July 13, 2011 Vol 13 No 28

MOVIE PEEK See MOVIE page 7

Look Out Rudolph! 3,000 SantasSigned Up To Racein Frontier Park

Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lincoln County Life . . . . . . . . . . . Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . Pet Adoptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christmas Traditions . . . . . . . . . . Joe Morice / Sports . . . . . . . . . . .Shelly Schneider / Recipe . . . . . . . .

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2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. • O’Fallon, MO 63366 P: 636.379.1775 F: 636.379.1632 E: ofcnews@centurytel.net www.mycnews.com

November 14, 2012 Vol 14 No 46

By DeAnna Massie

In addition to the already spectacu-lar Christmas Traditions event in St. Charles, this year’s Santa’s North Pole Dash and Children’s Snowman Shuffle on December 8 promises to be an extraor-dinary day of celebration. Organizers anticipate 3,000 runners will participate in the marathon, a number that had to be increased to accommodate the over-whelming amount of interest. “Currently, we have doubled our number from last year,” says Wendy Rackovan, Vice Presi-dent of Marketing and Communications for Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce (GSTCCC). “We have tons of community support, and our member businesses really love this event.”

It’s easy to see why. There’s something for every member of the family – even if you don’t participate in the race.

After The RaceIn addition to the sheer pleasure of

watching 3,000 Santas run through Fron-tier Park, there are several other exciting happenings on race day. After the race, the Christmas Traditions characters will visit with the crowd, which makes for some wonderful holiday photo oppor-tunities. Visit with the Sugarplum Fairy, Scrooge, Elves and more. At 1 p.m., catch the parade starring Santa himself.

Adults looking for more grown-up en-tertainment can register for the Holiday Spirits Pub Crawl. For $15, they will re-ceive a bracelet good for three beverages at participating pubs and restaurants. If pub crawlers want to participate in the Dash fun, but didn’t run or walk, they can purchase the entire Santa outfit for $30. Price includes the pub bracelet plus a long-sleeved, moisture wicking Santa shirt, hat and beard.

Of course, don’t forget the usual res-taurants and boutiques that always offer a little something special during this time of the year. Many are participating in the One-Day Deals event for Santa’s Dash visitors. Look for posters that say “San-tas Shop Here” with each business’s offer listed. A daily-updated list of participat-ing businesses and their specials can be found at www.santasnorthpoledash.com.

Race Details

Registration is limited to 3,000, and the list is filling up quickly. Register at san-tasnorthpoledash.com. Registration fees are: $35 for the run, $30 for the walk, and $15 for the Children’s Snowman Shuffle (1/4 Mile / 11 & under). Adult price in-cludes a festive Santa running set with shirt, hat, beard, gloves, drawstring bag, and a finisher’s medal. Children receive a shirt and finisher’s medal.

Groups of 20 or more receive $5 off per registration, but must be submitted at the same time. Call the Chamber of-fice at 636.946.0633. A complete list of packet pick-up locations is found at san-tasnorthpoledash.com.

The race starts at 9 a.m. in Frontier Park. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. The Children’s Snowman Shuffle will start at 10 a.m.

On race day GSTCCC is partnering with the Semper Fi Society of St. Louis to collect toys for Toys For Tots. Runners and the public at large are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation.

For a complete list of sponsors and many more details, visit santasnorthpole-dash.com.

Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce is a 501 (c) 6 non-profit orga-nization whose mission is: To represent, support, and promote our members by educating, communicating, and fostering opportunities for the economic prosperi-ty of business; fostering member relation-

ships by providing networking opportu-nities; and advocating for the betterment of our community. Santa’s North Pole Dash and Children’s Snowman Shuffle is a fundraiser for the Greater St. Charles County Chamber. Money raised will be used to help support their operations.

Santa’s North Pole Dash

Photo courtesy of the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce

“‘Flight” - Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com2 Around Town

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Just as holiday indulging can widen your waist line, out of control holiday spending can ruin your budget. The best way to take control of holiday purchases is to develop a thoughtful spending strategy before you hit the mall. Here are some guidelines to help keep your spending in check this holiday season.

Prepare a Budget - Constructing a reasonable bud-get and sticking to it is the best way to avoid buyer’s remorse once the holidays have ended. Planning what you will spend – and on what – can help you manage your family’s holiday wants and needs without getting yourself in a bind. Think about new ways to reduce costs -- maybe by decorations rather than purchas-ing them, or by having a small gathering with several friends rather than a fancy dinner party for the neigh-borhood.

Set Limits - Create a gift list and decide how much you can spend on each person. Then, add it up. If the total is more than you budgeted, scale back. For ex-

ample, watch for sales to save money. Consider picking names instead of buying gifts for every family member. And, be sure to bring your gift list and budget with you when you shop to help keep you within your limits.

Be Careful with Credit Cards! - One of the best ways to control accumulating debt is to use cash in-stead of credit cards to pay for purchases. People gen-erally behave more responsibly when they use cash because it’s “real money” instead of plastic. However, if you are concerned about safety and don’t like to carry cash, use a debit card instead. With a debit card, the amount of your purchase is automatically withdrawn from your checking account. There are no interest charges and you won’t receive a bill at the end of the month. However, if you use a credit card, make sure it has a low, fixed rate and no annual fee. You’ll save a lot of money if you pay off your balance at 9.9 percent a year rather than 24 percent! And, pay off your bal-ance as soon as you can – even if it means revising your

monthly budget once the holiday season has ended.

Open a Holiday Savings Account - Holiday savings accounts have been popular for a years and with good reason. They are one of the most simple and effective ways to budget for the holidays, especially if you have trouble saving on your own. Each week you just de-posit a set amount into your holiday savings account. Then, in October, you receive the lump sum for holi-day shopping. Carefully track all your holiday spend-ing this year in order to get a good idea of your needs for 2013. Then, just divide the total amount by 12 to determine how much you need to save every month throughout the year.

Even thrifty folks can find themselves paying off holiday purchases months into the new year. But, by planning ahead and carefully budgeting for all your expenses, you can make the holiday season – and the months that follow it – more manageable.

This information is brought to you courtesy of West Community Credit Union in Brentwood, Kirkwood and O’Fallon. For more information, contact us at 636.720.2400 or westcommunitycu.org.

Avoiding the Annual Holiday Season Splurge

The public is invited to attend the City of O’Fallon’s Grand Opening for a new facility for skateboarders, BMX bikers and inline skaters in

Paul A. Westhoff Park, O’Fallon, Missouri, 63366. The event will be held from 10 a.m. – noon on Saturday, November 17. Named “Westhoff Plaza,”

the site is just off the new east en-trance to Westhoff Park at T.R. Hughes Boulevard and Cool Springs Industrial Drive. Grand Opening activities include:

• An official welcome by Mayor Bill Hennessy

• Demonstrations by skate boarders and BMXers

• A ribbon cutting• An open skate-and-ride • Vendors• Giveaways, drawings and

prizes“The new park offers skate-

boarders, BMX bikers and in-line skaters a great place to test their skills,” said Cindy Springer, O’Fallon’s Director of Parks and Recreation. “We anticipate that the public, including specta-tors, will get a lot of enjoyment of the park. Some of the main features that are incorporated in the custom-built concrete design are grind rails and ledges, a bank ramp, a quarter pipe ramp, a stair-set, hubba ledges, a mini volcano, a jump gap and a six-foot bowl.”

For more information about the event, visit www.ofallon.mo.us or email Marsha Seymour at mseymour@ofallon.mo.us.

Grand Opening for O’Fallon’s New WesthoffPlaza Facility

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 Around Town 3

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While many families are busy with holiday activi-ties, a group of local volunteers is focused on fill-ing empty shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for needy kids overseas. Dardenne Prairie and Wentz-ville families are participating in the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind - Operation Christ-mas Child - an effort that has hand-delivered 100 million gifts to kids worldwide since 1993.

This year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse is coming to its peak, as local businesses, churches and schools collect gift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, Nov. 12-19. Volunteers can drop off their shoe box gifts at one of fourteen bustling locations in the area to help kids in 100 countries know they are loved and not forgotten.

Local collection sites: Dardenne Presbyterian Church (7400 Highway

N, Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368) Hours: Wed: 1-6 p.m., Thurs: 12-4 p.m., Fri: 9 a.m. -12 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. -12 p.m., Sun: 8 a.m. -3 p.m., Mon: 9-10 a.m.

Wentzville Christian Church (1507 Highway Z, Wentzville, MO 63385) Hours: Wed: 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m., Thurs: 4-7 p.m., Fri: 10 a.m. -4 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun: 1-4 p.m., Mon: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of interna-tional Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, uses whatever means necessary

to reach suffering children around the world with these gifts of hope, including sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels and dog sleds. Tracking technology also allows donors to “follow” their box to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the Follow Your Box donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

What you can do to get involved:Prepare - Enlist families, churches, scout troops,

community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts.

Pack - Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Process - Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at collection sites in the St. Louis area as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

For more in-formation, call 636.300.3190 or visit www.sa-maritanspurse.org/occ.

The City of St. Peters Municipal Court will be closed Wednes-day, November 21, and Monday, November 26 for software con-version. Phone calls or emails will not be returned during this time period.

Normal St. Peters Municipal Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Tuesdays when the Court office closes at 4 p.m. before a Court session to re-open at 5:30 p.m.

The St. Peters Municipal Court offices are at the St. Peters Jus-tice Center, 1020 Grand Teton Drive, St. Peters, Missouri.

Body Composition Screening For WomenThursday, November 15, 2012 3:30-5 p.m. at Lake Saint Louis City Hall Health professionals agree that an excess of body fat increases

the risk for serious health concerns. Take part in this FREE screen-ing to determine your percentage of body fat and more. Each ap-pointment takes approximately 5 minutes. The screening is free, but pre-registration is required. Call 636.561.4620 to schedule.

Dardenne Prairie and Wentzville Sites Open to Collect Gift-Filled Shoe Boxes

St. Peters Municipal Court Closed to the Public November 21 and 26

LSL Parks & Recreation Events

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The Master Gardeners of Lincoln County are of-fering an interesting variety of Fall Classes to the general public. Remaining scheduled workshops include:

Herbs - Saturday, November 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. Learn all about how to plant, harvest,

preserve, and use herbs in so many ways. Enjoy a food tasting and you’ll be provided with delicious recipes!

Holiday Wreaths - Wednesday, November 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A hands-on workshop provides learning by doing with a variety of natu-

ral materials, which are supplied.Registration deadlines are one

week prior to the class dates. For more information on prices and payments for classes, visit www.extension.missouri.edu.

Dr. Henry (Hank) Clever III was awarded the 2012 Community Service Award sponsored by Commerce Bank at a luncheon held on Friday, October 26 in St. Charles. A grant totaling $7,500 funded by the William T. Kemper and Commerce Bancshares foundations was given in Dr. Clever’s name to Birthright of St. Charles.

Jack Schreiber, President and Chief Operating Of-ficer of Commerce Bank, presented the service award and grants, saying, “Hank’s dedication to the commu-nity makes him an ideal choice for the community ser-vice award. He exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism in the St. Charles community.”

A native of St. Charles, Dr. Clever opened his derma-tological surgery practice in 1992. Despite a busy patient schedule, his professional and personal volunteer efforts are numerous. Dr. Clever has been involved with

SSM St. Joseph Health Center through work on various committees, and he was recently elected president of the American Society for Mohs Surgery. He travels an-nually to Hôpital Sacrè Coeur in Haiti to conduct clin-ics and provide medical services. Dr. Clever donates his time to Volunteers in Medicine, and is a long-time board member and current president of Birthright of St. Charles. He is a dedicated parishioner of St. Joseph of Cottleville, coaches several of his children’s youth sports teams and serves as a Boy Scout leader.

Birthright of St. Charles provides free professional ser-vices for women facing a possible unplanned pregnancy. For more than 29 years, the organization’s programs have

been designed to provide counseling, practical resources and assistance to women work-ing through difficult situations.

The PBW (Professional Busi-ness Women of Lincoln County) 5th Annual Girls Night Out is scheduled for Friday, November 16 at the KC Hall in Troy from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Ladies will en-joy browsing the vendors and sampling free appetizers and spirits. Large gift baskets valued at $75 or more will be raffled, along with a handmade quilt. (You must be present to win.)

The Grand Raffle will include a 12-diamond white gold neck-lace valued at $700, a coin col-lection valued at over $300 and a $100 gift certificate from Troy Furniture Company & Flooring Center. (You need not be pres-ent to win the Grand Raffle.) All raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.

Admission to Girls Night Out is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased from Cannon Companies and Community State Bank. For more informa-tion contact Leann Kerker at 636.462.8534 or 636.262.4321 or Tina Bueneman at 314.709.5570.

The Wal-Mart Foundation and the Buddy Bag program are team-ing up to end hunger locally. Lincoln County R-III’s Buddy Bag pro-gram has been selected to receive a $2,500 grant through the foun-dation’s Local Community Contribution and Hunger Outreach Grant Program. Main Street Elementary Principal Kristi Shinn is a key person in bringing the Buddy Bag Program to a reality in the R-III District. She believes Wal-Mart has been a key partner in making the weekend food program successful.

“We are so thankful for our GREAT partners at Wal-Mart. Week-ly, they provide valuable support to our Buddy Bag Program. Thank

you Wal-Mart for being such wonderful partners both finan-cially and at the front lines as we continue to work to drive out hunger,” Shinn said.

The Lincoln County R-III School District’s Buddy Bag Program provides meals for stu-dents in need and is run solely on donations. Shinn believes the overwhelming community re-sponse to the program has been the catalyst in tripling the size of the participants in eight short months. For more information, visit www.troy.k12.mo.us.

Master Gardeners’ Fall Classes Still Available

Dr. Henry Clever III Receives Community Service Award Sponsored by Commerce Bank

5th Annual PBW Girls Night Out

R-III Buddy Bags Program Gets Boost from Wal-Mart

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November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com4 Around Town

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Courtesy of R-III School District

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 Business 5

Youth In Need’s retir-ing President and CEO Jim Braun and CEO-elect Pat Holterman-Hommes (current Chief Program Officer) announced that Tricia Topalbegovic has b e e n

named as Youth In Need’s new Chief Program Officer.

Topalbegovic, who is the agen-cy’s current vice president of human resources, has been em-ployed at Youth In Need for more than 12 years.

“Through her role in oversee-ing human resources, she has extensive knowledge of our pro-grams and business,” Braun said. “Even more importantly, she has a deep passion for our organiza-tion and an unwavering com-mitment to our employees, our clients and our mission.”

To ensure a seamless transi-tion, Topalbegovic and Holter-man-Hommes will work closely over the coming months, with full implementation of the CEO

and CPO positions effective January 1, 2013.“We are so fortunate to have someone with such

depth of experience at Youth In Need to move into the Chief Program Officer position,” Holterman-Hommes said. “I am confident that having Tricia in this new role will add to the smooth transition as I move into the CEO position in January.”

Kenya HaneyCardiology Manager Kenya Haney recently joined the Barnes-Jewish St. Pe-

ters Hospital (BJSPH) and Progress West HealthCare Cen-ter (PWHC) teams as the Cardiology Manager for both hospitals. Kenya will oversee the Cath labs at BJSPH and PWHC, Cardiopulmonary and Cardiac Rehab at BJSPH, and the non-invasive stress lab at PWHC.

Kenya brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with her, gained through her roles within multiple disciplines and specialties in healthcare. She comes to BJC from St. Joseph Health Center, where she was most recently a Team

Leader on the Orthopedics/Medical Surgical Unit. Prior to her time at St. Joseph Health Center, Kenya served as Nurse Manager of the Medicine Unit at St. An-thony’s Medical Center. Additionally, she’s worked as both a nurse in the Chest Pain Center/Clinical Decision Unit, and a critical care nurse in the Acute Medical Care Unit at Christian Hospital.

Mike MillerHuman Resources Director Mike Miller recently joined the Senior Leadership

Team for BJC in St. Charles County as the Human Re-sources Director for Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital (BJSPH) and Progress West HealthCare Center (PWHC). Mike brings more than 20 years of knowledge and ex-pertise to St. Charles County, inclusive of every facet of Human Resources, and will work to ensure that employ-ees in St. Charles County are provided with the best em-ployee experience possible, while continually striving to improve the HR service delivery across both hospitals.

Before coming to St. Charles County, Mike served as Employee Relations man-ager at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH). While there, Mike provided leadership and direction for many strategic HR initiatives, including employee engagement; pro-active employee relations; regulatory compliance, and lean initiatives/process im-provement plans.

Youth In Need Names New ChiefProgram Officer

Welcoming New Faces to the BJC in St. Charles County Leadership Team

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November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com6 School

The 7th and 8th grade students at Wentzville Middle School recently took part in a presidential debate organized by social studies teacher Jerry Cannon.

“We’re trying to help our 8th graders be more politically active, we teach American history and the Constitution, and so it’s important that they take part in the political process,” Cannon said.

The second half of the exercise took place the next day when all WMS students had the oppor-tunity to vote in a mock election. Cannon said preparation for the debates has gone on for the past month.

“Our 8th graders have been working and plan-ning for this, every day after our lesson they would study the issues and the candidates from both sides, so they would know them both backwards and forwards for our debate,” he said.

Students listened intently as the candidates an-swered questions from the moderators, flanked by their “secret service” members. The only real difference between the student debate and the presidential debate was that the students didn’t interrupt each other or use more than their al-lotted time. Eighth grader Hollynn St. Clair was impressed.

“I thought it was pretty good, they both know what they’re talking about, and they both defi-nitely had very good arguments,” St. Clair said. “I honestly didn’t have much interest until now, and now I know who I want to vote for!”

Afterward, both candidates were happy with their perfor-mances. President Obama was played by a passionate Lar-issa Dorn who said, “We re-searched every day for a month, I watched videos and listened to the debates, it was a process to learn everything about Presi-dent Obama and everything he stands for.”

Mason McGee took on the role of Mitt Romney, and even had a little grey hair at the temples. “During class time we would re-search the candidates online and do practice debates, I thought I did well, but I also thought La-rissa did a good job as President Obama,” McGee said. “This is a great way to teach middle school students about debates and learn about the election process.”

Mrs. Vicki Schuttenberg’s first grade class from Emge Elementa-ry School visited Rombach’s Pumpkin Patch in Chesterfield, MO. The students participated in the many events offered at the farm and carried home a lifelong memory.

WMS Hosts Mock Presidential DebateFt. Zumwalt News

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 Etc. 7Movie By Steve Bryan - Rated: R“Flight”

Denzel Washington turns in another solid performance in “Flight,” a film that takes a hard look at the true nature of heroism. Washington plays Captain Whip Whitaker, a pilot for the fictional Southjet Airlines whose personal life may be his undoing.

After a heavy night of partying, Whip sits in the pilot’s seat during a violent Florida thunderstorm. Less than an hour later, the plane is in an uncontrolled dive towards Georgia. In a last-ditch attempt to save the passengers and crew, Whip and his co-pilot invert the plane and stabilize the descent. The jet ultimately crashes in a field, but 96 out of the 102 people on board survive.

Though he’s branded as a hero in the media, the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) asks hard questions about Whitaker’s physical condition in the days leading up to the flight. Because 6 people died in the crash, Whip could go to jail for manslaughter if his blood alcohol level was too high.

In many ways, the airplane crash featured in “Flight” is secondary to the story of Whip Whitaker and the people whose lives he touches. The captain is a superb pilot with some very bad personal habits. His friends and co-workers evidently have turned a blind eye to his drinking and other abuses for years. In light of the crash, though, it is hard to ignore or cover up for him anymore.

Denzel Washington is at top form again as Capt. Whitaker. The character has an incredibly rich backstory, especially since his grandfather was a Tuskegee airman. Washington takes Whip and runs with him, delivering a highly believable performance as the troubled pilot.

Kelly Reilly also does a solid job as Nicole, a troubled young woman whose path crosses with Whip’s at the hospital. Nicole has her own substance abuse problems, but after Whip takes her in, she gets her life back on track. She tries to do the same for the troubled pilot, but without much success.

John Goodman has some funny moments as Harling Mays, but his role seems almost like a throwaway. Goodman is over the top at times playing this character, who turns out to be a good friend and supplier to Whip.

More psychological than anything else, “Flight” focuses on a capable hero who makes some poor choices in his off-hours. Whip Whitaker saves dozens of people, but he may not be able to save himself.

“Flight,” rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity, and an intense action sequence, currently is playing in theaters.

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November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com8

SAINT CHARLES Christmas Traditions

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Welcome to St. Charles Christmas Traditions! Information from www.stcharleschristmas.com

Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of holiday music from the Victorian Carolers, and the Fife & Drum Corps. Smell the roasting of chestnuts in the air. Capture in your mind a time in America when life was simpler, and Christmas was elegant and magical.

This holiday celebration is staged in a charming village on the Mis-

souri River known as St. Charles. The street comes alive with Christ-mas Legends and Santas from around the world. Over 30 char-acters have joined in the festivities, each wearing hand crafted cloth-ing representing their heritage and carrying trading cards to give to visitors as a keepsake. Shop and dine along the brick-lined streets

festively decorated with greenery and red bows.

The South Main Preservation Society first created this truly unique family event in the early 1970s, while an effort was under-way to revitalize the South Main Historic District. Now almost 40 years later, Christmas Traditions remains a favorite festival, attract-ing a wide range of visitors to our area. Funding for this event is pro-vided by the City of Saint Charles, via the Greater Saint Charles Con-vention & Visitors Bureau.

For a complete schedule and many more local events, please visit www.stcharleschristmas.com.

Opening CeremonyFriday – November 23, 2012 • 11 a.m.Kister Park Gazebo, 400 block of S. Main Street

Santa arrives by horse-drawn carriage, escorted by the Lewis & Clark Fife & Drum Corps and the Legends of Christmas. Festivities will continue all day with caroling, vendors, and Santas from around the world.

Official Tree Lighting

CeremonyFriday – November 23, 20125 p.m. • Berthold Square, 200 block of S. Main Street

You won’t want to miss the an-nual lighting of St. Charles’ offi-cial Christmas Tree. City officials will be on hand for the ceremony along with some of your favorite Christmas Traditions characters. Be sure to bring a camera, as this is a perfect spot for snapping that special holiday photo of family and friends. And while you’re there, take the chill off the evening air with a cup of piping hot wassail, provided compliments of AT&T Missouri.

Breakfast with SantaSaturdays, November 24 and De-cember 1, 8, 15, and 22 • 9 a.m. Mother-In-Law House, 500 S. Main Street

Come enjoy breakfast at the beautiful Mother-In-Law House Restaurant for an up-close-and-personal visit with Santa. Bring your holiday wish list. Plus, don’t forget the camera to capture all the holiday fun.

Doors open at 9 a.m., and break-fast is served at 9:30 a.m. Parking is

free on the street and nearby lots.Tickets are $15 for children (12

and under) $18 for adults and res-ervations are required. But hurry! Only a limited number of tickets are available.

To order tickets, contact Karen Godfrey at 636.255.6155.

“A Clueless Christmas” A Comical Interactive Christmas MysteryDinner Show – December 2, 9, 16, and 23 • 6 p.m. Lunch Show – December 2 • 10:30 a.m.Grand Opera House Banquet Center and Event Center , 311 N. Main Street

Ever wish you could be the one to figure out who-dunnit? Come join us for this mysterious show with attendees such as Ms. Scarlet, Col. Mustard, Mr. Green, and Mrs. Peacock. Although Mr. Body may be the first to be murdered, anyone could be next! If you guess the true murderer, you could leave with your own fabulous Christmas gift. We’ll give you a hint... it wasn’t Col. Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick!

Dinner show tickets are $62.50 per person and lunch show tickets are $50 per person. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner is served at 6 p.m. Parking is free on the street and nearby lots.

To order tickets, contact Karen Godfrey at 636.255.6155.

The Santa ParadeOpening Day and Saturdays and Sundays during Festival • 1:30 p.m.Begins at 1000 S. Main Street and ends in Berthold Square at 200 S. Main Street

Enjoy the pageantry of a live parade led by the Lewis & Clark Fife & Drum Corps, and topped off with Santa and Mrs. Claus in a horse-drawn carriage. Follow the procession to Berthold Square for caroling and a short, family-friendly program. Enter your child to win a ride with Santa at www.historicstcharles.com.

Where Christmas Past Comes to Life

Banquet Center of the Little Hills - 111 Transit StreetFrenchtown Heritage Museum - 1121 North 2nd Street

The Glass Workbench - 318 South Main StreetThe Grand Opera House - 311 North Main Street

Jansens Clocks - 608 South Main StreetLittle O’s Soda Shop - 125 North Main Street

St. Charles Chamber of Commerce - 2201 1st Capitol DriveSt. Charles Convention Center - 1 Convention Center Plaza

St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau - 230 South Main Street

Look for Our Advertisers

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 9

SAINT CHARLES Christmas Traditions

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DecorationsSaint Charles is one of America’s

great Historic Districts. There is no other place quite like South Main Street, which features 10 blocks of historic buildings, some dating as far back as the late 1700s.

For Christmas Traditions, we pull out all the stops to create a festive setting the whole family can enjoy. With more than 10,000 feet of fresh greenery, 150 wreaths, 1,200 hand-tied red velvet bows, and thousands of white lights in the trees and on the buildings, you just can’t help but get caught up in the holiday spirit.

In the daytime, the crisp reds and greens provide a colorful backdrop as you walk the brick streets enjoying all that Christmas Traditions has to offer. And in the evening, the white lights make a nighttime stroll or drive down Main Street one of St. Louis’ best free light displays.

The holiday decor on Main Street is just one more way that Christmas Past Comes To Life in Saint Charles during Christmas Traditions.

Photos with SantaOpening Day – November 23 – Noon - 5 p.m. and 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.Saturdays during Festival – 11 a.m. - 5 p.m..Sundays during Festival – 12 - 5 p.m.Lower Level of Tourism Center, 230 S. Main Street

Come visit Santa and his elves, and make sure he knows what you would like for Christmas! For a nominal fee you can purchase professional photos that come in a gold-foil-trimmed frame. Addi-tional photos in varying sizes can be ordered online. Please note that Santa will join the parade from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. on Opening Day and each Saturday and Sunday during the festival.

Carriage RidesOpening Day - November 23 • 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.Saturdays during Festival • 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays during Festival • 12 - 5 p.m.Monday, December 24 • 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Board the carriage at the Tour-ism Center at 230 S. Main Street. Take a relaxing carriage ride along Main Street during the holiday season (weather permitting – not operating during parade). Rides are $5 per person.

To reserve a carriage for a spe-cial event or evening during the holiday season, please call 636.398.4123.

Trains on MainNovember 23 thru December 24, Wednesday thru Friday – Noon - 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday – Noon - 5 p.m.

Hosted by Frenchtown Heritage Museum. A festive train display including a Victorian winter scene and various other themes. Admis-sion is $2 for adults and $1 for chil-dren (ages 3 to 12 years). For more information, call 636-724-2106.

Las Posadas ProcessionSaturday, December 1 • 6 p.m. Begins 1000 S. Main Street and ends in Frontier Park

Gather your candles, luminar-ies, lanterns and flashlights and join the beautiful procession by candlelight that has been a Spanish tradition for centuries. Follow be-hind a live re-enactment of Mary and Joseph searching for a room at the “inn.” Procession begins at the

corner of South Main and Boone’s Lick Road, travels north on Main Street to First Capitol Drive, and culminates in Frontier Park with a live nativity, the traditional Yule Log lighting, and caroling. (Pro-duced and funded by Main Street Church).

Sleigh Bell SingersFridays during FestivalVarious Restaurants on N. Main Street

Our own Sleigh Bell Singers join us for a night of merriment singing the songs of the 1930s and 1940s while stopping at various restau-rants in the historic North Main Street district.

Marshmallow RoastFridays during Festival • 7 p.m.Chestnut Roasters’ Fire Pit, Be-tween 700 and 800 blocks of S. Main Street

Join some of your favorite Christmas Traditions characters at the Chestnut Roasters’ fire to enjoy roasting complimentary marsh-mallows and listening to holiday story-telling around the fire.

Kissing BallKister Park Gazebo, 400 block of S. Main Street

A special bundle of mistletoe, holly, ribbon and evergreens mark

the perfect spot for you to fall in love or rekindle the joys of yester-year.

Gingerbread VillageFestival Hours until December 22 at 6 p.m.Main Street Church, 116 N. Main Street

Visit the candy filled world of Gingerbread Village. All ginger-bread houses from the decorat-ing contest will be on display for your holiday enjoyment. For more information, visit www.churchon-main.com/gingerbreadold.

Gingerbread House Decorating ClassSaturday, November 24 – 10 a.m. - Noon and 1 - 3 p.m.Main Street Church, 116 N. Main Street

Kick off the Holiday Season and enjoy a great family activity by decorating your own Ginger-bread House. Enter it into the In-

augural Gingerbread House Con-test sponsored by the Main Street Church and The Olde Town Spice Shoppe. Make your own house, or stop by to learn decorating secrets for preparing a no-hassle house. Pre-register for classes by signing up online at www.oldtownspices.com/university. Each two-hour class includes gingerbread house, instructions, all decorations and refreshments. You’ll enjoy time with your family and we clean up the mess! Cost for the class is $50 per house created.

Santa Send-offMonday, December 24 • 1:30 p.m.

Begins at 1000 S. Main Street and ends in Berthold Square at the corner of First Capitol Drive and S. Main Street.

Don’t miss the opportunity to send one final wave and cheer San-ta on as he heads back to the North Pole for the big night!

November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com10 Etc.

“Over the Fence” Joe Morice Editorial

SportsGary Baute

It Boggles the MindIf you draw a line straight

across a graph the length of city block and then mark one inch of

it at the end, it’s a good comparison of how long our civilization has been

on Earth; one inch worth. Staggering, right? Try this: If we fit that one inch of time into the entire Universe, it might compare to an atomic particle among all the uncountable numbers in all of Earth’s solar system. It boggles the mind.

Given all this mind-boggling, I can’t understand what makes us underestimate the kazillion-to-one odds against the delicate unimaginable process that took place to cre-ate our planet and its consequent civilization.

It’s said that five million, million (whatever that is) at-

oms can fit on the head of a pin. The number that makes up the human body would most likely consist of too many zeros to fit on this page. Yet all those ka-zillions of atoms came together to become a functional, incredibly complicated machine called a human being and in fact, billions of them. They can walk, talk, think and do just about anything including building extremely complicated machines to help them survive and advance society...or destroy it.

Oddly, in the last 100 years or so, our society has ad-vanced far more than the previous hundreds of centuries since man stood upright and huddled in caves in fear of the night. Even more oddly, human beings are pound for pound, the weakest of all Earth’s creatures yet they are perhaps the most successful because they have the abil-

ity to reason. I said ‘perhaps’ because I once watched a Jerry Springer TV show for a few minutes.

Human beings share many of the instincts of animals such as the herd instinct, survival instinct and so on. But we’ve been gifted with the ability to reason that would overcome the base instincts of animals that would kill each other to control their groups or kill other groups of the same species to steal their food or territories. Of course, admittedly, some of our species doesn’t always overcome those

base instincts as proven by Middle East terrorists.There is another incredibly large number to consider;

many scientists who study such things agree the odds against all of the aforementioned happening become greater as they advance their understanding of the pro-cess. It might compare to the odds against finding a needle in a haystack the size of Jupiter. The events that brought all this about are so complex and inconceivable, perhaps there really was a supreme being to bring it about...or as some of my more skeptical acquaintances believe, aliens from a different world made it all happen. Who knows? Perhaps Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock cruised by in the Starship Enterprise and seeded our planet.

Yet this is the fun of it! It’s not knowing and searching for the truth with open minds. When I see a person or a group of people proclaiming their concept of life is the end all, be all of existence, I feel sorry for them. They’ve closed their minds to the great wonders of our world and often live in fear and intolerance of those who haven’t. By asking no questions and refusing their own curiosity, they’re missing all the fun.

A small child who totters across a meadow and discov-ers a butterfly landing on a wildflower looks on in round-eyed curiosity. Our existence relies on open-minded cu-riosity and the ability to learn…and we’ve only just begun.

“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.” -Linus Pauling

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Women’s Ice Hockey Welcomes Penn State To Lindenwood ***Here for Two Game Series

The Lindenwood women’s ice hockey team is set to host Penn State on November 16 and 17.

The Lady Lions are welcoming Penn State as they hope to earn their first victories of the young season. Lindenwood so

far is 0-8-0 on the year, but six of its opponents have either been ranked at the time of the contest, or receiving votes in the national

poll.This season marks the second year as the team being a member of the NCAA and

its first season as a member of the College Hockey America Conference. Penn State is also a first year member of the conference and as of November 9, they hold a 4-5-1 overall record.

Allysson Arcibal and Lyndsay Kirkham lead the team in goals with two a piece. Lindenwood has seven goals in 166 shots. The team will have 12 more games on their home ice throughout the season.~~~Thanks to Jen Lawson, Sports Information-Graduate Assistant of Lindenwood

Thanksgiving Eve-Guns ‘N Hoses ***Police Box Against Firefighters in a Great Fundraiser

Wednesday November 21st at the Scottrade Center will be the site for the premier boxing matches. Money raised from the event go to The BackStoppers, an orga-nization that provides immediate financial aid and long-term financial and other support to the families of Police Officers and Firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.

Grey Eagle Distributors and Budweiser have been title sponsors of Guns ‘N Hoses since the event began in 1987. It will feature 17, three-round boxing matches be-tween area Police Officers and Firefighters. The men and women who participate, train vigorously months before the event.

To purchase tickets, go to http://www.stlgunsandhoses.com/Tickets.html.

~~~Never know when you will need assistanceJets Landing in the Lou For the Rams ***Redemption Time

The St. Louis Rams take to the 2012 football season as the youngest team out of the 32 in the National Football League (NFL).

The team has licked their wounds and has turned the page to move on after being embarrassed in front of the Queen across the pond in London on the last weekend of October. A week prior to that they allowed more points than normal to the Pack-ers.

Assistant coach Dave McGinnis comments on the lack of defense recently.“What has happened the last two weeks… everyone that is associated with this de-

fense – players and coaches – knows it’s totally unacceptable. With that knowledge, now the next thing you have to do is you have to accept, beginning with me, the re-sponsibility to change it. We know what it is to play good defense. We’ve shown that we can play good defense. That we’ve shown the last two weeks is not good defense. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, you have to set a standard for yourself and you can’t just do it some of the time if you want to be something in this league. I’ve been on really, really good defenses and one characteristic they always have is consistency. So, as I said, we’ve had some real thorough self-examination – players and coaches together – and been very honest and open and a very rankles, nameless debriefing where everybody laid it out there as far as to what’s gone on. That’s not acceptable, that’s not how we plan to play defense and so we all take responsibility -- and as I said, beginning with me – to get it fixed.”

NEXT HOME GAMES:November 18 - Sunday: against New York Jets at Noon (time could change)December 2 - Sunday: against San Francisco 49ers at Noon (time could change)December 16 - Sunday: against Minnesota Vikings at Noon (time could change)

LAST HOME GAMECheck the website www.StLouisRams.com for all the information.

~~~Get back to that good defense

I heard a statistic the other day on talk radio. Credit scores are rising, and it’s because Americans today are saving more money than they have since the 1950s. Hurray! I pray that you, my reader, held onto your job, or have found another. Did you change anything about your life over the past two to three years? Did you eat out less, buy fewer pairs of shoes or decide to wait on the 60-inc LCD television until you could actually afford it? Are you prepared for what’s next? You know what’s next, right? Black Friday. Sure, it’s more than a few days away, but retailers began looking to the gift-purchasing sea-son before Halloween. And before we all start acting like we’ve got money to burn, I think a motherly lecture on Common Sense is due.

I understand wanting something so bad you can taste it. That’s perfectly human. What I cannot understand is signing your life away because a slick and well-trained sales person tells you that you won’t have to pay a dime until 2014. Live for today, right? Never mind that when you’re 65 you’ll be living in a cardboard box.

What happened to the language of Common Sense? She says things like, “I’ll have to review these documents first,” or “This seems too good to be true,” or “Something

in my gut tells me that I won’t be able to afford personal property taxes, insurance and gasoline for this $40,000 vehicle. Why are we so willing to ignore the gut feelings and sell our future (and quite possibly our souls) and our children’s future to keep up with the Joneses?

Our grandparents had the right idea. The time to buy is when the cold hard cash is in your quivering hand. Delayed gratification, not instant insanity. Is this really the life we want for our children?

Common Sense is suffocating my friends. We’ve bur-ied her alive under a mountain of big-screen televisions, the newest and most gadget-stuffed cell phones, and the latest must-have fall fashions.

Ask yourself a few questions. If I lost my job tomor-row, how long could I afford to live in my home? Do I have the cash to pay for the James Bondish cell phone (and the two-year contract that accompanies it), or will I just charge it? If I die next week, will my children in-herit a pile of debt along with grandma’s pearls?

Common Sense. For too long Americans have looked past her to Lady Luck. Lady Luck is long gone, riding into the sunset with the Wall Street executives in Bent-leys and Lamborghinis. Common Sense still has a pulse,

albeit weak and thready. There is time to revive her. It will take tough love on our part, for our sake and the sake of our children. It will take saying the word, “No,” over and over when confronted with the latest and greatest. It will take a willingness to regain control over our own financial situations and lives.

Cash for Clunkers was nice, and there were some wonderful incentives for first-time home buyers. There are lots of people and more than a few plans out there designed to stimulate spending and get America moving in the right direction, and I applaud the ideas. I just pray that each of us takes a good hard look today at what we can realistically afford, and if it’s things we really need to fulfill our dreams. We’ve allowed things to become more important than people, and we’ve devalued values.

It’s time to let Common Sense, not nonsense, back into our hearts and minds. She’s not new, nor is she hi-tech or come with 85,000 “apps.” The good news? You don’t have to wake up at 3 a.m. and stand in line for 90 minutes in hopes of getting one of only three in stock. Common Sense is ready and waiting, and she’s free!

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 Etc. 11

Entertaining from Harvest to Holiday(Family Features) As the season changes, so does your recipe repertoire. But, to create a memorable meal, you don’t need fancy techniques, elaborate dishes, or even professional grade cookware.

Recipe:

Common Sense is in danger

Editorial Shelly Schneider

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Ingredients:- Vegetable cooking spray - 3 medium red potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces- 2 cups fresh or frozen whole baby carrots - 1 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)- 1 rutabaga (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)- 2 medium red onions, cut into 8 wedges each- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

- 5 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or fresh thyme leaves- 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1 cup Swanson Vegetable Broth (Regular or Certified Organic)

Directions:1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 17 x 11-inch roasting pan or shal-low baking sheet with cooking spray.2. Stir potatoes, carrots, celery root, rutabaga, onions, pars-

nips, garlic, rosemary and oil in prepared pan. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes. Pour broth over vegetables and stir.3. Roast for 20 more minutes or until veg-etables are fork-tender.

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables Prep: 35 mins • Roast: 50 mins • Makes: 8 servings

What you need are classic styles, good wine and do-able recipes. Here are some easy ways you can make your dinner one to remember, from the start of harvest through the holidays.

Setting – Don’t worry if you’re not a craft ma-ven or can’t quite pull off the table setting ideas you see on Pinterest. Just iron a pretty tablecloth and set of napkins – you’ll be surprised how el-egant the table will look with crisp linens. For a centerpiece, set out your favorite tray with a few votive candles on it to create a cozy glow.

Wine – Good wine doesn’t have to be compli-cated. Hillary Stevens, winemaker for The Naked Grape wines says, “In my house, the host picks the wine! I recommend picking one that show-cases your personality. If you’re feeling bold,

try a robust Cabernet Sauvignon, and if you’re feeling sassy, try a crisp Pinot Grigio.” For your next feast, she recommends their newest offer-ing, Harvest Red Blend, a medium-bodied red wine blend with juicy flavors of raspberry and red plum. Visit The Naked Grape on Facebook to find the right wine for your holiday celebra-tions.

Recipes – No matter what your main dish, make sure you have side dishes that are also full of flavor. This recipe for Oven Roasted Root Vegetables is an easy, elegant addition to the hol-iday table. The harvest season is the best time to serve fresh vegetables, and roasting them sweet-ens their flavor. Add fresh herbs for just the right highlight – with very little work from you.

November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com12 What’s HappeningCHURCH

November 16: Benefit Singing6 p.m. at New Beginnings Wor-ship Center, 108 Birdie Hills Rd., St. Peters. Love offering taken for local church that needs help. Info: 636.544.2030 or 636.397.2959.

November 17: Lutheran Senior Services Presentation1 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church. Seniors & Caregivers: Learn about all the services available from Lu-theran Senior Services and how to help care for an elderly person in your home. All are welcome. RSVP: 636-946-8922.

November 17: Fairmount Gen-eral Baptist Church Concert6 p.m. The Nehrkorns. No charge, but a love offering will be taken. Info: 636.498.4475.

EVENTS

November 14: Tri County Wom-

en’s Connection Holiday Auction and Bazaar10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at The Chris-ty Banquet Center, 9000 Veter-ans Memorial Pkwy., O’Fallon, Mo. Reservations by Nov. 9. Joan at 636.561.0956 or Pat at 636.327.4082.

November 14: Wine and Cheese Gathering5-7 p.m. at Pizzazz Unique Gift Shop, 2432 Hwy. K in O’Fallon, MO. 10% of your purchase will benefit Our Lady’s Inn. Info: Betsy Beauparlant, 636.398.5375 or www.ourladysinn.org.

November 15: 18th Annual Taste of St. Charles6-9 p.m. at The Columns Banquet Center. Proceeds to benefit lo-cal charities. 36 restaurants! Ad-vanced tickets $35/person, at the door $40/person. Tickets: Enter-prise Bank, New Frontier Bank, Commerce Bank and First State Bank (St. Charles locations), or

www.tasteofstcharles.com. Info: Nancy Cavazos - 314.603.2534, Gerry Prinster - 314.973.2928, Basil Zarkadis - 636.751.8204, Art Day - 314.568.9530.

November 15: 7 Secrets to Losing WeightNO Cost! Limited seating so please RSVP to Thin and Healthy’s Total Solution, O’Fallon at 636.272.8446.

November 16: Wine & Cheese, The only things that should be ag-ing!No cost but limited seating. RSVP to Ultimate Fitness-O’Fallon at 636.272.8442.

November 16: Mouse Races 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul Parish Hall, 2201 St. Paul Road in St. Paul, Mo. The Fort Zumwalt North Booster Club is raising money to replace the aging trophy cases that have been there since the school was built in 1976. $15 per person includes popcorn and soda. Cash bar. Info:

Christine Vaccaro at 314.496.4127 or CE_VACCARO@yahoo.com.

November 17: Trivia Night 6 p.m. at Brown Shoe Corp., 8300 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, Mo. Benefits SSM Hospice and Home Care Foundation. $20/person, $160/table of 8. Includes beer, soda, water and light snacks. Info: Jeanne at 314.989.2775 or jeanne_hamp-son@ssmhc.com.

November 17: Trivia Night to support poverty in Honduras7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at St. Charles Borromeo, 601 N. Fourth Street, St. Charles, Mo. $25 each or $200 for table of 8, includes beer, soda and water. Info: Peggyann Mueller at 636.573.1226 or pmuel-ler@wamhoff.com.

November 18: Afternoon with Santa 1-4 p.m. at the Foundry Art Cen-tre in historic St. Charles. Pictures with Santa, holiday crafts, games, train display and viewing of beau-tifully decorated trees. Sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles. Free. Info: 636.978.5712.

November 28: UMSL Master of Science in Nursing Informational Meeting6-7:30 p.m. at St. Charles Com-munity College, Room 205 in the Student Center. Meet program coordinators, faculty and academic advisors. Info: 636.936.8675.

November 30: Heartland Hu-mane Society of Missouri Trivia NightAt the Elk’s Lodge in O’Fallon, MO. Doors open at 6 p.m., trivia at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20/person. Tables are $160. Every penny will go directly to the care of aban-doned or unwanted dogs and cats. For info, or to view available cats and dogs in need of loving homes, visit www.hhsrescue.org. For info on Trivia Night, call Heartland at 636.922.0569.

December 2: New Town at St. Charles Residents’ Christmas House Tour1-5 p.m. $10 cash-only tickets available at several New Town businesses. Proceeds benefit New Hope Food Pantry and Oasis Food Pantry. 11 homes on the tour. Meet at the Town Hall. Info: Linda at 314.330.2738.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 What’s Happening 13

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December 6: Holiday House Tour6-9 p.m. Presented by the Cottleville/Weldon Spring Rotary Club. Benefits the Rotary Amphi-theater and The Rotary Founda-tion’s worldwide polio eradica-tion efforts. $20/person. Tickets may be purchased in person from Commerce Bank at 94 Crossing or Cottleville City Hall. To order by mail, send a check payable to Ro-tary Club, PO Box 246, Cottleville, MO 63338 (must be received by Nov. 29). Info: 636.447.8446 or 314.378.7888.

HEALTH

Now - December 5: LIVESTRONG at the O’Fallon Family YMCATrained instructors will lead small groups to help cancer survivors im-prove daily functional ability. The program will focus on reducing the severity of treatment side ef-fects, preventing unwanted weight changes and improving energy lev-els and self-esteem. • Mondays & Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Info/intake interview: Kristi Brad-ley at 636.379.0092.

November 16: Free Diabetes Screening at the St. Charles County Family YMCAThe Christian Hospital Diabetes Institute mobile unit will be doing free screenings for the public from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

SSM St. Joseph Health Center

November 17: Weekend Child-birth Preparation Class8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at SSM St. Joseph Health CenterThis class replaces the traditional six-week series for childbirth. $80 per couple. Register at 314.SSM.DOCS (314.776.3627) or 1.866.SSM.DOCS (1.866.776.3627).

November 20: Life After Breast Cancer5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in Education Room at SSM St. Joseph Medical Park in St. Peters. This free pro-gram is sponsored by SSM Breast Care and supported by the Karen Weidinger Foundation to provide education and support for breast cancer survivors. Other cancer

survivors are welcome to attend. A light dinner is provided. Please RSVP to janice_young@ssmhc.com and write LABC in the sub-ject line, or call 636.498.7923.

Progress West HealthCare Center Events

Free unless otherwise noted. Info/registration: 636.344.2273 or www.progresswesthealthcare.org.- [PWHC] Progress West Health-Care Center, 2 Progress Point Pkwy, O’Fallon, MO 63368 - [MOB] Progress West Medical Office Building, 20 Progress Point

Pkwy, O’Fallon, MO 63368 - [CP] Corporate Parkway Library, 1200 Corporate Parkway, Wentz-ville, MO 63385 - [MK] Middendorf- Kredell Branch Library, 2750 Hwy K, O’Fallon, MO 63368 - [SCC] St. Charles Community Col-lege, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Cottleville, MO 63376

November 27: Bone Density Screening 10 a.m.- noon [PWHC]

Support Groups

4th Tues: Diabetes Support Group6:30-7:30 p.m. At HW Koenig Med Bldg, St Joseph Hosp. West. 636.625.5447

Last Tues.: 7–8:30 p.m. HOPE (Alzheimer’s Disease and De-mentia Support Group)Sponsored by SSM St. Joseph Health Cntr & SSM, at Har-vester Christian Church, Rm CH–104, 2950 Kings Crossing. 636.928.7651, x. 115.

3rd Wed. 6:30–8 p.m. KidsCan!Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hosp., 150 En-trance Way, St. Peters. Support children 4–12 w/parent/significant caregiver w/cancer.

1st Thurs: Conquer 6:30–7:30 p.m. Support Group for adults w/cancer. Siteman Can-cer Cntr, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hosp., 150 Entrance Way, St. Pe-ters. 636.916.9920.

Crossword Answers from page 16

November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com14 FYI

The U.S. Humane Society estimates 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year,and 3 to 4 million are euthanized. Please do your part to control overpopulation and to

limit the number of unwanted animals. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!

If you’ve adopted a new family

member that you saw in Community News, send us a

picture of you and your new pal. Also

include a brief story about your pet’s background and how they’re doing now. We’d

love to share your happy story with other readers!

Community News, 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr.,

O’Fallon, MO 63366 or cnews@

centurytel.net.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 14, 2012 15

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PRAYER TO ST. JUDEMay the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and

forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. St. Jude, Worker of Miracles, Pray for us. St. Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, Pray for us.

Thank you, St. Jude. K.B.Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered. It has never been known to fail.

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November 14, 2012 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com16 Learn & Play

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4161 Highway K, O’Fallon | (636) 720-2400 | westcommunitycu.org

Statepoint CrosswordTheme: Famous Athletes

Middle Pick: “Noah Webster & His Words”

Community News is proud to offer our

readers “Book Buzz.” This column will

feature great books for children in three

categories:Youngest Pick:

early childhood to the first or second

grade, Middle Pick: elementary school

children, and Oldest Pick: middle

school children. Enjoy!

Seize the day – set your mind to doing what you want and forge ahead. There’s

plenty of gumption in “Noah Webster & His Words,” by Jeri Chase Ferris.

Born in Connecticut in 1758, Noah had oodles of confidence. What he didn’t have was a passion for farming, a fact that stuck in his dad’s craw like chewing gum to a gym floor.

Hardheaded Noah wasn’t going to have any of plowing and planting. He wanted to use his brain and go to college. That cost money – and his dad footed the bill, with the thought in mind that Noah would pay him back. That never happened because the Revolutionary War broke out, but Noah didn’t fight. He put his book learning to practice and became a teacher.

In those days, no one had heard of a dictionary, in fact with the birth of America lots of new words were being used, with no consistent spellings. Noah thought that was a crying shame. He set to work writing the “blue-backed speller,” and eventu-ally compiled his “American Dictionary of the English Language.”

It wasn’t an easy task – in fact it turned out to be Noah’s life work. His dictionary wasn’t published until 1828, when Noah was 70. He ages quite well in this book about stick-to-it-tiveness, entertainingly illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch.

Reprinted withpermission,

Missourian Publish-ing Company.

Copyright 2012.

ACROSS1. Like winters in the North, e.g.6. Western omelet ingredient9. One of the Three Bears13. Japanese port14. International Labor Organization15. Peeled or trimmed16. Drawing support17. A nervous ___18. Plural of #10 Down19. *Most decorated Olympian21. Unwelcome to a comedian23. High rocky hill24. Ditto25. Wear and tear28. Opposite of warp in weaving30. Exhort35. South of Market Area in San Francisco37. Like Oscar in "The Odd Couple"39. Composer of American military marches40. Wing-shaped

41. *2002 gold medal skater, Hughes43. Angelina's husband44. Like a wall covered with certain evergreen46. Hurtful remark47. *Quipping Hall-of-Famer48. *PGA great, Byron50. Snakelike sushi staple52. Last word of "America, the Beautiful"53. Wasn't straight55. Romanian money57. *He led an army?60. *"His Airness"63. Rub hard64. Boiling blood66. Farewell, to ami68. African tea or chew69. Rank above maj.70. Prison-related71. Strong desires72. ___ Aviv73. Go the way of Vesuvius

DOWN1. Tiller's tool2. Hurry!3. Poison ivy woe4. Clay pigeon shooting5. Render something holy6. Not misses7. *Rhyming fighter8. Cafe order9. Central to NYC10. Seed cover11. *Soccer great known by single name12. Online pop-ups15. *Reggie Miller's team20. *Ali seem to relish it22. Down Under bird24. With an illustrious past?25. *Fastest man on Earth26. To crack, as in case27. Inbox letter29. We pledge allegiance to it31. Pass

32. Continental money33. Missouri River tributary34. *Bela Karolyi prodigy36. Mars, to the Greeks38. *He was passed by Hammerin' Hank42. Conversation starter45. Sorrows49. Not a thing51. Colorful Mexican wrap54. Order56. Milk dispenser57. Dull pain58. Multicolored horse59. Brazils or filberts, e.g.60. Become gelatinous61. Hokkaido language62. Less than average tide63. Blue hue65. Future fish67. Last, abbr.

See answers page 13

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