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Most discussions of health care are like something out of “Alice in Wonderland.”

What is the biggest complaint about the current medical care situation? “It costs too much.” Yet one looks in vain for anything in the pending legislation that will lower those costs.

One of the biggest reasons for higher medical costs is that somebody else is paying those costs, whether an insurance company or the government. What is the politicians’ answer? To have insurance companies and the government pay more costs.

Back when the “single payer” was the patient, people were more selective in what they spent their own money on. You went to a doctor when you had a broken leg but not necessarily every time you had the sniffles or a skin rash. But, when someone else is paying, that is when medical care gets over-used - and bureaucratic rationing then is imposed, to replace self-rationing.

Money is just one of the costs of people seeking more medical care than they would if they were paying for it with their own money. Both waiting lines and waiting lists grow longer when people with sniffles and minor skin rashes take up the time of doc-tors, while people with cancer are waiting.

In country after country, the original esti-mates of government medical care costs almost always turn out to be gross under-estimates of what it ultimately turns out to cost. Even when the estimates are done honestly, they are based on how much med-ical care people use when they are paying for it themselves. But having someone else pay for medical care virtually guarantees that a lot more of it will be used.

Nothing would lower costs more than having each patient pay those costs. And nothing is less likely to happen.

One of the big costs that have actually forced some hospitals to close is the fed-eral mandate that hospitals treat every-one who comes to an emergency room, whether they pay or not. But those who talk about “bringing down the cost of medical care” are not about to repeal that mandate. Often they want to add more mandates. The most fundamental issue is not whether treating everyone who comes to an emergency room is a good policy or a bad policy in itself. If it is a good policy, then the federal government should pay for what it wants done, not force other

institutions to pay for it. Then let the voters decide at the next

election whether that is what they want their tax money spent for.

Confusion between costs and prices add to the Alice in Wonderland sense of unreal-ity.

What is called lowering the costs is simply refusing to pay all the costs, by having the government set lower prices, whether for doctors’ fees, hospital reim-bursements or other charges. Certainly no one believes that there will be no repercus-sions from refusing to pay for what we want. Some doctors already are refusing to accept Medicare or Medicaid patients because the government’s reimbursement levels are so low.

Similarly, if it costs a billion dollars to create one new pharmaceutical drug, then either we are going to pay the billion dol-lars or we are not going to keep on getting new pharmaceutical drugs produced. There is no free lunch.

Virtually everything that is proposed by those who are talking about bringing down the costs of medical care will in fact raise those costs. Mandates on insurance com-panies? Why are insurance companies not already doing those things that new man-dates would require? Because those things raise costs by an amount that people are unwilling to pay to get those benefits. If not, it would be a slam dunk for the insur-ance companies to add those benefits to the policies and raise the premiums to cover them.

What politicians want to do is look good by imposing mandates, and then let the insurance companies look bad by raising the premiums to cover the additional costs.

It is a great political game, but it does nothing to lower medical costs.

Politicians who want a government monopoly on health insurance can easily get it, just by making it impossible for pri-vate insurance companies to charge enough to cover the costs mandated by politicians. The “public option” then will be the only option - which is to say, we will no longer have any real option.

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Alice in Health Care

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GovernmentsTo the Editor:

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the posi-tive steps we have been able to make to improve the relationship between the city of St. Peters and St. Charles County. By working together on several important projects, we have been able to move for-ward to help improve our entire region.

It has given me a tremendous feeling of pride to see the concrete being poured on the Hwy. C-Salt River Road extension. It is wonderful to see the Page Avenue exten-sion marching forward toward Mid Rivers Mall Drive. These are clearly the most vis-ible signs of this new era of cooperation between our governments. But the past 12 months have also demonstrated that by working together, we can secure more resources to ease some of the financial burdens on our governments. By team-ing up, we have demonstrated that we can move forward from the issues of the past and keep our focus on serving all of our residents.

As you know, in the past I have not hesitated to voice my concerns about the difficult working relationship between our two governments. At that time, I publicly expressed my disappointment in the lack of cooperation and the high cost of con-tinuing along a hollow path. Now, it is time for me to publicly praise this positive change in direction and recognize the con-structive efforts.

I truly thank St. Charles County Execu-tive Steve Ehlmann for his leadership and I look forward to working together with him to help make all of St. Charles County, including St. Peters, a great place to live, work and play.

Mayor Len PaganoSt. Peters

Phone rules

To the Editor::

With the Legislature back in session, our elected officials have the opportunity to update some antiquated telephone rules that could ultimately benefit everyone (through economic development, jobs, etc.) The issue is access fees - charges that tele-phone companies pay each other to connect calls to each others’ networks. Missouri has the third highest access fees in the nation, trailing only North Dakota and South Dakota. These fees are reflected in the long dis-tance prices consumers pay to make long distance calls within the state of Missouri. Consequently, a long distance

call from Hannibal to Columbia costs more than a call from Hannibal to New York City. That is not fair to consumers. Perhaps even more important, because of these outdated rules, telecom and wireless companies are discouraged from making investments in their networks that could lead to more jobs, innovation, new services and choices for consumers. Lack of investments hurts economic development opportunities. We encourage our state legislators to sup-port legislation now moving forward at the Capitol, which would bring Missouri’s access charges in line with the rest of the nation, for the good of all consumers and businesses statewide.

Scott Tate President & CEO

St. Charles Chamber of Commerce

Over-spendingTo the Editor:

First and foremost our elected political leaders need to realize the only way to sta-bilize our country is to cut spending, not increase spending.

I do agree that something needs to be done about the federal, state and local taxes but elected official need to understand that We The People are sick and tired of local sales tax, state sales tax, gas tax, tobacco and alcohol tax, property tax, state and fed-eral income tax, inheritance tax, death tax, personal property tax and the list goes on and on and on.

This country needs a massive cut in spending. We need to cut spending by 30 to 40 percent and then implementing a Fair Tax or flat tax. Something that is a single-page law, not the thousands of pages of the current tax laws. A single page law that states every American shall pay a simple flat tax of X-percent or the federal govern-ment shall collect a national sales tax of X-percent.

Along with this change I would also call for a balanced budget. I have to balance my budget each year and the state of Missouri balances its budget every year. Why does the federal government feel they can just borrow, borrow, borrow and spend, spend, spend. At my house if we don’t have the money, we don’t make the purchase. We have a savings account that we use in case of emergency, but we simply don’t spend the money if we don’t have the money to spend. It’s a fairly simple concept.

Maybe I am being naive. Or maybe those elected officials don’t want this type of change because it would take away their power and give it back to the people.

Todd Ferring

4 I OPINION I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE

l E T T E r s T o T h E E d i T o r

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is published 24 times per year by 21 Publishing LLC. It is direct-mailed to more than 61,000 households in St. Charles County. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by Mid Rivers Newsmagazine and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of Mid Rivers Newsmagazine. No part of Mid Rivers Newsmagazine may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from Mid Rivers Newsmagazine. All letters addressed to Mid Rivers Newsmagazine or its editor are assumed to be intended for publication and are subject to editing for content and length. Mid Rivers Newsmagazine reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or editorial submission. © Copyright 2010.

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You saw a 4-Day Cruise from $299 per person. Wow! But did you read the fine print? Price based on select cabins and dates and does not include government taxes. Subject to availability, certain restrictions apply. You can travel any time in the month of June, but when you call about this deal, you find out that it only applies to October. Maybe you saw a 3-night, all-inclusive in the Bahamas advertised at $199 per person. Is that really going to be the price? How can you find out before you have to pay for it? Where can you go to be sure you got the best deal?

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EDITORIAL


Belt tighteningMissouri Gov. Jay Nixon had a grim

message for state lawmakers last week: We are not out of the woods yet.

The state’s general revenue collec-tions have fallen this fiscal year by a whopping 12.7 percent. Collections for February alone are down more than 14 percent. The state’s fiscal year starts in July, meaning that Missouri already is two-thirds of the way through their fiscal year.

These numbers reflect several differ-ent tax types. Individual income taxes have decreased by 10.9 percent. Sales and use tax is down by 7.2 percent. Cor-porate income and franchise taxes are down by 13.1 percent and all other col-lections are down by 5.5 percent.

On the brighter side, these numbers are clearly a lagging indicator of the state’s economic health. If the large drop in individual and corporate income tax is a sign of the struggling job market, the comparatively small decline in sales tax revenue shows that people with jobs are beginning to spend money again. While down more than 7 percent for the year, sales tax only declined by 5 per-cent in February.

What is more, Gov. Nixon is handling this situation admirably. He has not backed away from his promise to steer tax money towards technology jobs in Missouri. He even used words every conservative loves to hear, vowing to “downsize the scope of state govern-ment” in order to make up the shortfall in revenue.

Nixon already has withheld $600 million of previously-approved budget money, and more cuts appear likely. The federal government has provided little

help. It appears unlikely that Missouri will receive an additional $300 million in budget stabilization money on which it had counted.

It appears that Nixon will rely on fun-damental changes to state government to deal with the majority of the budget shortfall. He is considering merging state agencies and cutting state ser-vices.

None of these decisions will be easy, and state legislators appear more than content to let Nixon set the direction Missouri will take.

Nixon may be tempted to go down a dangerous political road. The Missouri Budget Project claims that the state loses out on $200 million annually by not taxing Internet purchases. It also claims that recent tax cuts have cost Missouri some $300 million. Others have suggested that charging fees for some state services could provide a sig-nificant bump in the revenue stream.

Thus far, Nixon has held strong. He knows that fee increases are just tax increases in sheep’s clothing. Rescind-ing a tax cut or taxing a new revenue stream also are just hidden tax increases - and tax increases never, ever increase revenue. Instead, they merely depress spending. The last thing the people of this state need right now is a reason not to buy something.

Gov. Nixon has some tough decisions to make, and we wish him Godspeed as he makes them. He previously has shown the vision to see past the moment and make clear, long-term decisions.

The people of this state will be watch-ing to make sure that ability stays with him.

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St. PeterS

Man charged with assault

A St. Peters man was arrested on March 1 after allegedly assaulting his wife with a gun late Friday night.

Police responded to the first block of Fishers Hill Drive at 11:20 p.m. on Feb. 26 after receiving a 911 hang up call. When police arrived the female victim ran from the home covered in blood and visible facial injuries.

Police said Timothy A. Ashlock, 44, was charged with second degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlaw-ful use of a weapon. Ashlock is accused of choking his wife and striking her in the face with a gun.

The gun was discharged during the assault, but no one was shot, police said.

Officer Melissa Doss said police have been called to the residence before for unrelated, non-emergency incidences.

“There was a small child in the house, sleeping at the time of occurrence and did not witness anything,” Doss said.

The victim was taken to the hospital with serious, but nonthreatening injuries.

“Ashlock was taken into custody without incident,” Doss said.

He is currently being held at the St. Charles County Jail on a $100,000 cash

only bond.

Collecting for a causeDon’t throw away the soda cans — those

pennies can help local patriots.Later this month the city of St. Peters

will kick off its seventh annual aluminum can drive “Pennies for Patriots.” Alumi-num cans donated in the Pennies for Patri-ots collection containers are recycled and the value of the cans — about two cents each - is donated to the USO.

The James S. McDonnell USO provides a source of comfort and a full range of ser-vices to these military personnel and fami-lies while traveling. The USO receives no government funding and relies solely on private and corporate donations.

“We’ve been holding the Pennies for Patriots aluminum can drive since 2002. Over the years, we’ve donated $7,341.67 to the USO,” said Mayor Len Pagano. “The 2009 Pennies for Patriots campaign brought in a record 3,496 pounds of alumi-num cans, netting a total of $1,643.12 for the USO. We’d like to bring that amount up to $2,500 for 2010.”

Donations of aluminum cans for this effort may be brought to St. Peters’ Recy-cle City and places in the specially marked dumpster under the American flag in the recyclables drop-off area.

Detour aheadDrivers should be on the lookout for lane

closures throughout this month at the inter-section of Willott and Jungermann roads.

Contractors began replacing concrete slabs on March 1 and repairs are expected to take three weeks, weather-permitting.

The project at Jungermann and Willott will widen the intersection and add new turn lanes, traffic signals, curb and gutter and storm sewers.

“The project will allow traffic to move through this intersection more efficiently, and repairs will improve the condition of the road. Road work is expected to be com-plete in early April, weather permitting,” said Burt Benesek, director of transporta-tion for the city of St. Peters.

The construction will cause lane clo-

sures throughout the time, with only one northbound and one southbound lane open on Jungermann Road. Detour signs will be posted, but drivers are urged to be alert.

For information about city of St. Peters street projects and other public works proj-ects, go online to stpetersmo.net and click on the Road Updates button.

O’FallOn

Parade prideThe weather is just starting to warm up,

but parade workers are already preparing for this year’s July 3 Heritage & Freedom Fest.

Scout troops, organizations, neighbor-hood groups, clubs, families and busi-nesses are invited to create patriotic floats and parade entries for O’Fallon’s 2010

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Heritage & Freedom Fest Parade, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. on July 3.

“O’Fallon’s parade is one of the biggest, most exciting parades in the region, and it always draws thousands of families dressed in red, white and blue,” said Megan Houli-han, O’Fallon’s festival coordinator. “We encourage participants to really have fun and create colorful entries. We offer prizes and trophies, and the judges are looking for entries that incorporate originality, mechanical movement, and music.”

To participate in the parade, fill out an application and submit it no later than noon on May 28. A complete list of rules and deadlines are listed on the applications, which are available at the Renaud Spirit Center, O’Fallon City Hall, the Parks and Recreation office, and online at heritagean-dfreedomfest.com/Parade.htm.

Speed racerO’Fallon police issued more than 50 cita-

tions for speeding during a LIDAR Speed Patrol on Feb. 25.

The department participated in a state-wide occupant protection day by focusing on speeding and seat belt enforcement.

Sgt. Michael Plum said the state of Mis-souri has a lower percentage of seatbelt use than the national average of 80 to 85 percent. In addition to the 52 speeding vio-lations, police also arrested two individuals for active warrants.

Funding for the effort was provided by a grant issued from the Missouri Depart-ment of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Missouri Safety Center.

“The point of the grant is to (increase) traffic safety, but as a side effect we also have some criminal enforcement,” Plum-said.

St. CharleS

Tagger chargedA 28-year-old Swansea, Ill., man has

been charged with two counts of first degree felony property damage.

Andrew Joel Mitts was arrested last month for allegedly tagging numerous buildings and windows on Main Street with the graffiti “SUR5L.” Police said Mitts indicated that the tagging “SUR5L” was in remembrance of a friend who had recently died.

“The Mitts subject refused to comment on why he tagged the North Main Street area,” said Officer Mike Akers.

Damage to property was estimated to be in excess of $5,000. His bond has been set at $7,500.

To open or close?The St. Charles School District closed

Benton and Blackhurst elementary schools three years ago with expectations of an enrollment decline. But in 2010, enroll-ment has increased at the elementary levels with schools bursting at the seams.

As a result, the district is considering its options—one of which may be to re-open Blackhurst. The district is also considering building additions and restructuring the elementary schools.

A decision is expected to be made by the end of the school year, which changes being effective for the 2011-12 school year.

Wentzville

Company files bankruptcyA Wentzville-based company filed for

Chapter 11 on March 1. US Fidelis, a com-pany that provided extended service auto contracts, filed for bankruptcy just months after letting hundreds of workers go.

The company, which once boasted more than 1,100 workers, laid off more than 600 late last year. In December 2009, the com-pany discontinued selling its service con-tracts. Only about 100 workers remain on staff to assist existing customers.

The company was started in 2001 by Darain Atkinson and according to the 440-page filing more than 1,500 creditors were identified.

Darain and his brother Cory and affiliated real estate companies owe the firm more than $65 million, according the filing.

In the last 36 months, the Better Busi-ness Bureau has received more than 1,700 complaints against the company. The BBB urges unhappy customers to pursue refunds despite the bankruptcy filing.

“We at the BBB remain committed to assisting anyone who needs help work-ing through this difficult period, and we will continue to do everything possible to make sure that these customers are not abandoned.” said Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO in a press release.

lake Saint louiS

No butts about itPatrons in public places in Lake Saint

Louis just might have to leave the smokes at home. The Lake Saint Louis Board of Aldermen is considering a bill that would prohibit smoking in public buildings.

“The no smoking bill was on the Board of Aldermen agenda for a first reading,” said City Administrator Paul Markworth.

The board will discuss the bill further at its March 15 work session, which is held prior to the board’s business meeting.

Markworth said if the bill passed, it would affect restaurant bars, bars and private clubs where smoking is now per-mitted.

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10 I NEWS I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By Jeannie SeiBertRecently Weldon Spring residents have

become concerned about the increased numbers of traffic tickets that only recently have begun to be issued.

There’s a reason – more tickets are being issued.

Prior to April 2009, the city had no regular law enforcement presence. The few tickets that were issued came from St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who happened to observe a traf-fic violation when driving through the city as part of a larger, regional patrol route, according to Sheriff Tom Neer.

City Administrator Michael Padella said Weldon Spring’s rapid growth in the early 2000s prompted residents and elected offi-cials to recognize the need for a more regu-lar law enforcement presence.

“We weighed the cost of creating our own police department or doing what a lot of the other smaller cities do – contract with the sheriff’s department,” Padella said. “On April, 25, 2009, we contracted with the Sheriff’s Department for a regular 10-hours-a-day police patrol at a cost of $265,000.”

However, some residents suspect the increased traffic tickets are actually a rev-

enue stream for the jurisdiction.Neer said from the outset of the talks

leading up to finalizing the contract he stipulated the Sheriff’s Department be used strictly for law enforcement and not as “a revenue generator” for the city.

It hasn’t been.According to Padella, in the 10 months

in which the sheriff’s patrols have been active the municipal court has recorded about $90,000 in fines and court costs from traffic tickets. “By no means – we are not even breaking even,” Padella said.

Another concern is that residents of the Whitmoor subdivision are being targeted as a result of what is termed “an inordi-nately high number of stop signs.”

Neer said there are a lot of stop signs in that neighborhood but the Whitmoor Homeowners Association owns the streets and the stop signs. The signs were placed at the association’s direction on the private property the association owns.

“The streets are privately maintained but accessible to the public,” Neer said. Because of that, the Sheriff’s Department patrols them.

“We all know the number one complaint in subdivisions is speeding,” Neer said.

“The traffic engineers and the law enforce-

ment community are divided on this. Some think that more stop signs cut down on speeding through residential areas. Others think it makes the situation worse when drivers try to make up for all the stops by speeding between the stop. It’s 50/50.”

But it does generate a lot of rolling stop citations.

Padella said he would have to consult an attorney for a legal definition but it isn’t a normal practice for a city government to override a homeowner’s association deci-sion regarding the association’s property.

This topic, the street improvement and the strategic plan will be more thoroughly explored in an open house session with city officials and trustees from all the sub-divisions at 7 p.m., March 11 at City Hall, Padella said.

“Subdivision trustees are our best line of communication between the city and residents,” Mayor Donald Licklider said.

“They are active in their community and they talk with their neighbors. This makes them well informed about what is on the minds of residents and this will help us gauge the pulse of the community.”

Sheriff Neer plans to be at the open house to more fully discuss the role of the recent heightened law enforcement pres-

ence in Weldon Spring.One topic he plans to broach is in regard

to concerns that there is an increase in the number of burglaries.

“That’s true,” Neer said. “It’s county-wide.”

In fact, the Sheriff’s Department inves-tigated five cases in Weldon Spring in the past 10 months, he said. “In four of them there was an unlocked car or an unlocked garage. One was a forcible entry.”

The incidents in Weldon Spring were part of a rash of burglaries reported all over the county in 2008 and 2009 that turned out to be “kids and young adults” getting into unlocked vehicles parked in residen-tial driveways.

“It was happening all over,” Neer said. “Sometimes they were just taking things out of the cars. The best answer to this problem is lock your car, lock your house and don’t forget to lock your garage.

“Not doing this is just inviting crimes of opportunity,” Neer said. “While it’s good people feel safe there’s got to be a common sense approach. We don’t have an officer in front of every home and on every corner. But we want St. Charles County residents to be safe and secure. They just have to take some common sense measures.”

Growing pains: Weldon Spring burglaries and traffic tickets on rise

By Mary ann O’tOOle HOlleyWilliam and Doris Braudis of St. Peters

know all about the checks and double checks of Homeland Security and the meth-ods used to prevent bombs or explosives from making their way to your luggage.

What they didn’t know is once your lug-gage hits the carousel, you are on your own when it comes to Homeland Security.

The Braudis’ recently returned from a cruise that ended in San Juan, and found themselves snowed in during a two-day delay, rather than the quick connecting flight they expected at the Atlanta airport.

Waiting for the mess to clear, they assumed the airline had securely stored their luggage. They assumed it would be safe and waiting for them when they reached Lambert International Airport.

“Our luggage was taken from us in San Juan and returned to us at Lambert under the watchful eye of Homeland Security and Delta Airlines,” Braudis said. “The next morning we began the task of unloading our suitcases only to find that our belong-

ings were saturated with some type of odorless liquid. The suitcase was completely dry, as were the surfaces of the inte-rior of the suitcase.”

Braudis felt strongly that someone had tam-pered with their property, but nobody seemed to care. So, Doris washed the clothes. There was no odor and it was colorless, so she fig-ured she would clean it up, Braudis said.

“I called and e-mailed Delta Airlines, Homeland Security, senators Claire McCa-skill and Todd Akin, and got no response. An aide from Akin’s office returned the call, but said wait a couple of weeks to see what comes of the other calls. Then, he’d look into the matter,” Braudis said.

“Regardless of what the liquid was proven to be, it could have easily been a bomb of the incendiary type or explosive and all under the watchful eye of the airport’s

Homeland Security.”Braudis felt it illogical that he must

disrobe at the security check point in the terminal due to his “two steel knees,” yet someone could be placing bombs inside of your checked suitcases.

“I don’t understand why no one is excited about someone getting into my luggage and putting something in it. They don’t seem to care,” Braudis said. “It got to St. Louis long before we did. And in that path it took, someone got into it and put that liquid on

it. It washed out, but it could have been a lot of things.”

The liquid was covering his clothes in his bag. None of the others in his group had any trouble, Braudis said.

“This is the only time we had something added to our suitcase. Maybe it was a prank, but at the same token, something else could have been put into the luggage,” Braudis

BaGGaGe claim: Local couple has odd encounter with homeland security

See BaGGaGe, page 21


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By Jeannie SeiBertIt may well be the minority in Wash-

ington D.C., but Missouri Republicans convened in St. Charles for Lincoln Days demonstrated it is not just a party that’s alive and well but one that is reenergized, optimistic and determined.

For the first time in its 111-year history the annual Missouri Lincoln Days made its way to the original home of state govern-ment. From Feb. 26 through Feb. 28, just a few blocks from Missouri’s first state Capitol, the annual Republican celebration was held at the St. Charles County Con-vention Center.

Because the county now has a facility to accommodate a gathering of this mag-nitude County Executive Steve Ehlmann launched a successful campaign to bring the event here and was rewarded with the chairmanship of the event.

Not only did Lincoln Days move off its beaten path, so did GOP rhetoric.

Declaring it would no longer serve as the “Democrat Lite” party and swearing alle-giance to conservative principles, the stars of the state Republican line-up focused on a platform reminiscent of Ronald Reagan as opposed to John McCain.

Virtually every address centered on con-servative issues: lowering taxes, reducing the size of government, returning more authority to the states, empowering entre-preneurialism and protecting rights guar-anteed in the Constitution.

Congressman Roy Blunt kicked off the convention with a rally for his U.S. Senate campaign on Feb. 26. As a bookend, during a glittering salute to outgoing U.S. Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond’s service to Mis-souri on Feb. 27, Bond passed the baton to Blunt.

Reviewing Blunt’s career as Missouri

Secretary of State and congressional terms, Bond urged the packed ballroom to commit to securing Blunt’s election.

Blunt wasn’t the only Washington poli-tician featured in the weekend cast. Con-gressmen Blaine Luetkemeyer and Todd Akin also elucidated Blunt’s many efforts to advance conservative legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

But it was Akin who clearly stood out as the most committed messenger. During a Feb. 27 Town Hall he shared the dais with Blunt, Luetkemeyer, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder,

Mo. Senate Pro Tem Charlie Shields and Mo. Speaker of the House Ron Richard. This time last year, Akin said “We were looking into an abyss of legislation that would destroy our country.”

Listing job-killing measures like the Democrats’ Cap and Trade energy tax plan and the health care reform bills advanced by Democrat majorities in both houses, Akin said, “Fear is a good motivator.”

Republicans had to reassess, he said. “Our first mistake was we didn’t stick to first principles.”

Then, the GOP failed to recognize the “shadow of FDR” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) that still dominates Washington.

“The U.S. government is a liberal organiza-tion,” Akin said. “We have to get rid of the shadow of FDR; dismantle that mess in Washington and start new.”

Akin was also one of the speakers intro-ducing Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty the previous evening. Pawlenty, delivering the keynote address, drew more than one standing ovation by taking his cues from the Tea Party movement.

New energy, urgency evident during upbeat Lincoln Days GOP convention

Mo. Senator Scott rupp, left, was one of the moderators during the Lincoln Days town Hall. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder focused the bulk of his responses on job retention and expansion efforts in the state.

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12 I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By Amy ArmourWhen Pat Fairhurst’s neighbor called

911, the ambulance arrived in record time — but the door was locked.

With no way to get inside to help, rescue workers were forced to break into the home.

“(Rescue workers) had to break into her home twice,” said Fairhurst, who is the co-chair of the Care and Concern Committee for the Heritage at Hawk Ridge subdivi-sion, a 55 and older community in Lake Saint Louis.

Paramedics often find themselves locked out of a residence when responding to a 911 call because the person is injured or too sick to answer the door.

But the St. Charles County Ambulance District has found a solution to the prob-lem with Rapid Access.

St. Charles County Ambulance District has partnered with Lowe’s to provide a Master Lock Key safe box for area resi-dents.

The district sells the boxes to partici-pants at the discounted cost of $24.

“It’s a small, elongated box that hangs on

the outside of the door frame,” Fairhurst said.

The homeowner’s key is locked into the Master Lock box, which is protected by a four digit code.

The ambulance district sets the code and the information is entered into the com-puter-aided dispatch database.

So, when a 911 call is made, EMS responders will have access to the code via the 911 screen at the dispatch center. The code can be changed by the homeowner after a call.

Earlier this month, the St. Charles County Ambulance District issued 30 Rapid Access boxes to residents in the Heritage at Hawk Ridge subdivision in Lake Saint Louis, including a box for Fairhurst.

“It’s very frustrating for (paramedics) to stand outside a sliding glass door and not be able to get inside,” Fairhurst said. “They (the ambulance district) are really hoping this will take off.”

The Master Lock boxes can be purchased at the Ambulance District headquarters located at 1469 Old Mill Parkway in St. Peters.

Ambulance District looks to Rapid Access for homesNew system allows fire, police personnel access to otherwise locked homes

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I NEWS I 13MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I 13NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

Savings could have allowed staff pay raises

By Mary ann O’TOOle HOlleyAfter a drawn out discussion and formal

bid process, the city of O’Fallon will not change its legal representation—a move that will leave the city still grappling to find a 20 percent reduction in operating costs to provide city staff with pay raises.

The City Council voted to continue to retain Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe, PC for city legal services and Sandberg, Phoenix and Gontard, PC to handle human resources matters. Kevin O’Keefe and Stephanie Karr (of Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe) have served as the city’s legal counsel in March 2006.

Late last year, after the Council learned that city income is estimated to be at least 15 percent lower than last year, Mayor Bill Hennessy and the Council agreed to look into other options for legal services in hopes of cutting the budget by 20 percent.

The city budget had already been trimmed by $2.3 million across the board to make up for lack of city funding due to loss of sales and property taxes. City employees, including those in the O’Fallon Police Department, were told they would not receive raises this year unless an additional $220,000 could be found through general fund cuts.

The Council, at the time bids for legal services were posted, hoped that funds for employee raises could be recouped through lowered legal costs. The Council was also considering hiring a part-time and/or in-house city attorney on an as-needed basis to reduce costs.

Mayor Bill Hennessy said he believes Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe are the best attorneys right now for the city.

“My way of cutting the legal budget is… three or four things,” Hennessy said. “I will get with counsel and get with staff, and we’ll work something out.”

Hennessy said he is still looking at employee raises, but right now, they’re out of the budget.

Councilman Dan Haney said he was disappointed with the entire process; with the fees presented in the bids, the analysis of fees and the decision to retain Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe.

“At least O’Keefe, as a long-time city attorney could have understood the city’s plight and suggested ways that costs could have been reduced,” Haney said. “The worst part about the whole thing is that the Council heard some basic information by City Administrator Keith Reisberg regard-ing the bids received, and the next thing I knew, it was on the agenda to retain Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe, and to be voted

on with no further discussion.”Haney said he did not believe the Coun-

cil had enough information to make a deci-sion.

“The information we were given is not up to standards for awarding one-half a million dollars of taxpayer money,” Haney said. “If this moves forward, I’m directing city staff to bring a budget to the next meet-ing with a 20 percent reduction. Beyond the questionable allocation of taxpayer dol-lars, I want you to know that (by keeping legal representation without changes), we are closing the door on raises this year and probably next year, and it would probably result in staff reductions.

Attorneys with Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe, PC are paid at rates of $100 or $150 per hour, along with primary City Attorney Kevin O’Keefe’s $225 per hour. The monthly fee varies by usage. In 2008, the city paid the law firm $326,763. In 2007, the firm was paid $373,932.

O’Fallon received bids from five firms in the St. Louis area: Curtis, Heinz, Gar-rett & O’Keefe (Clayton), $225/hour; Gallop, Johnson & Newman (Clayton), $205 – $350/hour; Hazelwood & Weber (St. Charles) $140-$210/hour; The Lowen-baum Partnership (Clayton) $240/hour; and Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard (St. Louis), $145 – $260/hour.

O’Fallon Public Relations Liaison Tom Drabelle said the notice for legal services bidding was posted on Dec. 18, and the bid opening was held Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Hennessy looked at all the bids, and his choice was Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe. Under the City Charter, the mayor is responsible for selecting the legal firm used by the city, with the Council’s approval.

The Council voted 5-3 to keep O’Keefe. Haney, John Haman and Schwentker voted against retaining that firm.

“I won’t take away that you went through the process, but the issue I have is money savings. I don’t know how much of a money savings we would have brought in,” said Haney. “Numbers on paper show a drastic savings from $150,000 to $850,000 could have been realized. I have no issues with any of (the attorneys). I’m just trying to find the money savings we promised the city.”

O’Fallon nixes new city attorneys

“If this moves forward, I’m directing city staff

to bring a budget to the next meeting with a 20

percent reduction.”Dan Haney

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By Jeannie SeiBertIt was apropos that the beginning of St.

Peters’ year-long centennial celebration was held at the site where the city began.

Mayor Len Pagano, city officials and Historical Committee members gathered at All Saints Church on Feb. 24, for a solemn occasion to celebrate a city father and to mark the beginning of the city’s 100th birth-day.

Serving as the first chairman of the St. Peters Board of Trustees 100 years ago, George Schneider was honored by a special mass to celebrate his life and contributions to the founding of the city. The service was held at the church where he was a parish-ioner.

Organized by Andrew Schneider, grand-son of George Schneider, four generations of Schneiders attended the ceremony.

In conjunction with George Schneider’s honorarium, Alderman Judy Bateman (Ward 2), Board of Aldermen liaison to the Historical Committee, assisted Mayor Pagano as he commemorated the 100th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

To start the celebratory year off, Pagano had commissioned the production of keep-sakes to mark the 100th milestone of the city’s history. The Historical Committee and the Neighborhoods Committee spent more than a year completing their assigned tasks which were unveiled on Feb. 24.

A volume of St. Peters history, St. Peters at Its Best, an historical DVD and an all-local cook book of traditional St. Peters residents’ recipes were produced and are now available.

The Historical Committee produced St. Peters at Its Best, a photographic anthol-ogy recounting St. Peters’ journey from

the first French settlers along the Dardenne River into the small town of the early 20th century. The tour in photos continues up to today illustrating a city that has been named to Top 100 best places to live lists in Money magazine.

The Historical Committee served as a clearing house of local residents’ contri-butions of historic photos and family sto-ries giving the volume a personal touch. Included with the anthology is a bonus DVD that includes even more pictures, stories and memories. St. Peters at Its Best sells for $30 including tax.

The St. Peters Neighborhoods Com-mittee put together an all-local cookbook. Area cooks submitted over 600 recipes for this sampling of local flavor. The cost is $15 including tax. Both books are avail-able at St. Peters City Hall, the Community & Arts Center and the Rec-Plex. The books will also be available at most city events in the coming year, while the supply lasts.

Many events associated with the cen-tennial are in the planning stages, Pagano said. The Upfront city newsletter, SPTV-Channel 10 and the city’s Web site will be updated as specific event information becomes available.

St. Peters begins year-long centennial celebration

Jerry Branstetter, of O’Fallon, prom-ised his girlfriend a magical night—and he delivered.

Branstetter, 42, proposed to his girl-friend Angela Nichols, 37, in the middle of the dance floor during the 14th annual Art & Wine Gala in O’Fallon on Feb. 20.

“He got down on one knee in the middle of the dance floor and asked me to be his wife,” said Nichols, who said yes.

The couple met through the online dating site Zoosk in December 2008.

“I had a pretty good idea right away that he was the one, and he told me it was

love at first sight,” said Nichols, of Festus.

The couple has not set a wed-ding date yet, but plans to get mar-ried in 2011.

“I kept telling her it was going to be a magi-cal night—and I think I suc-ceeded,” Branstetter said.

Art and Wine Gala offers magical moment

Photo courtesy of Cindy Wiltse

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Significant rainfall over the St. Louis area last October combined with heavy snowfall in northern states this winter can be blamed, said Hydrologist Mark Fuchs.

October saw record rainfall, with 12.38 inches falling on the St. Louis area. Typi-cally, October only sees less than 3 inches. 2009 was also the fifth wettest year on record for St. Louis, with 50.84 inches of rain falling.

“The fact that the soil is very wet as a result of last year’s rainfall, particularly last October, means that the soil was wet to begin with,” Fuchs said. “Our snowfall has been pretty close to average this winter, but couple that with the fact that we still have wet ground from last fall, we are set up for significant flooding in some areas.”

For now, the Missouri River appears to be facing minor to moderate flooding this spring. Fuchs said ice and snow pack in Iowa could determine just how severe that flooding is.

“Once that melts, it’s going to be pure runoff,” Fuchs said. “The question is, is it going to melt quickly or gradually and not

really be a problem. We’ve seen both sce-narios play out.”

Flooding along the Meramec River is not expected to be significant. Fuchs said further south on the local rivers is showing less probability for flooding.

But locally, the Mississippi River in St. Charles County could see moderate to major flooding this spring.

“The probabilities for this spring for locations from Canton through Winfield are actually higher than they were at this time in 2008,” Fuchs said. “That’s not to say we’ll see anything close to what 2008 produced.”

If the area sees heavy rainfall this spring, flooding along the Mississippi and Mis-souri could be worse than predicted. How-ever, Fuchs said major flooding along the Missouri River is unlikely.

The National Weather Service has deter-mined three stages of flooding.

Minor and moderate flooding have mini-mal human impact, with minor flooding often being the basis of where the flood stage is set. Major flooding can affect homes, businesses, major roadways and highways.

Fuchs said the threshold for major flood-ing can be lower for areas where homes and major roads are built close to the

river. Because of development close to the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, the weather service is anticipating that flood-ing to be major.

Alan Dooley with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the modern levee in the Chesterfield area can withstand minor to moderate flooding, although risk cannot be eliminated.

“It’s a combination of things – how high is the water going to go, how long is it going to stay that high and what is the con-dition of the levee,” Dooley said.

Dooley said those who live in flood plains should be aware of the danger of flooding and pay particularly close attention to the

media when there is eminent flooding. “Always have a plan so that if you have

to evacuate your home, you know what’s important to take with you, where you’re going to go and how you’re going to get there,” Dooley said. “Have a couple of routes in mind in case a bridge is washed out. Move when authorities tell you to move and don’t wait until you’re knee deep in dark, dirty water.”

With the exception of flash flooding, which can occur along the Meramec River, flooding tends to happen slowly.

“This isn’t the sort of thing where you have a hurricane surge,” Dooley said. “You see these floods building.”

National Weather Service makes best guess regarding rivers flooding

2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day TraditionSaturday, March 13, 2010

Al Wansing636-928-1919

“Run For The Helmet”Benefitting Cottleville Firefighters Community Outreach

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COTTLEVILLEST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

12PMStarting at Francis Howell Central High School

and ending at Warren Elementary School

Contact Mike Reiter to participate (636) 244-1075

www.cottlevillestpatsdaytradition.org


By Mary ann O’TOOle HOlleySpring is in the air, and the urge to get

that green going is well overdue. So get out your shamrocks and your big green hat and join the Cottleville St. Patrick’s Day cel-ebration Saturday, March 13.

Block your calendar for an entire day of non-stop family festivities that starts with the Cottleville Firefighters “Run for the Helmet” 7k competitive run. For those in a more passive mode, there’s a fun run and a 1- and 2-mile walk through the beauti-ful city and Cottleville’s new Legacy Park. Whatever you choose is sure to be enjoy-able—and your participation will benefit the Cottleville Fire Fighters Community Outreach. Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is a sponsor of the Run for the Helmet.

The event appears to be even larger than last year. “It’s going superbly,” said Cot-tleville Firefighter Tom Smoot, Run for the Helmet co-organizer. “As for runners, we’ve already got 500 runners (regis-tered). By race time we should have well over 1,000 runners.” That’s comparing last year’s registration stats, Smoot said. But because the racers had so many compli-ments about the event, word of mouth has taken the event far beyond their second-year expectations.

“Those who gave us a shot last year didn’t know what to expect,” Smoot said. “When they got there, they were so pleasantly sur-prised they have really been spreading the word about our event.”

The Fleet Feet sanctioned event will pro-vide instant race results.

Walk or run; it’s all funThe CFFCO 7k run and 1- and 2-mile

walk starts at 9 a.m. at the Cottleville Fire-house No. 1 on Motherhead Road near Hwy. N (across from St. Joseph-Cottleville Catholic Church). Last year about 700 participants broke a sweat on the streets of

Cottleville and cooled off at the finish line near Sherlock’s Steaks and Seafood, 5737 Hwy. N.

Early Run for the Helmet, Fun Run and Walk pre-registration is recommended. Cost is $20 and can be conveniently completed by visiting www.cfcohelpingyours.com; in person from noon to 7 p.m. by March 12 at the Cottleville Fire Station No 1; or by mailing registration form with payment (must be received by March 12) to Cot-tleville Fire Station #1, 1385 Motherhead Rd. Cottleville Mo. 63304; ATTN: Race. Same day registration is $25, and begins at 7 a.m. in the engine bays of the firehouse.

An authentic firefighter helmet will be awarded to overall male and female win-ners. For more information contact Skip Stephens at 314-803-0308.

All proceeds from the Walk/Run will help the Cottleville Fire Fighters Com-munity Outreach Program in its ongoing efforts to help those in the community who find themselves in needy situations.

St. Pat’s ParadeGet your green on for the best parade

in St. Charles County, but be sure to be there early. The conglomeration of mon-ster trucks, costumed characters and Irish family clans are just a part of the Cot-tleville St. Patrick Day Parade starting at noon at Francis Howell Central High, 5199 Hwy. N in Cottleville and ending at Warren Elementary School, 141 Weiss Rd.

Wear anything green, bring grandma and grandpa, the kiddos and the dog to get a gander at the two-mile parade that begins. Expect floats and marchers from near and far. The Hibernians, the Irish Dog Clubs and plenty of community service organizations will be making their way (throwing candy for the kids, of course) in an expanded parade route located from Francis Howell Central High School.

Walk/Run, sit and enjoyCottleville gears up for another great St. Pat’s Day celebration

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By Casey GodwinBasic communication was always a dif-

ficult chore for Andrew Hiatt, of O’Fallon. Diagnosed with autism at age 3, Andrew, who is now 15, would struggle to get his thoughts out and often become so frus-trated that he would hit his head.

Years of speech and occupational therapy later, Andrew developed a vocabulary wide enough that he could adjust to life in a tra-ditional school environment, but he still faced real challenges.

Then, one day on a school field trip, Andrew met a horse.

This wasn’t just any horse, it was one of many therapeutic horses that were trained to help people with disabilities at Thera-peutic Horsemanship in Wentzville.

Andrew’s mother, Karen, said after the field trip, he would ask about riding the horses every day. Realizing this wasn’t just a passing interest, like so many other sports he had tried, Karen Hiatt put Andrew into the program in June 2007.

“It helped tremendously,” Karen Hiatt said. “He has had to learn to communicate with the instructor and the horse, and it has helped him to become more independent.”

Andrew Hiatt has an easier time speak-ing in complete sentences these days and has made some new friends. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, however, has been learning to ride a horse independently and competing in a national competition in Kansas City last November. Karen Hiatt even began volunteering for Therapeutic Horsemanship.

“It has become a huge part of our lives,” Karen Hiatt said.

For the past 35 years, Therapeutic Horse-manship has helped people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities, including autism, spinal cord injuries, Muscular Dys-trophy, neurological diseases, psychologi-cal issues and physical amputations.

“The reason why the horse works is that the horse has the same gait as the human being, with the back and forth, up and down, side to side movement,” co-founder Sandy Rafferty said. “His hip pelvis moves just like the human pelvis does.”

When a student sits on the horse, they receive the same neurological input through the spine that they would receive if they were walking. This trains the student to improve balance, strengthen abdominal

and back muscles by having to stay upright, and improves head control. By adding other activities such as ball catching, this further enforces these improvements while also building hand-eye coordination.

Rafferty, who is an occupational thera-pist, previously worked in a treatment clinic utilizing more traditional forms of therapy.

“I would use 10 different pieces of equip-ment to influence people’s balance and strength,” Rafferty said. “One horse can do what 10 to 15 pieces of equipment can do.”

Horse therapy has shown dramatic improvement in those with an array of dis-abilities.

In a study conducted two years ago by Washington University, it was found that horse therapy has shown improvement in trunk control and functional reach in children with Cerebral Palsy after just 12 weeks.

Not only do the horses improve physi-cal condition, but they do wonders for the mind.

“They (the students) bond with the ani-mals,” Rafferty said. “They have an animal that they are relating to and we teach respect

and care for the animal. They also gain self esteem because they feel good about being able to ride a horse.”

Therapeutic Horsemanship is currently seeking volunteers to participate in a new program, Horses for Heroes, which will launch in April. Horses for Heroes is a national program that offers horse therapy to wounded American service personnel and veterans.

Horses for Heroes will target veterans with physical disabilities, such as amputa-tions, and emotional issues, including post traumatic stress disorder. For more infor-mation or to volunteer, visit thstl.org.

Therapeutic Horsemanship continues to make a life-changing difference

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Wentzville

New boundaries approvedThe Wentzville School District Board

of Education unanimously approved the boundary changes for the two new elemen-tary schools opening in the fall for the 2010-11 school year.

The Elementary Boundary Committee, comprised of parent representatives from each school in the district, worked together with administrators to help determine the attendance boundaries for the district’s new elementary schools.

The new elementary school on Mexico Road will receive its students from both Heritage Primary and Heritage Interme-diate. The new school on Sommers Road will draw its students from Prairie View Elementary.

The committee presented the proposed new boundaries to community members at Heritage Primary, Heritage Intermedi-ate and Prairie View Elementary, and both schools hosted Open House events so fami-lies could see the proposed boundaries, ask questions and offer feedback.

Letters confirming the new attendance areas are being sent to families from Heri-tage Primary, Heritage Intermediate and Prairie View Elementary reminding them of which school their children will be attending next year.

The new boundary maps for both schools, as well as a listing of all streets in the new attendance areas, are also available on the school Web site.

Cheerleaders place 12thThe Varsity Cheerleading squad at Tim-

berland High School took 12th place in the National High School Cheer Competition (NHSCC). More than 400 squads across the nation competed in Walt Disney World on Feb. 12-14.

“I knew this year was going to be spe-cial,” said Timberland Cheer Coach Laura Wooten. “I have been a cheer coach for 18 years and this is the most talented squad I have ever coached. But talent is only a small piece of what makes this team so special. They are amazing young adults who make me so proud to say I am their coach.”

This was the first year the team has com-peted on the national level. Timberland’s performances in the NHSCC competition can be viewed by visiting varsity.com. Just click on “NCA/NDA All Star National Championships” at the top of the page and then search “Timberland.”

Commissioner’s AwardThe Wentzville School District is the

recipient of the 2010 Commissioner’s Award for Promising Practices in Profes-sional Development.

This award, given by the Missouri Staff Development Council (MSDC), recog-nizes the district’s efforts in implement-ing high quality professional development that impacts teacher quality and student achievement and can serve as a compre-hensive model for other districts to follow throughout the state.

“Wentzville’s Professional Development District Committee has been working with enthusiasm and purpose for the past three years,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Susan Gauzy. “Professional development has been focused on the goals of the dis-trict’s Comprehensive School Improve-ment Plan and student learning. It’s been a pleasure to watch the growth and devel-opment of the committee which has been reflected in the growth and development of the staff and students.”

After being named a semi-finalist for the

award, a site visit team came to Wentzville in early February to visit several schools, interview teachers and administrators and review best practices.

According to the award application, tight adherence to the 12 professional develop-ment standards set by the National Staff Development Council is the over-riding criteria by which districts are evaluated.

The Wentzville School District’s Read-ing/Writing Workshop in grades K-5, Singapore Math in grades 1-5, Technol-ogy Application and Integration in grades K-12, and Differentiated Instruction in grades K-12 were the basis of the award and can now serve as models for districts and schools across the state.

The Wentzville School District is one of a select group of districts across the state that will be receiving this award at the Show-Me Professional Development Con-ference on March 15.

Fort zumWalt

Braille ChallengeFive students from the Fort Zumwalt

School District competed at the Missouri Regional Braille Challenge.

The Braille Challenge is a nationwide competition to show students’ knowledge of the Braille code. Students were chal-lenged in the areas of spelling, speed and

accuracy writing, proofreading, reading and comprehension, and charts and graphs. Students had to exhibit a full knowledge of the Braille code.

Senior Kristyn Hagan of West High won first place and Junior Brett Wilhelm won third place in the varsity division. Ashley Foley, a sixth-grader, won first place in the sophomore division.

The regional scores are sent to the national site and tallied with all of the other participants in the United States. The top 12 in each division are invited to compete in the National Braille Challenge in Cali-fornia in the summer.

Alexis Kaibel, a third-grader at Emge Elementary and Carter Temm, a first-grader at Westhoff Elementary also competed.

Francis HoWell

Tryout meetingEighth-grade girls interested in trying

out for the Francis Howell Central Sen-sations Dance Team for next year must attend an informational meeting at 6 p.m. on March 22, in the café in the high school. A parent must accompany each student, as all tryout information will be handed out and discussed at this time.

Tryouts will be held from April 12-16. For more information, e-mail Nicole Huff-man at [email protected].

Bul let in Board20 I MARCH 10, 2010

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE

an essential part of your

daily routine newsmagazinenetwork.com is updated daily with the local news, events and information that impact your world.

NewsmagazineNetwork.com is now the official Web site of West Newsmagazine and Mid Rivers Newsmagazine


Sts. Joachim & Ann Church4112 McClay Road4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 441-7503

Knights of Columbus 5701 Highway N4 p.m. to 8 p.m. • 936-1813

Immaculate Conception-Dardenne Prairie7701 Highway N4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. • 561-4459

Church of St. Cletus2721 Zumbehl Road4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 946-6327

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton2 Seton Court4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 946-6717

St. Charles Borromeo 601 North Fourth Street

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 946-1893

Fairmount General Baptist Church2299 St. Peters Howell Road3 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 498-4475

Church of the Shepherd1601 Woodstone4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 441-2434

VFW Post 2866 66 VFW Lane3 p.m. to 8 p.m. • 724-9612

St. Peters Knights of Columbus7 McMenamy4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • 397-3809

St. Patrick Catholic Church-Wentzville405 South Church Street4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. • 332-9225

Looking for a Friday Night Fish Fry?Easter is just around the corner and with that, neighborhood fish fries are in full

swing. This annual Lenten tradition brings a flourish of fish fries to St. Charles County. Here’s a sampling of the local fish fries:

tsaid. “Those people should have been con-cerned. They’re concerned about 8 ounces of hair shampoo, but don’t want to care about things being tampered with while it is under their watch.”

Airport PoliceLambert Airport Police said they haven’t

heard any complaints of that nature, though they do get calls from travelers who say things were missing from their luggage, or that their luggage was stolen.

Sgt. Mike DeVaney said Lambert Air-port Police gets complaints every day, usu-ally about items missing from luggage. As for the mysterious liquid, DeVaney said he doesn’t know what it was or why it hap-pened. Braudis should have brought it in to be checked, he said.

“Sometimes with latches on hard side luggage, stuff will fall out onto the wet ground, and the ramp people put it back in,” DeVaney said.

Braudis says he used a duffel bag—a securely zipped duffel bag.

“Usually, after you’ve checked your luggage it is in secure hands, but once it reaches the carousel… The powers that be are saying that once the luggage is checked in, it’s in secure hands,” DeVaney said.

“And those who handle the luggage have 10-year background checks. It’s hard to say what kind of security issue the liquid (in Braudis’ luggage) would be.”

The St. Louis Airport Police Department

is a full-service law enforcement agency with all law enforcement responsibilities at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The police department’s primary mission is to ensure a safe and secure environment for the traveling public. The Airport Police Department is responsible for traffic con-trol, criminal investigations, airport com-munity oriented policing, airport security, enforcement of local, state and federal laws at the airport and providing canine explosive detection support to the airport and surrounding communities.

“Everyone at the airport, regardless of the (subcontractor) company, has a 10-year background check,” DeVaney said.

Luggage theftLast year, The Wall Street Journal

reported that baggage handlers with Delta Air Lines Inc. were caught rifling through suitcases in the belly of airplanes in Hart-ford, Conn., pocketing laptops, cameras, iPods, GPS units, jewelry, watches and earrings.

At Lambert Airport, police also broke up a ring of airline thieves who, they said, were targeting soldier’s bags that were shipping off to war. Baggage handlers allegedly pulled soldiers’ duffels off a conveyor belt in a tunnel, stashed loot and then picked it up later, taking it home under their coats or in backpacks. Among the stolen items recovered: laptops, electronic game sys-tems, cameras, cigarettes, battery chargers, sunglasses and firearms.

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County Council – Dist. 1 Cheryl A. Hibbeler, Democrat, O’FallonJ. Dirk Bremer, Republican, St. Paul

County Council – Dist. 3Nancy J. Matheny, Republican, St. Charles

County Council – Dist. 5Terry L. Hollander, Republican, St. Charles

County Council – Dist. 7John W. Moran, Democrat, St. CharlesJohn W. White, Republican, St. Charles

Director of ElectionsRich Chrismer, Republican, St. Peters

Recorder of DeedsJoseph Michael Smith, Republican, St. Charles Barbara J. Hall, Republican, St. Charles

Prosecuting Attorney John P. Banas, Republican, St. Peters

Collector of Revenue Michelle D. McBride, Republican, St. Peters

SheriffThomas W. Neer, Republican, DefianceKevin D. Jett, Republican, O’FallonPatrick L. Riley, Republican, St. Charles

AssessorScott F. Shipman, Republican, St. Charles

For updates, check the Election Authority Web site at: election.sccmo.org.April 6 municipal election ballots now available for absentee voting include the following candidates:

COTTLEVILLEAlderman – Ward 1Marie Mannino Alderman – Ward 2Donald BuchheitMatt Thornton DARDENNE PRAIRIEAlderman – Ward 1 Scott D. Kolbe Alderman – Ward 2Jim SeaseKevin Harris

Alderman – Ward 3 Michael J. Conroy

LAKE SAINT LOUIS Alderman – Ward 1 Ralph SidebottomEric Oman

Alderman – Ward 2Charlotte Norton Karen Vennard

Alderman – Ward 3John PelleritoDavid Butler

O’FALLONCouncilman – Ward 1 Rick Lucas Councilman – Ward 2Jim PepperMary Sue LauloPierce Conley Councilman – Ward 3Dan Haney

As electorate is more engaged than ever before, so are political candidate filingsBy Jeannie SeiBert

The level of political engagement has reached such a pitch that interest in elections has never been more intense.

This is good news to county Election Authority Director Rich Chrismer. His depart-ment’s Web site is now being updated daily to reflect new candidate filings for the various elections scheduled throughout the remainder of 2010.

While filings for the upcoming April 6 elections are closed and the ballots are printed, absentee voting has already begun. Chrismer said telephone inquiries regarding absentee voting are so numerous the Election Authority changed its automated message to include answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Numerous citizen political groups formed in the past year are giving candidates more scrutiny than ever before.

Municipal candidates are in full campaign mode in the lead-up to April 6. Meanwhile, the Aug. 3 primary candidates are equally engaged with fundraisers and campaign events already underway.

As filing opened for St. Charles County offices on Feb. 23, new candidates will be accepted through March 30, Chrismer said. To date the following individuals have filed:

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ay, G

aylo

rd N

elso

n, a

U

.S. S

enat

or f

rom

Wis

cons

in, p

ropo

sed

the

first

nat

ionw

ide

en-

viro

nmen

tal p

rote

st a

nd f

orce

d th

e is

sue

onto

a n

atio

nal a

gend

a.

On

Apr

il 22

, 19

70,

20 m

illio

n A

mer

ican

s de

mon

stra

ted

for

a he

alth

y, s

usta

inab

le e

nvir

onm

ent.

Of

the

first

Ear

th D

ay, S

ena-

tor

Nel

son

said

“E

arth

Day

wor

ked

beca

use

of t

he s

pont

aneo

us

resp

onse

at

the

gras

sroo

ts le

vel.

We

had

neit

her

the

tim

e no

r re

-so

urce

s to

org

aniz

e 20

mill

ion

dem

onst

rato

rs a

nd t

he t

hous

ands

of

sch

ools

and

loca

l com

mun

itie

s th

at p

arti

cipa

ted.

Tha

t was

the

rem

arka

ble

thin

g ab

out

Ear

th D

ay. I

t or

gani

zed

itse

lf.” T

he fi

rst

Ear

th D

ay le

d to

the

crea

tion

of t

he U

nite

d St

ates

Env

iron

men

-ta

l P

rote

ctio

n A

genc

y an

d th

e pa

ssag

e of

the

Cle

an A

ir, C

lean

W

ater

, and

End

ange

red

Spec

ies

Act

s.

Con

gres

s se

t na

tion

al a

ir

qual

ity,

aut

o em

issi

on, a

nd a

nti-

pollu

tion

sta

ndar

ds.

Som

e of

the

resu

lts

of th

ese

earl

y ac

tion

s ar

e am

azin

g:•

In1

972,

onl

y36

per

cent

oft

hen

atio

n’sa

sses

sed

stre

amm

iles

wer

esa

fefo

rus

ess

uch

asfi

shin

gan

dsw

imm

ing:

toda

y,a

bout

60

perc

ent a

re s

afe

for

such

use

s.•

In1

996,

the

bal

dea

gle

was

rem

oved

fro

mt

hee

ndan

gere

dsp

ecie

s lis

t, re

flect

ing

its

reco

very

si

nce

the

1972

DD

T b

an.

•T

oda

te,m

ore

than

18

mill

ion

hom

esh

ave

been

tes

ted

for

rado

n. A

ppro

xim

atel

y 57

5 liv

es a

re

save

d an

nual

ly d

ue t

o ra

don

mit

igat

ion

and

rado

n-re

sist

ant

new

con

stru

ctio

n.

•T

oday

,the

vas

tm

ajor

ity

ofA

mer

ican

hou

seho

lds

have

saf

edr

inki

ng w

ater

, and

rec

eive

ann

ual r

epor

ts o

n th

e qu

alit

y of

the

ir

drin

king

wat

erT

hese

are

jus

ta

few

exa

mpl

eso

fth

epr

ogre

sst

hat

has

take

npl

ace

beca

use

peop

le w

ante

d to

mak

e a

diff

eren

ce.

We

are

con-

tinu

ing

to m

ake

even

gre

ater

pro

gres

s as

we

lear

n an

d de

velo

p be

tter

bui

ldin

g m

ater

ials

and

pra

ctic

es.

Our

Cit

y H

all

is p

roof

of

wha

t can

be

acco

mpl

ishe

d in

an

envi

ronm

enta

lly fr

iend

ly w

ay.

The

“lit

tle

thin

gs”

we

each

do

in o

ur o

wn

hom

es m

ake

a di

ffer

-en

ce a

s w

ell.

This

Ear

th D

ay, I

am

ask

ing

the

resid

ents

of D

arde

nne

Prai

rie

to m

ake

a di

ffere

nce.

It c

ould

be

as si

mpl

e as

cha

ngin

g on

e lig

ht

bulb

to a

n en

ergy

effi

cien

t bu

lb.

Visi

t Low

e’s in

Lak

e St

. Lou

is th

e w

eek

of A

pril

18th

. Th

ey w

ill h

ave

excl

usiv

e sa

ving

s on

en-

ergy

savi

ng p

rodu

cts.

Pam

Fog

arty

ME

ET

ING

TIM

ES

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rdW

orks

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r a

sam

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list

of

polli

ng p

lace

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o to

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n.sc

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TS

Easte

r Egg

Hun

tTh

e Dar

denn

e Pra

irie P

arks

and

Recr

eatio

n D

epar

tmen

t wi

ll be

hav

ing

the

annu

al Ea

ster

Egg

Hun

t on

Sat

urda

y, A

pril

3at

10

a.m.(

the

Day

bef

ore

Easte

r).T

heh

untw

ill

be h

eld o

n th

e bas

eball

field

s nex

t to

City

Hall

. Th

is ev

ent

isFR

EE,f

orch

ildre

nag

es8

and

unde

r.T

here

will

bem

ore

than

6,0

00e

ggs,

filled

with

can

dyo

rnum

bers

which

cor

-re

spon

d to

priz

es. T

he K

nigh

ts of

Col

umbu

s will

be p

rovid

-in

g a

visit

from

the

Easte

r Bun

ny.

The

PTI

Gro

up, w

ith

the c

oord

inat

ion

of D

arde

nne P

rairi

e res

iden

t Che

ri H

awes

, wi

ll be

don

atin

g Ea

ster B

aske

ts to

the fi

rst 5

00 p

artic

ipan

ts.

The H

unt w

ill be

gin

prom

ptly

at 10

a.m

., with

all a

ge gr

oups

hu

ntin

gat

thes

amet

ime,

sod

on’tb

elat

e.W

ewou

ldli

keto

th

ank

the P

TI G

roup

, Che

ri H

awes

, and

all o

ur v

olun

teer

s fo

r mak

ing

this

a ver

y spe

cial e

vent

.A

rbor

Day

Cele

brat

ion

InM

issou

ri,A

rbor

Day

isth

efirst

Frid

ayin

Apr

il(A

pril

2,2

010)

.Th

ePa

rks

and

Recr

eatio

nD

epar

tmen

twi

llbe

sp

onso

ring

an e

ssay

con

test

with

a lo

cal s

choo

l to

help

cel-

ebra

te A

rbor

Day

. Th

is ye

ar, I

mm

acul

ate

Con

cept

ion

of

Dar

denn

e(IC

D)w

illp

artic

ipat

ein

thee

vent

.Sec

ond

grad

e

stude

nts w

ill w

rite a

n es

say e

ntitl

ed “

Why

are T

rees

Impo

r-ta

nt?”

All

parti

cipat

ing

stude

nts w

ill re

ceive

a tr

ee p

rovid

ed

by th

e Par

ks an

d Re

crea

tion

Dep

artm

ent,

to ta

ke h

ome a

nd

plan

t. T

he w

inne

r will

also

rece

ive a

n A

rbor

Day

t-sh

irt.

The t

rees

wer

e pur

chas

ed fr

om th

e Geo

rge O

. Whi

te N

urs-

ery,

thro

ugh

theM

issou

riD

epar

tmen

tofC

onse

rvat

ion.

M

issio

n:C

lean

Stre

amO

nSa

turd

ayM

arch

27,

at8

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a.m,w

ear

eas

king

for

volu

ntee

rs to

help

rem

ove t

rash

from

loca

l stre

ams a

nd la

kes.

Brea

kfas

t or l

unch

will

be

serv

ed d

epen

ding

upo

n lo

catio

n.

Regi

ster e

arly—

spac

e is

limite

d. P

artic

ipan

ts re

giste

ring

by

Mar

ch1

3wi

llre

ceive

afr

eeT

-shi

rt.I

nca

seo

fdan

gero

us

weat

her

or h

igh

wate

r, th

e ev

ent

will

be r

esch

edul

ed f

or

Apr

il 10

th.

La

st ye

ar,

roug

hly

500

volu

ntee

rs pu

lled

over

27,

700

poun

ds o

f tra

sh fr

om D

arde

nne,

Peru

que,

Belle

au, S

penc

er

and

Col

e Cre

eks i

n a l

ittle

over

two

hour

s!

Fam

ilies

, org

aniz

atio

ns a

nd i

ndivi

duals

can

par

ticip

ate

byc

allin

gth

ene

ares

tcom

mun

ityto

regi

ster(

inD

arde

nne

Prair

ieca

ll(6

36)

561-

1718

or

visit

www/

dard

enne

prair

ie.or

g)

Mik

e C

onro

yW

ard

3T

o th

e 12

00 +

/- p

eopl

e w

ho

vote

d in

the

last

mun

icip

al e

lec-

tion

, I w

ould

like

to e

xpre

ss m

y th

anks

for

part

icip

atin

g in

you

r lo

cal g

over

nmen

t. T

here

is a

n-ot

her

chan

cet

opa

rtic

ipat

eon

Apr

il6,

201

0.I

ho

pe m

ost o

f you

will

aga

in b

e ab

le to

mak

e it

to

the

polli

ng p

lace

s on

tha

t T

uesd

ay. I

hop

e th

at

mos

t of

you

will

als

o ta

ke t

he t

ime

to s

ay t

hank

you

tot

hee

lect

ion

judg

esa

ndo

ther

wor

kers

at

the

polls

. The

se p

eopl

e ar

e th

e lif

e bl

ood

of a

ny

elec

tion

and

, ul

tim

atel

y, o

f yo

ur g

over

nmen

ts;

loca

l, st

ate

and

fede

ral.

To

the

30o

rso

cit

izen

sof

War

d3,

and

the

10

or s

o ci

tize

ns o

f W

ard

1 an

d W

ard

2, w

ho h

ave

cont

acte

d m

e th

ese

past

tw

o ye

ars,

I w

ould

like

to

per

sona

lly t

hank

you

for

taki

ng a

n in

tere

st in

D

arde

nne

Pra

irie

. In

eve

ry a

rtic

le I

hav

e pr

o-du

ced

as a

n A

lder

man

, I h

ave

aske

d th

at m

ore

peop

le g

et i

nvol

ved

wit

h th

eir

gove

rnm

enta

l

repr

esen

tati

ves

ofe

very

lev

el.

Mos

tpr

ocee

d-in

gs a

t Cit

y H

all a

re d

evoi

d of

any

and

all

inpu

t fr

om c

itiz

ens.

Doe

s th

is m

ean

ever

yone

bel

ieve

s th

at a

ll is

goo

d or

doe

s th

is m

ean

nobo

dy g

ives

a

dam

n? I

can

not s

ay, I

can

onl

y ve

ntur

e a

gues

s.

Perh

aps

I sh

ould

tel

l ev

eryo

ne n

ot t

o w

orry

ab

out

gett

ing

invo

lved

.P

leas

edo

n’t

ask

any

ques

tion

s be

caus

e yo

u ar

e no

t ca

pabl

e of

und

er-

stan

ding

the

cir

cum

stan

ces

and

besi

des,

it a

ctu-

ally

is n

one

of y

our

busi

ness

how

you

r m

oney

is

spen

t.W

e’ll

spen

dyo

urm

oney

as

we

see

fit.I

f

I th

ough

t th

at w

ould

ini

tiat

e so

me

conc

ern,

I

wou

ld p

roba

bly

say

som

ethi

ng li

ke th

at.

I re

ally

wou

ld l

ike

to h

ear

your

ide

as a

s w

ell

as y

our

conc

erns

. The

re i

s no

thin

g w

orse

tha

n he

arin

g a

grea

t id

ea o

r a

bett

er a

ppro

ach

to a

pr

oble

m a

fter

an

init

ial r

emed

y ha

s bee

n st

arte

d,

espe

cial

ly o

ne t

hat

may

be

mor

e ex

pens

ive

or

not s

o co

smet

ical

ly a

ppea

ling.

If

you

wou

ld l

ike

to g

et i

n to

uch

wit

h m

e,

plea

sec

all

me

at3

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eat

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Dav

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ampe

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War

d 1

I ho

pe e

very

one

had

a w

on-

derf

ul

Hol

iday

Se

ason

.

Just

th

ink,

we

are

ente

ring

int

o a

new

dec

ade.

A p

erfe

ct t

ime

to

star

t a n

ew c

hapt

er o

f our

live

s!

Let

’sta

keti

me

tog

ive

ever

yone

ali

ttle

mor

eti

me

and

resp

ect.

If e

very

one

did

this

, th

ink

wha

t a

diff

eren

ce th

at s

mal

l cha

nge

wou

ld m

ake.

Val

enti

ne’s

Day

was

ag

ood

tim

ein

our

hou

se-

hold

. T

he g

rand

kids

gav

e m

y w

ife

and

I a

big,

he

art s

hape

d, h

and-

mad

e V

alen

tine

. Tec

hnol

ogy

has

brou

ght

man

y ne

eded

cha

nges

, but

not

hing

is

bet

ter

than

rec

eivi

ng s

omet

hing

a c

hild

has

m

ade

just

for

you

.It

tru

lyi

sth

e“l

ittl

eth

ings

”th

at a

re im

port

ant i

n lif

e.Yo

ur C

ity

is d

oing

gre

at a

nd t

hank

you

for

yo

urs

uppo

rto

ndi

ffer

entp

roje

cts:

•W

ew

illb

ege

ttin

gtw

ost

ops

igna

lsi

nou

rC

ity.

O

ne w

ill b

e at

Han

ley

and

Feis

e R

oads

. T

he o

ther

will

be

at P

ost a

nd H

anle

y R

oads

and

Hw

y N

. T

hey

are

a lo

ng t

ime

com

ing.

Po

st

Roa

d w

ill b

e sh

ifte

d to

the

eas

t to

line

up

wit

h H

anle

y R

oad.

P

leas

e be

car

eful

in

both

are

as

whi

le c

onst

ruct

ion

is u

nder

way

.•

The

Cit

yw

illa

gain

par

tici

pate

in

Mis

sion

C

lean

Str

eam

on

Mar

ch2

7th.

Thi

svo

lunt

eer

acti

on h

elps

cle

an th

e cr

eeks

and

stre

ams i

n yo

ur

Cit

y fo

r a

clea

ner

tom

orro

w.

•W

ew

illb

ece

lebr

atin

gA

rbor

Day

on

Apr

il2n

d.

•T

hea

nnua

lEas

terE

ggH

untw

illta

kep

lace

atD

arde

nne

Ath

leti

cfie

lds

onA

pril

3rd

at

10:0

0 a.

m.

The

re w

ill b

e m

any

priz

es a

war

ded.

T

his

was

a g

reat

suc

cess

las

t ye

ar.

If y

ou h

ave

kids

or

gran

dkid

s,8

yea

rso

lda

ndy

oung

ery

ou

won

’tw

antt

om

iss

this

.•

Ear

thD

ayis

Apr

il22

nd.F

orm

ore

info

rma-

tion

on

thes

e ev

ents

and

to s

ee w

hat i

s go

ing

on

in y

our

Cit

y, p

leas

e ch

eck

out

the

Cit

y w

ebsi

te,

ww

w.d

arde

nnep

rair

ie.o

rg.

Hav

e a

very

hap

py

and

grea

t spr

ing

and

sum

mer

.

Ste

p up

to a

prof

essi

onal

offi

cese

ttin

g in

Dow

ntow

nD

arde

nne

Pra

irie

Cla

ss A

offi

ce s

pace

is

avai

labl

e in

our

New

C

ity

Hal

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folio: .5 – .4708month: 2.067 – .4916

26 I CAMPS & OPPORTUNITIES I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By SUE HORNOFEach year as summer nears, there are par-

ents who wonder if their child is ready for their first experience with overnight camp. The transition from day camp to sleepover camp is exciting, but it can also instill fear and apprehension in kids and parents alike.

How can parents determine if a child is ready to spend a week or more away from home?

According to Dr. Christopher Thurber, author of “The Summer Camp Handbook” and an expert on the camping experience and homesickness prevention, most chil-dren are ready to spend time away from home by age 7. Two weeks away can pro-vide a child with a sense of belonging and independence, Thurber said, but a shorter session might be in order if it is the child’s first time away from home.

The Camp Experts & Teen Summers (campexperts.com), a free summer camp and teen summer program advisory ser-vice, offers these tips to help parents and kids decide if this is the summer for trying a week or more away from home, and if so, preparing for the time away:

• Listen to your child and to his/her friends. If they are expressing interest in attending overnight camp, then the time has come to begin the exploration process. A camp consultant service can help. Like-wise, if your child is not looking forward to returning to day camp, it may be time to discuss the advantages of sleep-away camp.

• After narrowing the list of potential overnight camps to two or three, arrange to visit the camps in session or during an open house, if possible. A camp consultant can assist with selecting the camps, planning for tours or even with home visits from a camp representative. Alternately, a consul-tant can help formulate questions to ask the camp directors in a telephone interview.

• If a child decides he/she is ready for a week or more at camp, discuss ahead of time what camp will be like. Emphasize the positives, such as the many new and fun activities your child will experience and the new friendships he/she will forge. Acknowledge that your child may miss home for a part of the time, but assure him/her that you will stay in touch by writing letters and will be there on visiting day, or at the end of a shorter session program. Never assure children that you will imme-diately pick them up and bring them home if they do not like it, as that may be setting up your child for failure.

• Once enrolled, it is natural for your child to experience some pre-camp jitters. Help your child connect with the camp by watching the camp DVD or looking at the camp Web site. If your selected camp has a new camper party or an opportunity to meet the director, be sure to take part.

• Let your child take part in selecting items and packing for camp. Your child might like to bring a favorite object, pic-tures of family or pets and stationery addressed to loved ones.

Making the leap to overnight camp

Talking about camp activities and friendships can help ease a child’s apprehension about being away from home.

First Baptist Christian AcademyPreschool — 6th Grade

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I CAMPS & OPPORTUNITIES I 27MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINENEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

A camp for every tasteBy SUE HORNOF

A University of Michigan-run online community where girls share opinions about a variety of topics asked members what kind of summer camp experience they would plan if they could design their own camp.

One girl said she would create a Nancy Drew camp where campers read Nancy Drew books and solve made-up mysteries. Another said she would divide campers into groups and send them off on a month-long scavenger hunt. Some described all-girl camps and others said they would design co-ed camps.

Today, there are camps designed in many styles and those that offer activities to meet most every interest. According to the American Camp Association (ACA), while most camps offer a general program of out-door activities including hiking, swimming, sports and games, arts and crafts and nature awareness, some place special emphasis on programs like horseback riding, water sports, music or adventure challenge activ-ities. Other camps, including many day camps, focus on a single activity, such as drama, art, music, dance, cheerleading, a specific sport or a variety of sports.

In addition, the ACA identified the fol-lowing camp trends:

• Of the estimated 12,000 American camps, about 7,000 are resident camps where campers stay from several days to eight weeks.

• Day camps have grown by nearly 90 percent in the past 20 years, offering ses-sions and age-appropriate programs similar to resident camps.

• Trip camps are providing programs in which campers backpack, ride horses or canoe to different sites.

• A growing number of children with disabilities are being mainstreamed into camps, and many camps have opened to provide special services to children with special medical needs.

• The most common camp program trends are challenging and adventurous activi-ties, including high and low ropes courses, climbing walls, zip lines, backpacking, mountain biking and cave exploring.

• There is an increased emphasis on per-forming arts and fine arts, such as dance,

theater, singing, ceramics, leather crafts, woodworking and photography.

• More than half (56 percent) of camps surveyed by the ACA reported having community service or good deed programs incorporated into the camp curriculum.

Challenging and adventurous activities are popular at summer camp.

St.Charles County Youth OrchestraAll Levels Welcome

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June 21-25

folio: .5 – .4708month: 2.067 – .4916

28 I cover story I MArcH 10, 2010MID rIvers NeWsMAGAZINe NeWsMAGAZINeNetWorK.coM

When the Obama Administration introduced a compre-hensive financial stability plan, with the key component known as the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), last spring, many homeowners in financial strife saw an opportunity to save their homes from possible fore-closure while getting back on their feet.

Donise Reitz was one such homeowner. A single mother, she was just another person feeling the pinch of a down-turn in the economy. In 2008, she lost one of her part-time jobs and the business that was renting a forklift she owned closed, meaning an additional loss of income for the Reitz family. Suddenly, Reitz, who had prided herself with always maintaining perfect credit and being able to afford her home that she bought in 2006, was relying on savings and credit cards to get by.

After learning about HAMP, Reitz contacted her mort-gage company, Nationstar, to find out if she would be eligible for the program. She filled out all the necessary documents and provided all the information that Nationstar requested and soon learned she had qualified to participate in a four-month trial period that could lead to permanent modification through HAMP.

She was sent a letter from Nationstar that outlined her trial period; the modified payment, which was a fourth of her normal mortgage payment; and when each payment was due. In bold letters, the document read, “These pay-ments should be sent instead of, not in addition to, your normal monthly mortgage payment.” It also states that “if the trial period payments are made in amounts different from the amount stated, your loan may not be modified.”

“From the very beginning I asked them specifically, ‘will this affect my credit?’” Reitz said. “They assured me over and over again this would never affect my credit as long as I was current when I went into the trial period and as long as I made my payments on time.”

However, that is not what happened. Three months into the trial period, Reitz decided to buy out the lease on her car. She was shocked when the loan application was rejected. Soon after, Reitz learned that one credit card company dropped her and another lowered her credit line. When she asked the credit card companies what was going on, she was told that she had severe delinquency reported on her credit report by Nationstar. Nationstar was report-ing that Reitz was only making partial house payments.

“I got a demand letter from Nationstar and they told me to

disregard that,” Reitz said. “They again said it was not affecting my credit.”

Furthermore, the trial period was extended by two months and almost every time Reitz would call Nationstar, she was told she had not sent in needed documents yet, such as pay stubs and a financial statement.

“No one ever called me to tell me they needed this,” Reitz said. “I wonder what would have happened if I had not called them.”

After four months in the trial period and learning that her credit was being impacted, Reitz began making her full payments again despite being told of the extension. In January, she was called and told that she had not been accepted into the program and soon after, she was sent a demand letter for more than $8,000. This amount, which was the equivalent of the difference in amounts between her normal mortgage payment and the modified payment for four months, was due immediately in order to avoid foreclosure.

“Now I’m stuck with a 7 percent interest rate because I can’t refinance, I have poor credit, and I really don’t know what else is to come,” Reitz said. “I wish I had never, ever done this.”

Unfortunately, Reitz is far from alone. In late 2009, the National Consumer Law Center

(NCLC) and the National Association of Consumer Advo-cates (NACA) conducted a survey of 113 NACA members from 24 states about the prevalence of foreclosure sales in violation of HAMP. Almost 95 percent of those consumer advocates were representing homeowners in cases where the mortgage company attempted to proceed with a fore-closure sale without a completed HAMP review. Most of those advocates were representing dozens of homeowners in such cases.

The results of the survey clearly showed that mortgage companies were not abiding by the current HAMP policy on stopping foreclosure sales.

Homeowners that enter HAMP must first go through a trial period, which is supposed to last only three months. A homeowner must complete an initial eligibility evaluation so that it can be determined whether or not the homeowner qualifies.

“The first step involves publicly available and easily applicable criteria; the second is subject to the servicer’s

determination with incomplete disclosure to homeowners,” said Ellen Taverna, a legislative associate with NACA.

The eligibility criteria for trial modification are outlined on the program’s Web site (makinghomeaffordable.gov). These rules include owing equal to or less than $729,750 on a first mortgage and hardships such as an increase in mortgage payment or reduction of income. Those who meet the qualifications and are approved would have their mortgage payments reduced to 31 percent of the current gross income.

“The servicer is supposed to review what its contracts with the investors say and run what’s called a ‘net pres-ent value’ test to determine if the investor will make more money under the terms of a proposed modification or if it doesn’t, proceed with a modification,” Taverna said. “(The U.S. Department of Treasury) has not made public the net present value test and the servicer does not need to tell the homeowner what all of the inputs it used were.”

According to the Department of Treasury, January data shows that more than 1 million homeowners have started trial modifications, but only 116,000 have received perma-nent modifications.

The guidelines to be accepted into the trial period are the same as those for permanent modification. While it seems those accepted into the trial period need only follow the rules to then be accepted for permanent modification, ser-vicers are not making the leap an easy one.

“In our experience, many of the people who are denied permanent modifications are denied because the servicer has lost submitted documentation or has made a new determination, on no apparent basis, that the homeowner no longer qualifies,” Taverna said. “Because there is no public, servicer-by-servicer reporting of the reasons for denials at the permanent modification stage, it is hard to know for sure what is going on.”

Those who are dumped out of the program find that they owe the difference between the reduced payment of the trial period and their regular mortgage amount in one lump sum, often with the threat of foreclosure if prompt pay-

Obama Administration’s

Home Affordable Modification Program

is, well, not so affordable

By Casey Godwin

I cover story I 29MArcH 10, 2010MID rIvers NeWsMAGAZINeNeWsMAGAZINeNetWorK.coM

ment is not received. In the event of receiv-ing permanent modification, that amount is added to their principal balance.

“The problem is made worse because ser-vicers have taken far longer than the trial period of three months to approve or deny the permanent modification,” Taverna said.

Despite what Reitz was told, Taverna said entering the trial modification period can have significant impacts on credit.

“Even if someone was current upon entering the trial modification, they are no longer reported as current during the trial period, but as making payments under a plan – which is a significant detriment to credit,” Taverna said.

Taverna said that some homeowners have not been told of the impact on their credit and that servicers are being silent on the issue.

Nationstar declined to comment regard-ing Reitz’s situation.

“Without an attorney or housing coun-selor, some homeowners may not under-stand the full impact,” Taverna said.

Reitz said she was fortunate that when Nationstar demanded more than $8,000 to prevent foreclosure at the end of the trial period, she was able to come up with the money.

“I know there have to be a lot of people

who would go into this thinking they were helping themselves and then not be able to pay that large of an amount and then lose their house,” Reitz said.

Reitz contacted a lawyer, but was told it would cost too much to fight Nation-star. And unless Nationstar officials will make efforts to remedy the damage to her credit, Reitz is stuck with a damaged credit report.

Taverna warned that all homeowners need to be aware of what the potential damage to credit entering into the trial period could mean.

“A trial modification will actually harm their credit,” Taverna said. “There are even examples of servicers mistakenly reporting that homeowners are delinquent on two accounts.”

Taverna said that homeowners who feel they have been wronged by the services not abiding by HAMP rules should seek legal assistance from an attorney focused on foreclosure prevention issues. NACA manages the Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance, which is a not-for-profit program that has enabled more than 35 organizations in 28 states to hire attorneys to represent homeowners facing foreclo-sure. Information on that program can be obtained at foreclosurelegalassistance.org.

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30 I HEALTH MATTERS I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

ON the calendar

The National Kidney Foundation serving Eastern Missouri and the Metro East will hold a free Kidney Health Screening for individuals aged 18 and older from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thurs., March 11 at the O’Fallon Family YMCA, 3451 Pheasant Meadows Drive. For an appointment or additional information, call 314-961-2828.

• • •

“Caregiving: What to do in Emergencies,” an OASIS program, will be held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thurs., March 11 at the Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital Health-Wise Center, 6 Jungermann Circle. To register, call 928-9355.

• • •

A sleep disorder screening/seminar will be held at 6 p.m. on Thurs., March 11 at SSM St. Joseph Health Center, 300 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles. Free screenings are offered from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and are followed by a presentation by Thomas Siler, M.D., a Board-certified sleep medicine specialist. A question and answer session follows the presentation. Admission is free. To register, call 314-776-3627.

• • •

“Serving Up Diabetes Education” will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tues., March 16 at the Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital Cardiology Center (hospital entrance B). Dr. Martin Ast, Chef Brian Jennings, and Occupational Therapist Adam Burlingame share informa-tion on diabetes and heart disease, benefits of a Mediterranean diet, exercise tips and more. Admission is free. To register, call 928-9355.

• • •

St. Charles Community College and Baue Funeral Homes, Crematory and Cemetery will present “Living with Grief: Cancer and End-of-Life Care,” the 17th annual Hos-pice Teleconference, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wed., March 24 at St. Charles Com-munity College, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive. Panelists describe the range of physical, psychological and spiritual reactions that people who are dying of cancer may have and how to respond to and validate those reactions; they also share their experience with the varied and individual ways that families and other caregivers are coping with cancer and the imminent death of the patient. Registration is $15 per person, with lunch available for an additional $8. Attendees may stay for Continuing Education credits for $25. The registration fee is waived for those who work in a hospice organization. To register, call 946-4042.

• • •

“Osteoporosis: Got Calcium?” will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wed., March 24 at the Middendorf-Kredell Library, 2750 Hwy. K in O’Fallon. Women receive a free bone density screening to determine risk for osteoporosis, and Danessa Brown, M.D., provides an overview of risk factors, prevention and ways to treat the disease. To register, call 928-9355.

• • •

“Tracy & Jess: Living with Early Onset Alzheimer’s,” a film screening and panel discussion, will be held at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Fri., March 26 at the St. Charles Com-munity College SSB Auditorium. Admission is free. For more information, contact Kelley Pfeiffer at 922-8544 or visit stchas.edu/students/activities.

• • •

Progress West HealthCare Center will present “Vaccines & Vacations: Traveling Abroad” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thurs., April 22 at the Middendorf-Kredell Library, 2570 Hwy. K in O’Fallon. Admission is free. Registration is required. Call 344-2273.

Thursday, March 25 6 - 7:15 p.m.SSM St. Joseph Hospital West400 Medical PlazaLake Saint Louis, MO 63367(Tours and screenings from 6 - 6:30 p.m.)H. W. Koenig Medical Building

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I HEALTH MATTERS I 31MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINENEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By BETSY ZATKULAK Consumers are regularly inundated with

new food items and a host of trendy terms and claims to market them. Vague defini-tions and sketchy statements on packaging often lead to consumer confusion.

Marilyn Tanner-Blasiar, a registered dieti-cian with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), explained why food marketing terms can confuse and mislead consumers.“Terminology is not formally defined, so

we as consumers often assume what the word means,” Blasiar said.

Throughout March – National Nutrition Month – the ADA is aiming to decode for consumers the meanings of current food terms and phrases. The organization hopes to help consumers learn which expressions denote healthier food choices.“‘Natural’ has no formal definition by the

USDA or the FDA,” Blasiar said. “There is a 1993 policy that says a food item that is ‘natural’ does not contain added color, arti-ficial flavor, or synthetic substitutes – but ‘natural’ cannot appear on an ingredient list other than in the wording, ‘natural flavor-ings.’”“Processed” and “unprocessed” are com-

monly misunderstood terms because con-sumers often think of processed foods as unhealthy, packaged foods with empty cal-ories and loaded with additives like fat and sodium. Consumers often think of unpro-

cessed foods as healthier foods that are not frozen, packaged or canned. Neither belief is entirely accurate.“It’s important to preserve foods to keep

them safe for intake – pasteurizing, cook-ing, freezing, canning, cutting, or adding sugar or salt to preserve it,” Blasiar said. The term “local” simply refers to food

that is grown close to where it is sold. The terms “whole” and “whole foods” are

often used but have no regulatory defini-tion. Whole foods generally include those that are not refined or processed, do not have added ingredients, and are close to their natural state; examples include dairy, fresh produce, whole grains, meat and fish.

The “organic” label encompasses the most specific criteria and legal meaning. According to the USDA, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotic or growth hormones.

• “100-percent organic” products are completely organic or made of only organic ingredients and qualify for the USDA”Organic” seal.

• “Organic” is used on products in which at least 95 percent of ingredients are organic. Such foods qualify also for the USDA’s ”Organic” seal.

• “Made with organic ingredients” refers to products in which at least 70 percent of ingredients are certified organic. The USDA “Organic” seal cannot be used on such foods.

Translating food terms

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PEOPLE

Denise Berg has joined Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital as infection prevention and control supervisor.

• • •Gail Elam has been appointed com-

munity sales associate for The Townes at Belleau Creek, a Payne Family Homes development in St. Charles County.

• • •

Dan Glaeser has joined MINI of St. Louis as a motoring advisor.

• • •

Brian Robertson, of O’Fallon, has been promoted to senior vice president/director of correspondent services at Love Funding, a St. Louis-based national mortgage bank-ing firm.

• • •BJC Medical Group of

Missouri has announced that Linda K. Therkild-sen, D.O., who is Board-certified in family medicine, has opened Belleau Creek Family Care at 8089 Mexico Road and is accepting

new patients of all ages.

PLACESCare Patrol, a free information and

referral service assisting seniors and their families in the St. Charles and St. Louis areas in finding assisted living, home care and other care services, has opened at 13975 Manchester Road. The franchise is owned by Cindy Grasse.

• • •Coldwell Banker Gundaker has

announced the formation of a marketing alliance with McBride & Son/Vantage Homes. Under the agreement, the residen-tial brokerage company will provide real

estate marketing services for the home-builder.

• • •Jeff Computers has moved to 14366

Manchester Road, two buildings west of its previous location.

AWARDS & HONORS“Entrepreneur Magazine” ranked The

Little Gym, which has a location in St. Peters, No. 1 in the children’s fitness cat-egory of its “Top Franchises.” This is the fourth consecutive year the company has earned that ranking.

EVENTS & WORKSHOPSSt. Charles Community College will

present “Write it Right: Business Writ-ing Techniques” from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thurs., March 11 at Old Hickory Golf Club in St. Peters. For registration information, visit edcalliance.com.

• • •The American Marketing Association

will present “Social Media Boot Camp – How It Can Benefit Your Office” from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thurs., April 8 at Old Hickory Golf Club in St. Peters. Basic information about utilizing social media for business, how to get started, success stories, best practices, and what not to do on social media are the featured topics. For registration information, visit edcal-liance.com.

Business They’re No. 1

Autohaus BMW was named the No. 1 new car BMW dealer in the state of Mis-souri, as reported for 2009 by the BMW National Program. The dealership sold 586 new BMWs, as well as 433 pre-owned vehicles.

Pictured are Autohaus sales staff members (front row, from left) Gerd Petermann, Craig Hopton, Sales Manager Joe Emerson, Karen Lowery, Bob Dedert, Renard LaSane, Brett Midgley and (back row, from left) Dennis Schaffner, Don Quinn, CPO Manager Mike Preiss and Booker Wade.

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34 I GET THE LOOK I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By SHEILA FRAYNE RHOADESKellee Peer is a designing woman on a

mission to better the world. The 47-year-old mother of six designs and sells purses inspired by the popular magazine clutch purses of the 1960s. In 2008, Peer launched K.Peer Designs, LLC, a business that allows her to express her fashion creativity and her altruistic inclinations.

Besides selling a unique product, Peer said, she wants to make a difference in the world. She accomplishes that with her

Clutch for Cures collection, because each time a Clutch for Cures purse is purchased, $10 is donated directly to a charitable orga-nization.

Originally, Peer offered six clutches, each featuring a famous actress, and donated a portion of her proceeds to a charity con-nected to the particular actress on the purse sold.

For example, because Audrey Hepburn died of colon cancer, the purchase of the Audrey Hepburn clutch benefited the Colon Cancer Alliance.

But Peer found that women sometimes wanted to support other charities, so buyers now may select from seven charitable organizations: International Foundation for Research and Education on Depres-sion, Colon Cancer Alliance, National

Foster Parent Association, Art Creation Foundation for Children, Family Violence Prevention Fund, National Breast Cancer

Coalition Fund, and NEST. “American women are passionate

about fashion and supporting great causes, too,” Peer said. “I’m proud to make donations for every purse sold to one of these outstanding organizations. I sincerely hope

more charities will contact me.”Peer offers dozens of clutch covers,

including her six originals, which feature female icons representing the glamour of old Hollywood, such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.

Other designs include famous faces like Jacqueline Kennedy, arts/graph-ics, special interests, sports themes, and holidays/events. Clutches have a plastic body with front and back clear acrylic cover pieces, twisted rope

chain straps, a jewel snap closure and decorative hardware. The clever design offers lots of versatility.

“The Clutch for Cures collection maga-zine cover art can be removed and replaced with anything a person could imagine, including different magazine covers, fabric, family photo collages or even original art-work,” Peer said.

In January, Peer attended the Golden Globes Celebrity Gift Suite in Beverly Hills.

“I met over 50 celebrities at the event,” Peer said. “Many are currently carrying my clutch purses.”

Clutch for Cures designs are sold in small boutiques around the country and online at clutchforcures.com. Pure by Jen, in Wild-wood, is the only boutique that carries the collection locally.

Charitable organizations interested in partnering with Clutch for Cures should contact Peer at [email protected] or 314-540-9830.

Purses with a

purpose

The Clutch for Cures collection features a variety of

design styles.

Kellee Peer poses with celebrity Joan Collins at a Golden Globes event in January.

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Amarri 939 Waterbury Falls Dr. O’Fallon, MO636-300-3100

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Has the most talented hairstylists in the area. Book your appointment today for your new spring color and cut. With any color cut receive a FREE deep conditioning treatment along with a free gift to help with your new style at home.

Is your skin spring ready? Try our Spring Spa Special, An Amarri Body Treatment, Vitamin C Facial, Anti-Aging Hand Treatment and a Spa Manicure/ Pedicure. $125 in March receive a 10% discount off of our Spring Special.

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NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM36 I prime. YOuR GuIdE TO NEW hOMES

The American Dream lives on at Helmut Weber Construction’s Falcon Crest in the heart of O’Fallon. The city was voted one of Money magazine’s “Best Places to Live,” and Falcon Crest is one of the few locations where you can still find single-family homes offering affordability cou-pled with unprecedented craftsmanship at prices starting from only the upper $160’s.

Falcon Crest features a “country cottage” look that differs from the typical styles that have saturated the market. “We’ve brought a new trend in housing to buyers who want exciting new construction in O’Fallon at an affordable price,” said sales manager Sheila Knutson. The two ranches, one story-and-a-half and three two-story plans range from 1,200 to 2,100 square feet and include many upgrade features that are standard in their base price like nostalgic glass-paneled front doors and wood entry foyers.

Kitchens are equipped with Maytag appliances including black-on-black smooth-top range, and the homes feature extras such as roof ridge vents, Tyvek Home Wrap and wiring for coachlights and garage door openers.

“All of our elevations have some brick and stone,” Knutson added. Most of the lots are large enough to accommodate 3 car garages.

Because of the success of these new plans, Helmut Weber recently added a new ranch model, the 1,800-square-foot Sierra II with three bedrooms, two full baths, standard vaulted great room and a covered patio.

“The covered patio is very popular with us Baby Boomers,” said Knutson. Those health-conscious Boomers also will appre-ciate the community’s three walking trails with park benches, and families will love the convenient playground and covered pavilion with barbecue pits, horseshoes and more. The walking trails surround a pond with a fountain.

The American Dream just got sweeter, said Knutson. For a limited time Helmut Weber s waiving all lot premiums at Falcon Crest, or buyers can choose from $10,000 in free options.

Falcon Crest, with only 64 homes, is just a five-minute jog from O’Fallon’s Civic Park Recreation Center. To visit the four displays, open daily (excluding holidays) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., take I-70 to north on Highway K-M, which changes to Main Street, and then turn west on Civic Park Drive to right on Emge and then stay on Emge as it winds back left into Falcon Crest on the left, and turn onto Sunset Lane. Call 636-379-2009.

Meanwhile, only three homesites remain at Locksley Crossing in Lake Saint Louis, and Helmut Weber Construction is treat-ing buyers to unprecedented closeout savings - offering to build the remaining homes at his cost. Two of the homesites back to woods. For more information contact Sheila Knutson at 636-379-2009 for an appointment and visit www.hwcstl.com. To see the community take Highway 40 or Lake Saint Louis Boulevard to north on Technology Drive.

‘Nostalgic Americana’ at Helmut Weber’s Falcon Crest

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NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM38 I prime. YOuR GuIdE TO NEW hOMES

Did people pay attention when Whittaker Homes recently lowered its prices to 2003 levels at The New Town at St. Charles?

“We had 18 sales in January and 16 in February,” crowed Greg Whittaker, presi-dent of Whittaker Homes and developer of The New Town at St. Charles. “That’s the best sales we’ve had in those months since 2007.”

We did something we didn’t think we could do, he admitted, “We were able to get prices back to when we started New Town in 2003.”

Whittaker has rolled back prices on single-family and cottage homes to 2003 levels, which means a savings of from $50,000 to $80,000. “It’s for a limited time only,” he said, “and part of our ’25 Homes in 25 Days’ promotion.

“And it’s working,” said Whittaker, adding that buyers are taking advantage of lower prices, low mortgage rates and the federal tax credit.

“If you wish you had bought in New Town at the beginning when prices were at their lowest,” he said, “here’s your chance.” For example, a four-bedroom, two-bath ranch with two-car garage normally priced from $242,500 is now priced from $164,500.

As part of the program, Whittaker also lowered the prices on New Town’s popular Tarn Street lakefront homes to the $180’s. “We have contracts on nine of them,” he said.

In 2003, New Town was established as the first true New Urbanism develop-ment in Missouri and one of the premier Traditional neighborhoods in the country,

designed in the mold of Seaside, Florida. Seven years later, New Town has eclipsed Seaside in growth and amenities. New Town is designed to accommodate a wide price range of homes and small businesses in a setting that combines old with new, cre-ating a town reminiscent of the past where children can ride their bikes to the corner market or ice cream shop and residents can walk to restaurants and bars like the new Padavan’s, a New York-style eatery.

Residents can enjoy shopping at Marsa-la’s Market, the new Haute Cakes Bakery, fun under the sun at Shire Lane Pool, sand volleyball, an ice-skating rink and a full yearly schedule of music festivals, all of which contribute to the stimulating atmo-sphere.

“There are so many things to do at New Town,” said Whittaker. “It’s just an unbe-lievable place.”

More than half of the residents in New Town live, work and play within the com-fort of their own neighborhood, which is what helped make New Town the best-sell-ing development out of 18,600 communi-ties in 16 states two years in a row and one of the top 100 places in America to raise a family.

Last year more than 180 families moved to New Town, Whittaker said. “I don’t think there’s any other development that even comes close to that!”

To visit New Town take Highway 364 to north on New Town Boulevard 1.5 miles to the entrance on the right. Call 636-949-2700 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.

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MEDICAL SEMINARS

SSM St. Joseph Health Center will have a presentation on sleep disorders from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Thurs., March 11, in the St. Charles Room at St. Joseph, 300 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles. Tours of the SSM Center for Sleep Disorders at St. Joseph will follow the lecture and free screenings will be held from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and refreshments will be served. To pre-register for this event, call 314-SSM-DOCS.

• • •The 17th annual Hospice Teleconference

will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wed., March 24, in the SSB auditorium at St. Charles Community College. This years’ subject focuses on Living with Grief: Cancer and End-of-Life Care. Reg-istration is $15 per person and lunch will be available for an additional $8. Attend-ees may also purchase a book and/or stay for continuing education credits for $25. Attendees working in a hospice organiza-tion will have their $15 registration fee waived. Seating is limited. Professionals may register online at baue.com or call 946-4042. Registration closes March 22.

• • •Gentle Flutters Share of St. Joseph Hospital West, a pregnancy and infant loss support group, will meet from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month

at the Turning Pages on Main Bookstore in Troy. The support group is open to all individuals who are grieving the loss of a pregnancy or infant family member. For more information, email [email protected].

• • •SSM Hospital West will have a presen-

tation on sleep disorders from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. on Thurs., March 25 in the community education room of the H.W. Koenig Medical Building located at 400 Medical Plaza Drive in Lake Saint Louis. Tours of the SSM Center for Sleep Dis-orders at St. Joseph, plus free screenings, will be offered from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and refreshments will be served. To pre-register for this event, call 314-SSM-DOCS.

MUSIC & ARTThe St. Charles County Youth Orchestra

(SCCYO) Symphony Orchestra will be in concert at 1 p.m. on Sat., March 27, at the First Baptist Church of Lake Saint Louis. The concert will benefit the Larry Hart Memorial Scholarship Fund which pro-vides scholarships to SCCYO students in need. The concert is free, but donations for the Scholarship Fund will be accepted.

• • •Young People’s Theatre of St. Charles

Community College will present “Beauty and the Beast” at 7 p.m., Fri. and Sat., March

19-20 and March 26-27, and at 2 p.m. on Sat. and Sun., March 20-21 and March 27-28, in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building Theater. The cost is $8 for gen-eral admission and $7 for students/seniors. For more information, call 922-8233.

BENEFITSFrancis Howell Central Football Boost-

ers Mouse Races will be held at 7 p.m. on Fri., March 26, at the Elks Lodge in O’Fallon. Tables of eight are available for $120. There will be seven races, 50/50, gift basket raffles and a bake sale. For more information or to reserve a table, contact Tracie Russo at 314-504-4563.

• • •First Step Back Home Homeless Min-

istry will celebrate its fifth anniversary from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sun., March 28, at Wentzville Christian Church, 1507 Hwy. Z. A concert is planned to benefit and promote the Homeless Ministry. Admis-sion is free and offerings will be accepted. Reservations are required. Send RSVPs to First Step Back Home (Attn: Benefit Con-cert) P.O. Box 966, O’Fallon, MO 63366 or [email protected]. For more information, call 466-1365.

POLICE ACADEMYEnrollment in the O’Fallon Police

Department’s 2010 Citizens’ Police Acad-emy (CPA) is open to O’Fallon and St. Charles County-area residents who are at least age 18. The six week class will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 25. The cost

of the course is $30. Additional informa-tion and applications for 2010 Citizens’ Police Academy are available online at ofallon.mo.us/PD/cp_cpa.htm. For addi-tional information, e-mail [email protected] or call 240-3200.

MEETINGSThe Constitution Party of Missouri will

hold its St. Charles County meeting from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Mon., March 22, at the Middendorf-Kreddel Library, 2750 Hwy. K in O’Fallon. For more information, call Susan or Ed Koob at 544-0963.

GARDEN SHOWThe 17th annual St. Peters Home, Garden

and Great Outdoors Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., March 27, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sun., March 28, at St. Peters City Hall next to the Rec Plex. The event will be in conjunction with the city’s Going Green campaign with Earth Month, which will begin at the annual Home, Garden and Great Outdoor Show. The event will have approximately 60 ven-dors. Exhibitors will display products and services from fields including; remodeling, real estate, security, landscaping and a few more unusual displays. For more informa-tion visit stpeterschamber.com.

CIRCUSThe Moolah Shrine Circus will be held

from Thurs., March 18 to Sun., March 21, at the Family Arena. There will be seven shows, and tickets range from $15 to $38. For more information, call 896-4200.

Community Events

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NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM42 I MARCH 10, 2010MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE

Councilman – Ward 4Jeff Schwentker Councilman – Ward 5 Mark S. PerkinsMike PheneyDaniel E. Christoff

WELDON SPRING Alderman – Ward 1Bruce J. Robb

Alderman – Ward 2 Richard “Dick” Jelen Jack Strick Alderman – Ward 3Ronald L. Griesenauer WELDON SPRING HEIGHTS Board of TrusteesStephan G. HeitkampAlice NelsenChristopher Donahoe

State office filings began Feb. 23, ending on March 30 for the Aug. 3 primary elec-tion. To date the following have filed for office. Chrismer recommends checking the Election Authority Web site for the most recent list of candidates.

Mo. Senate – Dist. 2Scott T. Rupp, Republican, WentzvilleCynthia L. Davis, Republican, O’Fallon

Mo. Representative – Dist. 13Vickie Boedeker, Democrat, WentzvilleChuck Gatschenberger, Republican, O’Fallon

Mo. Representative – Dist. 14Kyle Meadows, Democrat, St. PetersKathie Conway, Republican, St. Charles

Mo. Representative – Dist. 15Paul Woody, Republican, St. CharlesSally Faith, Republican, St. CharlesBill Slantz, Libertarian, St. Charles

Mo. Representative – Dist. 16Mark A. Parkinson, Republican, St. Charles

Mo. Representative – Dist. 17Kenny Biermann, Democrat, St. CharlesVicki Schneider, Republican, O’Fallon

Mo. Representative – Dist. 18Gary McKiddy, Democrat, St. CharlesAnne Zerr, Republican, St. Charles

Mo. Representative – Dist. 19Matt Simmons, Democrat, O’FallonDave Evans, Republican, O’FallonKurt Bahr, Republican, O’Fallon

Absentee voting – one of the following has to apply to vote an absentee ballot:

• Absent on election day from the juris-diction where voter is registered.

• Incapacity or confinement due to sick-ness or disability

• Religious belief or practice.Employment as an election authority or

by an election authority at a location other than assigned polling place.

Members of the military may request an absentee ballot from commanding officers or by contacting the Election Authority

Patients who are hospitalized within the county after 5 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to an election may request an absentee ballot.

A bipartisan team of election judges will be sent to the hospital.

Permanently disabled voters and care-givers to the disabled can request to be put on a list.

The affidavit envelope does not have to be notarized for anyone requesting an absentee ballot because of sickness or dis-ability.

Only registered voters can vote on ballot issues - you must be a registered voter and provide proof of identification.

To apply for an absentee ballot to be mailed, the request must be made in writ-ing for each election.

Written requests should contain the fol-lowing information: full name, residential address, the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, reason absentee ballot is required, the election date of the desired absentee ballot, if an August primary election ballot, supply a political party preference and the signatures of everyone requesting an absentee ballot.

Absentee voters will receive a notarized affidavit envelope. This, with the com-pleted ballot inserted, must be returned to the Election Authority no later than 7 p.m. the day of the election.

The Election Authority will only accept absentee ballots delivered by mail, regis-tered carrier or personally returned by the voter or family member.

Absentee ballots may be voted at the Election Authority’s office up to six weeks prior to an election until 5 p.m. the day before the election.

For additional information on absentee voting call 949-7550.

The office is located at 397 Turner Blvd., St Peters.

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By SUZANNE CORBETTThe word “taj” refers to a crown or a mark of distinction,

and Taj Palace has distinguished itself as a crown jewel in the Chesterfield Valley. The restaurant emerged as an elegant alternative to the fast food and chain restaurants that dot the area.

P.J. and Farhana Singh opened Taj Palace in October with their business partner, Suresh Bhakta, owner of Indian Palace. Indian Palace is where P.J. honed his skills as a restaurateur and mastered the art of Indian cuisine. As a result, Taj Palace provides authentic Indian dishes, tra-ditionally prepared using the spices, herbs, vegetables and meats native to India and sometimes using less expected ingredients, such as goat.

“Goat is on the menu because it’s something different that some people like,” P.J. said. “It’s also a traditional favorite in India. Goat is a very common meat for us. It’s as common as chicken is in the U.S. ”

Dining options also include chicken, seafood, lamb and 20 vegetable entrees. While deciding on an entrée, guests are served a welcoming plate of papadums – wafer-thin, crisp crackers served with two dipping sauces – mint, and

a tamarind chutney. The savory sweet combination makes a nice dinner pre-lude, as does one of Taj’s appetizers, such as the vegetable pakora (the Indian version of a fritter).

“Pakora and samosa (crisp fried veg-etable patties) are two of our popular appetizers that are often ordered as a meal,” P.J. said. “Nan is another favor-ite.”

Nan, also called tandoori bread, is the puffy, flat bread that is baked on the walls of a tandoori oven. It can be ordered plain, flavored or stuffed as an appetizer. Although nan is served with entrees, it makes a nice pre-dinner treat that is studded with cashews, pistachios, raisins and cherries.

Entrée picks during a recent visit were Chicken Korma – chicken swimming in a rich cream sauce flavored with cashews, almonds and raisins – and, Lamb Vinda-loo, a highly spiced meat and potato stew. Both are classic dishes that can be made with different meats and at various levels of heat.

“Just tell us how you like it, and we’ll make it any way you like it,” Farhana said. “We can make it mild, extra spicy and hot – even hotter. That’s called ‘Indian hot.’”

Another Indian culinary classic is curry, which in India usually is understood to mean “gravy.” Curries offered at Taj Palace are fish and chicken curry sauced with a tomato

and spice gravy, and goat curry that has the addition of an aromatic onion blend in its sauce.

All entrees are served with basmati rice steamed per-fectly light and fluffy and scented with a special blend of cinnamon, cumin, bay and coriander.

Taj Palace features an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, which provides an opportunity for sampling a variety of the unique foods that have made Indian cuisine renown.

Taj Palace’s Chef Singh.

Taj Palace brings fine Indian dining to Chesterfield Valley

Taj Palace92 THF Blvd. • Chesterfield

(636) 728-1000Lunch buffet served daily, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Dinner, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. www.tajpalacestl.com

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Call (636) 305-7300CUSTOMER PROTECTIONDetailed written estimates. No Paymentuntil work is satisfactorily completed.

QUALITY WORKMANSHIP1 year written guarantee.

NATIONWIDE COMPANY120 locations

EXPERIENCED CRAFTSMENOur professional craftsmen are background checked, insured, bonded and have at least 10 years of experience.

1 YearWarranty

on All Work




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$100$100$150$150

FINAL VALPAK® PROOF:VERIFY ALL COPY FOR ACCURACY

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NO Change After Proof Approval

EXTRA CHARGES - FOR OFFICE USE ONLYSPECIAL NOTES

BRIC

Bonded and InsuredFREE ESTIMATES!

(636) 305-7300st-louis.handymanconnection.com

Whi

le S

uppl

ies L

ast!

3449 Pheasant Meadow #103 O’Fallon, MO 63368636-379-4600 www.HeartAndSole.com

$100 OffAll MBT Footwear

Seasonal Merchandise now up to 70% off!ShoeS You Love To Wear

Freeenrollment!Save up to $90!

Full time • Part time • Evening Care • Low student - teacher ratiosState Licensed with established curriculum • Transportation to/from local schools

Visit us for a personal tour today!(636) 978-9988 • www.LullabyInn.com

10390 Veterans Memorial Pkwy. 1/2 mile east of LSL Blvd.Brittany Dow, Owner/Director

chewing isoverrated

ALL NATURAL:FRUIT

FRUIT JUICES

INGREDIENTS

4765 Hwy N. • MIDRIVERS 636-939-KING (5464)

Hours: M-F 7am-10pmSat 8am-10pmSun 10am-8pm

TEXT SK861 to 21333 TO GETEXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS

Call Us for FUNDRAISING, VOLUME ORDERS & CATERING

to any events!

$150 OFFAny Medium orLarge SmoothieGood only at Cottleville location. Excludes build up & indulge smoothies. Not valid w/punch cards. Not valid w/any other

offer. Limit one coupon per visit. Some restrictions may apply. Expires 3-31-10. MMag

HAPPY HOURMon-Fri 5pm-7pm Receive a Medium Smoothie FOR ONLY $3.99

Good only at Cottleville location. Excludes build up & indulge smoothies. Not valid w/punch cards. Not valid w/

any other offer. Limit one coupon per visit. Some restrictions may apply. Expires 3-31-10. MMag

20% OFFAny Supplement/ProteinGood only at Cottleville location. Not valid w/punch cards.

Not valid w/any other offer. Limit one coupon per visit. Some restrictions may apply.

Expires 3-31-10. MMag

folio: .5 – .4708month: 2.067 – .4916


M I D R I V E R S H O M E P A G E S

Mr. Happy Crack says...‘A dry crack is a happy crack!’

$50 OFF Repairs of $400 (or more)

636-625-3554

FREE ESTIMATES Life of Structure Warranty

Foundation & Crack RepairSump Pumps • Drain Systems

Need work done on your home?We handle it all!

•Remodels•Drywall

•Repairs•Painting

•Tile•ANYJob

Call Jon at 636.866.6587www.mjburnsconstruction.com

Call Today ForFREE Estimates

636-443-9540 636-734-2451

Your Hometown Choicefor Kitchen & Bath Remodeling

Father & Son Owner On Every Job!

MORE LIVING

SPACE FOR LESS!Remodeling

RestoRation specialists l.l.c.We Don’t simply stain

your deck, we refinish it

Specializing in Deck Refinishing House Powerwashing

Concrete Sealing • UnderdeckingMilitary & Senior Discounts

(636) 240-0966 w w w . d e c k - r e s t o r a t i o n s . c o m

Spring SpecialPowerwashing

$9900 Ranch$16900 Two-Story

Restrictions may applyExpires 4-30-10

Landscapes, Fences & More L.L.C.

(636) 294-0280 (314) 795-8219Mark Grannemann

Lawn Cutting & Maintenance

10% OFFA Full Year Service &

FIRST CUT FREE!

Free Estimates • 636-379-8345

Specializing In: • Crown Molding Chair Rail • Baseboards • Fluted Molding

insuREd, quality

woRkManship

Crown Molding 10x10 rooM Starting at $200!

Heman Home RepairInterior/Exterior Painting And Staining

Wallpaper Removal

Garage Doors and Openers

Roof and Gutter Repairs

To Do List and Home

Maintenance

Free Estimates 314-280-9913

• 1 Room Or Entire Basement• FREE Design Service• Finish What You Started• As Low As $15 sq. ft.• Professional Painters, Drywall Hangers & Tapers

Call Rich on cell 314.713.1388

Bauman’s Handyman services, LLc• RepaiRs• Honey Do’s• Basement RemoDeling• Decks• BatHs

around the house InsIde and out

Dan Bauman636-332-8577 314-852-0589

J & Dirt Works

(636) 368-1279

Grading, Leveling, Grapple work, Hauling & other bobcat services.

FREE ESTIMATES

CHIMNEY SERVICESSweeping

Chimney CoversTuckpointingBrick Work

Camera EvaluationFlue Relining

Full RestorationAir Duct

Dryer Vent Maintenance

Established in 1979

“Your Sweep for Life”

636-391-2226www.englishsweep.com

CALL ABOUT

TUCKPOINTINGSPECIALS!

(636) 925-0800www.beckmannplumbing.com

Beckmann PlumbingCommercial & Residential Services

$10 Off Service Charge with any completed service

Sewer/video CablingPlumbing Repairs & Replace

Code Violation RepairsBackflow Testing & Installs

Don’t have the right tools for the job?We’re the placeto check out first.

Ceiling • Wholehouse Gable Vent Fans • Recessed Lighting

Specializing in installation for two story homes with no wiring on first floor.

Quality Work At Competitive Prices!

(636) 337-0880

THE FAN MANSPRING SAlE

SAvE 20% UNTIl 3-31-10

Have the Benefits of a Maintenance Free Home

Call 636-949-2030www.TheSidingCompanyStCharles.com

•��Free�Pella�Entry�Door�or�Sliding�Patio�Door�W/purchase�of�whole�house�siding�thru�3/31/10.�Ask�about�a�$500�tax�credit.

•�0%�Financing�for�12�Months�Available!��

MID RIVERS SAVERMoisture In Windows?

FOGGET THE

OUT!

Solve your condensationproblems at a fraction of the cost of window replacement.

• Removemoisturefrom inside thermal pane windows

• Recoverinsulating R-value

• Relaxwithquick,on-site serviceanda20-year warranty

Clear Window Technology • 314-966-2666www.clearwindowtech.com

5% OFF3 or more

or

10% OFF8 or more

25% OFFAny One Regular Priced Item

Discounts may not be combined with any other offer, coupon or discount. Not valid on gift certificates,

in-home services, special orders, custom floral or books.

3070 Winghaven Blvd. • Lakeside Shoppes near Hwy 40/61(636) 561-4611 • www.TheWhiteHare.com

Mon-Thu 10-7, Fri & Sat 10-8, Sun 12-5


M I D R I V E R S C L A S S I F I E D S

Help Wanted

Carpet ServicesCARPET REPAIRS. Re-stretching, reseaming & patch-ing. No job too small. Free es-timates. (314) 892-1003

Computer Service & Supportfor Small Business & Individuals

Computer Problems?Computer Support Needs?Computer Training Needs?

Website Needs or Questions?Moving to a MAC?

For Economical On Demand Service and Support Since 1995

Call 636-532-0859Ask about our special offers for new customers!

Service at your home or office for:PC problems or set-up

PC won't start or connectSpyware, adware, virus removal Hardware and software upgrades

$30 diagnostic charge only for first ½ hourDay, evening and weekend

appointments available.Serving St. Louis & St. Charles Co

www.stlpcguy.comCall Mike at 636-675-7641

St. Charles Junk is your local bulk and container service com-pany catering to the St. Charles and surrounding counties. We haul it all...basement and ga-rage cleanouts, appliances, yard waste, construction debris, and NOW OFFERING CON-TAINERS! For the best service and pricing call St. Charles Junk at 636-697-7825 www.stcjunk.com

Hauling Services

Assisted Care Services

Computer Services

A-ACCURATE ROOFING SIDING & GUTTERS

no job too Large or too Small, Affordable Roofing residential

& commercial, all types of roofing, 40 year experience,

call for a Free Estimate, 636-939-5109 or 1-800-459-ROOF

Roofing Services

Home Inprovement

Flooring Services

Attention! Can you see yourself or your child in front of the camera?

Companies hire Images Agency to supply them with

people for Ads & Commercials.We're accepting applications for all ages, sizes & heights. Major companies like Picture

Me, Sears Portrait Studio,BJC Hospital, Build-A-Bear, Honda etc. use our people.

Apply Onlineat stlcastingcall.com or call

314-372-0500. Beginners Welcome!

St. LouisRemodeling Pros

314-220-8282FREE DESIGN &

ESTIMATESSpecializing in

finished basements!

Pet Services

Love 'N' CarePet Care

Quality Puppies For SaleFREE Vet Visit

& Health PackageOver 20 breeds to choose from

Full Service Grooming & Boarding Facilities

Newly Remodeled Showroom104 Laura Hill Rd. (off Hwy K)

St. Peters/O'Fallon 63376636-240-3647

Plumbing Services

ANYTHING IN PLUMBING.Good Prices! Basement bathrooms, small repairs & code violations repaired. Fast Service. Call anytime: 314-409-5051

Providing In Home Care for the Seniors and Disabled In Home Care & Assistance

Med Reminders Light Housework Bathing &Personal CareErrands &Transportation After-Surgery Care Live-Ins & Respite

Services available 24/71hr-24hr care Insured Bonded Recommended by Alzheimer’s Association

Call Right At Home636-379-9955

www.stcharles.righathome.net

No Minimum Hours Rates as low as $10/hr

For 10-12 hour sleepovers

Lumber and Millwork Driver/Loader for Metro St. Louis area deliveries. Must have cur-rent CDL with airbrakes. A min-imum of 5 years experience to include Forklift and Moffitt use. Apply in person at Kelly Build-ing Products, 425 Old State Road, Ellisville, MO

Insurance Services

Mill-Direct Pricing on Luxury Name Brand Carpet Laminate & Wood Flooring

We Will BEAT the Other Guys In Quality, Pricing and

Service after the Sale!

We Bring the Showroom to YOU!

We stand behind our product by bringing you, all the latest styles

including the new Frieze Carpet. We employ our own installers to guaran-

tee quality work. Free Financing & Free Estimates

Serving the St.Louis Area Since 1992

Help Wanted

Nap Time IncomePart time efforts, full time re-wards, your own schedule, part of a fun, motivated and positive team, no membership fees, no inventory, internet based, on-line and telephone training. Call Carol for website 314-954-7346.

Lentz Flooring. Specializing in hardwood floors, repairs and restoration. Family owned and operated. Free Estimates. Call Jeff. 314-604-3997 or 636-677-5801

JS Home Services Handyman • Carpenter

25 Plus Years Experience Cheap Rates! Free Esti-mates! House Closings, Deck Repairs, Structural Re-pairs. All Jobs Big or Small. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Call James at 314-420-3562

Total Bathroom Remodeling Cabinetry•Plumbing•Electrical

20 Years Experience

Bath/Tile Service

HOME CRAFTSMANPROFESSIONAL, HONEST WORK

WITH PRIDE AND INTEGRITYBasements, Built-Ins, Moldings, Doors

Carpentry, Bookcases, Cabinets Kitchens, Baths, Painting, Repairs

Whole House Remodeling OWNER ON THE JOB

30 Years Experience–Super Quality 636-225-7286

$75.00 OffBathtub•Tile

Reglazing www.new-finish.com314•295•1234

Home Inprovement

I LOVE TO PAINT plusCourteous • Dependable

Professional PaintingFaux Finishes

Trim and Crown Moulding Installation

•Al l Surface Prep •Cabinet and Furniture•Top Quality/Affordable

Insured/Referencesdavid decorative painting314-732-FAUX(3289)

3 rooms $490

includes paint Call Today

314-651-0261 since 1992

P A I N T I N g

Interior and Exterior PaintingPower Washing • Window Washing

Gutter Cleaningwww.painting-pros.com636-527-2501

Painting Services

Landscaping/Lawn Care

ittle Joe'sawn andandscape

Outdoor Kitchens & Fire PlacesLawn Maintenance, Fertilizing,

Mulch, Retaining WallsLandscape Design, and Installation

Call for a FREE Estimate.314.941.1851

Serving West County Since 1989

Landscaping/Lawn Service

Spring Clean-Up, Edging, Mulching, Dethatching,

Grass Cutting, Fertilization, Turf Maintenance, Planting,

Pruning, Brush Removal, Retaining Walls, Patios &

Drainage Work

Call 314-426-8833

Painting Services

Wedding Services

Anytime...Anywhere...

Marriage CeremoniesRenewal of Vows

Commitment & Affirmation of Love

(314) 703-7456

MidRivers NewsMagazine

ClassifiedsAdvertise Your

Business or Service With Mid RiversNewsMagazine

In the Mailboxesof 60,000 Homes314-610-3313 or

636-591-0010 x [email protected]

®

636-561-0060

Display Home For Sale2 br, 2 bth, Filled with fabulous design features & professionally decorated, located in a prestigious 55+ community with more than $5 million worth of on-site amenities, a must see. $329,900

REAL ESTATE

– K PRO HOME –IMPROVEMENT

Factory Direct Cabinetry, Countertops & Hardwood Floors

Stone & Tile FloorsCustom Decks

Almost Home Improvement at Very Competitive Pricing

25 years experience

636-443-3015

Will Beat AnyReasonable Bids

Call 636-230-0185

MASTER PLUMBER. Wa-ter Heaters, Code Violations, Backflow Preventers. Licensed & Bonded, Fully Insured. No Job Too Large or Too Small. (314) 288-9952

OPPORTUNITY IS KNOCKINGLooking to be your own boss…this is it. Get maximum return on your time and effort. Only you can limit your earnings. To learn more about this opportu-nity, respond by e-mail to:[email protected].

Want to set your own schedule? Then selling, 925 sterling sil-ver jewelry is for you! The sky is the limit! Work part-time or full-time selling beautiful jewelry and having fun! Earn 30% on your sales along with opportuni-ties for trips and Free jewelry! Interested? Call 314/807-7844

HOME COMPUTER SERVICESWe destroy viruses and spy-ware, fix slow or crashed com-puters, perform software and hardware upgrades, install and troubleshoot any wired or wireless network, recover/move data and install new computers. 14+ years experi-ence working on home/corpo-rate computers and networks. To schedule an appointment call Matt at 314.226.4279 or www.yourpcdocs.com

To Advertise Call636-591-0010 x 121

folio: .5 – .4708month: 2.067 – .4916

mid rivers newsmagazine 031010

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