 

TO ENDORSE 

PRESIDENT 

TRUMP

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 7-3-24

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