Welcome to the July 29th Edition of the FIRST CAPITOL NEWS. Due to damages suffered because of the recent storm and power outages this edition is available only online. The next printed edition of the FIRST CAPITOL NEWS will be next week, August 5, 2006. Thank you for being a reader of the FIRST CAPITOL NEWS. To read the entire edition just scroll down. To enlarge graphic and photos just click on them.
PHYLLIS SCHALTENBRAND
Publisher
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Court Finds Sexual Misconduct In Leadership of Missouri Youth Soccer Association
Joseph L. Green of the law firm of Leritz, Plunkert & Bruning, PC represented Rhonda Entwistle of St. Peters, Missouri and Megan Drury of St. Louis County in a lawsuit against Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) and Mr. Mike McCrary of Columbia, Missouri. The Jury allowed justice for both Rhonda Entwistle and Megan Drury.
Rhonda Entwistle had brought a lawsuit against Missouri Youth Soccer Association for wrongful discharge. Megan Drury had brought a lawsuit against MYSA for breach of promise and against Mike McCrary for sexual battery. In the lawsuit filed by Rhonda Entwistle against Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), she charged that members of the MYSA Board of Directors had intimidated and caused undue stress resulting in her loss of employment for being a witness in a hearing that had occurred in January 2001 regarding a sexual harassment incident between Mr. Mike McCrary and Megan Drury in 1996. Mike McCrary had resigned from the Board of Directors in 1996 after the incident occurred. It was Megan Drury’s understanding that Mike McCrary would not be allowed to return to the Board of Directors of MYSA if she did not pursue any further action.
However, Mr. McCrary returned to the MYSA Board of Directors in 1999. Megan became aware of Mike McCrary returning to the Board of Directors in August of 2000 and filed a complaint to Geoff Butler, President of the MYSA Board of Directors in 2000. Mr. Butler was not on the Board of Directors in 1996. Mr. Butler took action to investigate the incident. There were four sitting members on the current MYSA Board of Directors that where present at the time of the incident in 1996. Further investigation of the Mike McCrary incident by Geoff Butler resulted in a hearing that was held in January 2001 in which the Central District of MYSA where Mike McCrary was the District Commissioner.
The hearing panel found Mike McCrary guilty of sexual misconduct but did not feel that Mike McCrary should be required to leave the Board of Directors of MYSA. Mr. Butler felt that this was a potential liability to the MYSA organization to have someone that had been found guilty of sexual misconduct to be a member of the Board of Directors for the MYSA especially since MYSA is a youth organization. He pursued the matter further. It appeared that this upset some members who supported Mr. McCrary.
Rhonda Entwistle was required to testify in the hearing regarding the sexual misconduct that had occurred and had stated that she was concerned about intimidation from various Board Members, but she did the right thing to protect the members and youth players of the MYSA organization. Due to medical reasons brought on by their actions she was required to leave work for a period of time on medical leave when the MYSA Board of Directors decided to eliminate her position.
On Friday, June 9, 2006, Rhonda Entwistle and Megan Drury received justice from the Jury. Rhonda Entwistle was awarded actual damages in the amount of $75,000.00 dollars and punitive damages in the amount of $75,000.00 dollars against Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA). Megan Drury was awarded damages in the amount of $30,000.00 dollars against Missouri Youth Soccer Association as well as actual damages against Mike McCrary in the amount of $20,000.00 dollars and punitive damages against Mike McCrary in the amount of $40,000.00 dollars.
Rhonda Entwistle had brought a lawsuit against Missouri Youth Soccer Association for wrongful discharge. Megan Drury had brought a lawsuit against MYSA for breach of promise and against Mike McCrary for sexual battery. In the lawsuit filed by Rhonda Entwistle against Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), she charged that members of the MYSA Board of Directors had intimidated and caused undue stress resulting in her loss of employment for being a witness in a hearing that had occurred in January 2001 regarding a sexual harassment incident between Mr. Mike McCrary and Megan Drury in 1996. Mike McCrary had resigned from the Board of Directors in 1996 after the incident occurred. It was Megan Drury’s understanding that Mike McCrary would not be allowed to return to the Board of Directors of MYSA if she did not pursue any further action.
However, Mr. McCrary returned to the MYSA Board of Directors in 1999. Megan became aware of Mike McCrary returning to the Board of Directors in August of 2000 and filed a complaint to Geoff Butler, President of the MYSA Board of Directors in 2000. Mr. Butler was not on the Board of Directors in 1996. Mr. Butler took action to investigate the incident. There were four sitting members on the current MYSA Board of Directors that where present at the time of the incident in 1996. Further investigation of the Mike McCrary incident by Geoff Butler resulted in a hearing that was held in January 2001 in which the Central District of MYSA where Mike McCrary was the District Commissioner.
The hearing panel found Mike McCrary guilty of sexual misconduct but did not feel that Mike McCrary should be required to leave the Board of Directors of MYSA. Mr. Butler felt that this was a potential liability to the MYSA organization to have someone that had been found guilty of sexual misconduct to be a member of the Board of Directors for the MYSA especially since MYSA is a youth organization. He pursued the matter further. It appeared that this upset some members who supported Mr. McCrary.
Rhonda Entwistle was required to testify in the hearing regarding the sexual misconduct that had occurred and had stated that she was concerned about intimidation from various Board Members, but she did the right thing to protect the members and youth players of the MYSA organization. Due to medical reasons brought on by their actions she was required to leave work for a period of time on medical leave when the MYSA Board of Directors decided to eliminate her position.
On Friday, June 9, 2006, Rhonda Entwistle and Megan Drury received justice from the Jury. Rhonda Entwistle was awarded actual damages in the amount of $75,000.00 dollars and punitive damages in the amount of $75,000.00 dollars against Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA). Megan Drury was awarded damages in the amount of $30,000.00 dollars against Missouri Youth Soccer Association as well as actual damages against Mike McCrary in the amount of $20,000.00 dollars and punitive damages against Mike McCrary in the amount of $40,000.00 dollars.
THE CITY DESK - Rory Riddler, Councilman Ward 1
Gemini Storms Batter Region But Fail To Break Our Spirit
Sometimes I think of God as an old cobbler, mending “soles” worn down by life. He carries their weight on his back…an impossibly large collection of old shoes. Then as He goes from place to place, he sometimes stops and has us try them on…just to give us a chance to walk for a while in someone else’s shoes.
On July 20 and 21, 2006 a large part of St. Charles and much of the St. Louis region got a wake up call from mother nature and came to appreciate, with a little more clarity, the suffering experienced by those left in the wake of great storms like Katrina.
Unlike the great hurricanes that batter our coasts, large storms here go nameless. One particularly brutal storm that hit St. Louis in the 19th Century to this day is referred to as The Great Cyclone. I decided someone needed to start naming our bigger storms. With the one-two punch of these back-to-back storms, I propose referring to them as the Gemini Storms. Besides, it sounds a lot more ominous than Amanda or Bertha, or whatever part of the alphabet the latest hurricane may fall on.
We can in no way compare what happened here directly to the areas of the world that have experienced massive loss of life from natural disasters. We came through with a minimum number of casualties, save our shaken pride in all things electric. But hundreds of thousands of our neighbors and friends learned something of what it’s like to be displaced persons, without the surety we once had that a cool home, clean water, electronic entertainment, e-mail and even workable cell phones would always be there for us.
As I write this column a week later, some of our residents are still without power. Those who had electric meters torn from their homes by falling limbs are told by Ameren they have to hire private electricians to make the repairs. Needless to say those private electricians are very busy. One retired resident reported an Ameren worker simply taped off the end of the downed wire and told them not to have anyone touch it! They didn’t take the time to loop it up and place it somewhere high on the structure till the private electrician could get there.
Overwhelmed by work, perhaps shortcuts were taken, but ones that could put the life of a child at risk are not acceptable. Ameren regrettably lost one of their own workers to just such a downed wire.
Everyone has their own story of “survival” and how the Gemini Storms disrupted their lives. We were more fortunate than many families. Our power only went out after the second storm and was back on in about two hours. My in-laws, part of the mass exodus from St. Louis after the first storm, were staying with us and my parents stayed with my brother to keep cool. Unlike New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Katrina, where refugees had to leave for other states, those areas hit less hard in St. Louis and St. Charles were able to provide shelter with relatives or friends for many.
Still, I am told hotels were full as far as Cape Girardeau from the massive number of people without power in St. Louis. Every convenience store with power looked like a refugee center with people looking for ice, basic essentials and asking if clerks knew of any hotels in the area with rooms.
Haggard, tired, aggravated and hot, tempers began to flare. After the second storm, when traffic signals were down, we had reported fistfights between drivers at highway interchanges in St. Charles. My wife Sue had her own brush with people’s frayed nerves. She stopped by a local convenience store and bought a gallon of milk only to have an exasperated woman behind her exclaim loudly, “That #*&+! just got the last gallon of milk!” Getting cursed at the check-out isn’t something we’re use to.
Fortunately, the vast majority of stories are about the good side of human nature. People dealt with the heat in different ways, with a great deal of stoicism. They looked after one another. They looked in on elderly neighbors. They pitched in to help clean things up.
Our own City employees on call were phenomenal. I can’t say enough about their dedication to duty, professionalism or concern shown for people. My hat’s off to our City Firefighters, Paramedics, Police, Dispatchers, Street Department Crews, Water and Sewer workers. I don’t have room in this column to relate all of the compliments I heard from people about these individuals responding quickly, working in stifling heat, working long hours or going the extra mile. Just one brief example would be a female firefighter on a crew responding to a call from a Senior about downed wires. She cut the limbs away from the downed wire to secure it. Then she took the time to haul the large branches to the street, seeing that the Senior might have had trouble getting it done.
I think we also appreciate what the vast majority of Ameren’s employees went through, but that doesn’t temper my feelings towards the management of this utility company. Acts of God are going to happen. But cutting tree trimming to the bone to drive up company profits, and cutting back on essential levels of employees to adequately respond to emergencies, is as criminally negligent as Ameren’s negligence in the case of the Taum Sauk dam failure.
To try to put in perspective what that negligence has cost, I heard from a reliable source that 40 supermarkets in one chain were without power for more than three hours, necessitating throwing out all meat, dairy and other refrigerated foods. The plight of grocery stores like these, restaurants and convenience stores, mirrored the waste experienced by individual customers. Take 600,000 homes without power times an average of just $100 in spoiled food. That comes to $60 MILLION taken out of the pockets of Ameren customers. I couldn’t even begin to calculate the lost wages and productivity experienced by area businesses.
Did I mention Ameren UE on July 7th filed for a rate increase that will cost the average residential consumer over $700 more per year? Maybe we could get Dorothy to drop a house on them in the next storm.
Sometimes I think of God as an old cobbler, mending “soles” worn down by life. He carries their weight on his back…an impossibly large collection of old shoes. Then as He goes from place to place, he sometimes stops and has us try them on…just to give us a chance to walk for a while in someone else’s shoes.
On July 20 and 21, 2006 a large part of St. Charles and much of the St. Louis region got a wake up call from mother nature and came to appreciate, with a little more clarity, the suffering experienced by those left in the wake of great storms like Katrina.
Unlike the great hurricanes that batter our coasts, large storms here go nameless. One particularly brutal storm that hit St. Louis in the 19th Century to this day is referred to as The Great Cyclone. I decided someone needed to start naming our bigger storms. With the one-two punch of these back-to-back storms, I propose referring to them as the Gemini Storms. Besides, it sounds a lot more ominous than Amanda or Bertha, or whatever part of the alphabet the latest hurricane may fall on.
We can in no way compare what happened here directly to the areas of the world that have experienced massive loss of life from natural disasters. We came through with a minimum number of casualties, save our shaken pride in all things electric. But hundreds of thousands of our neighbors and friends learned something of what it’s like to be displaced persons, without the surety we once had that a cool home, clean water, electronic entertainment, e-mail and even workable cell phones would always be there for us.
As I write this column a week later, some of our residents are still without power. Those who had electric meters torn from their homes by falling limbs are told by Ameren they have to hire private electricians to make the repairs. Needless to say those private electricians are very busy. One retired resident reported an Ameren worker simply taped off the end of the downed wire and told them not to have anyone touch it! They didn’t take the time to loop it up and place it somewhere high on the structure till the private electrician could get there.
Overwhelmed by work, perhaps shortcuts were taken, but ones that could put the life of a child at risk are not acceptable. Ameren regrettably lost one of their own workers to just such a downed wire.
Everyone has their own story of “survival” and how the Gemini Storms disrupted their lives. We were more fortunate than many families. Our power only went out after the second storm and was back on in about two hours. My in-laws, part of the mass exodus from St. Louis after the first storm, were staying with us and my parents stayed with my brother to keep cool. Unlike New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Katrina, where refugees had to leave for other states, those areas hit less hard in St. Louis and St. Charles were able to provide shelter with relatives or friends for many.
Still, I am told hotels were full as far as Cape Girardeau from the massive number of people without power in St. Louis. Every convenience store with power looked like a refugee center with people looking for ice, basic essentials and asking if clerks knew of any hotels in the area with rooms.
Haggard, tired, aggravated and hot, tempers began to flare. After the second storm, when traffic signals were down, we had reported fistfights between drivers at highway interchanges in St. Charles. My wife Sue had her own brush with people’s frayed nerves. She stopped by a local convenience store and bought a gallon of milk only to have an exasperated woman behind her exclaim loudly, “That #*&+! just got the last gallon of milk!” Getting cursed at the check-out isn’t something we’re use to.
Fortunately, the vast majority of stories are about the good side of human nature. People dealt with the heat in different ways, with a great deal of stoicism. They looked after one another. They looked in on elderly neighbors. They pitched in to help clean things up.
Our own City employees on call were phenomenal. I can’t say enough about their dedication to duty, professionalism or concern shown for people. My hat’s off to our City Firefighters, Paramedics, Police, Dispatchers, Street Department Crews, Water and Sewer workers. I don’t have room in this column to relate all of the compliments I heard from people about these individuals responding quickly, working in stifling heat, working long hours or going the extra mile. Just one brief example would be a female firefighter on a crew responding to a call from a Senior about downed wires. She cut the limbs away from the downed wire to secure it. Then she took the time to haul the large branches to the street, seeing that the Senior might have had trouble getting it done.
I think we also appreciate what the vast majority of Ameren’s employees went through, but that doesn’t temper my feelings towards the management of this utility company. Acts of God are going to happen. But cutting tree trimming to the bone to drive up company profits, and cutting back on essential levels of employees to adequately respond to emergencies, is as criminally negligent as Ameren’s negligence in the case of the Taum Sauk dam failure.
To try to put in perspective what that negligence has cost, I heard from a reliable source that 40 supermarkets in one chain were without power for more than three hours, necessitating throwing out all meat, dairy and other refrigerated foods. The plight of grocery stores like these, restaurants and convenience stores, mirrored the waste experienced by individual customers. Take 600,000 homes without power times an average of just $100 in spoiled food. That comes to $60 MILLION taken out of the pockets of Ameren customers. I couldn’t even begin to calculate the lost wages and productivity experienced by area businesses.
Did I mention Ameren UE on July 7th filed for a rate increase that will cost the average residential consumer over $700 more per year? Maybe we could get Dorothy to drop a house on them in the next storm.
CASE IN POINT - Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9
“I’m the commander in chief – see, I don’t need to explain – I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”
George W. Bush
For those of you who missed 60 Minutes on Sunday, July 10, here’s a little recap: oversight of the spending in Iraq is just about non-existent. Dick Cheney’s old employer has done quite well for itself with no-bid contracts and fleecing us out of millions of dollars. The total amount of money that is left unaccounted for exceeds 700 billion dollars!
I suppose Fox News can somehow frame this story so that things seem rosy, but the rest of the population can only conclude that this administration has enjoyed a rubber-stamp Congress that doesn’t hold the president accountable for squandering huge sums of money making a lot of hand-picked people stinking rich.
Every one of us appreciates our soldiers and salutes them for their sacrifice but we can still disagree with the president on policy. This isn’t about their work – we hold them dear for their noble duty to what has been asked of them.
The simple fact of the matter is, this President’s failed foreign policy and contrived cowboy stance has meant that our country must pay nearly alone in both blood and currency. This didn’t have to be the case – everyone was on our side after terrorist attacks. Think back to the quote coming out of Paris that declared, “We are all New Yorkers now!”
Expeditiously, the President squandered all good-will by ignoring calls for deliberate and well-founded action - sending our soldiers into a war that was on the drawing boards even before he took office. Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Co. knew what they wanted to do and that was wage war in Iraq. These same characters found ways to get out of the draft back in the day when duty called them, but they have no problem sending our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters off to fight. Then, having hastily decided to go to war, these same chicken hawks don’t send our soldiers well-prepared, but rather let family and friends finance body armor and steel plating privately. I guess their dream of the privatization of every aspect of life reached new highs or lows depending on one’s perspective.
Furthermore, while our own towns and cities have serious needs, Iraq becomes a financial drain on investment at home. Anyone remember the old school lessons about the fall of Rome? A couple of examples to chew over from recent budgeting:
4.6 billion dollars for Iraqi water and sanitation and 3.1 billion for our own; $290 million for Iraqi first responders and $200 million for our own.
When our pseudo-cowboy president chased away our major allies, he also chased off those who had helped cover the military and financial side of things in past operations.
But wait, Donald Rumsfeld says, we have (increasingly had) many allies making up the “Coalition of the Willing.” Yes, it may be true that South Korea sent 24 soldiers and Lithuania sent a dozen or so, but this touted “Coalition of the Willing” (COW) was meager and left the American taxpayers pretty much paying all the bills and Halliburton and friends decided that they saw a COW, so they might as well milk it for all it’s worth.
From what I could gather from the 60 Minute report, even if a company is fined for fleecing us all, they simply pay a relatively small fine but still keep a nice fat profit.
Where is the outrage? Where is the outcry? 700 billion dollars unaccounted for – money that could have gone to repair our infrastructure, teach our children, help develop alternative energy for our own country, or simply bolstered Social Security for our Baby Boom retirees.
Today, gas was more than $3.00/gallon – oil companies have gotten a pay raise and now it’s time that the American worker does too.
Health care costs are hindering job creation in both the private and pubic realm. When our city sees rising health insurance costs in the double digits every year, it scares us from hiring and likewise, when the manager or business owner sees the same thing, he usually decides to forgo hiring another worker because of these peripheral costs. That 700 billion dollar COW sure could have helped do much here at home but while the corporate buddies of this administration got the milk, the American people were left holding the bucket.
George W. Bush
For those of you who missed 60 Minutes on Sunday, July 10, here’s a little recap: oversight of the spending in Iraq is just about non-existent. Dick Cheney’s old employer has done quite well for itself with no-bid contracts and fleecing us out of millions of dollars. The total amount of money that is left unaccounted for exceeds 700 billion dollars!
I suppose Fox News can somehow frame this story so that things seem rosy, but the rest of the population can only conclude that this administration has enjoyed a rubber-stamp Congress that doesn’t hold the president accountable for squandering huge sums of money making a lot of hand-picked people stinking rich.
Every one of us appreciates our soldiers and salutes them for their sacrifice but we can still disagree with the president on policy. This isn’t about their work – we hold them dear for their noble duty to what has been asked of them.
The simple fact of the matter is, this President’s failed foreign policy and contrived cowboy stance has meant that our country must pay nearly alone in both blood and currency. This didn’t have to be the case – everyone was on our side after terrorist attacks. Think back to the quote coming out of Paris that declared, “We are all New Yorkers now!”
Expeditiously, the President squandered all good-will by ignoring calls for deliberate and well-founded action - sending our soldiers into a war that was on the drawing boards even before he took office. Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Co. knew what they wanted to do and that was wage war in Iraq. These same characters found ways to get out of the draft back in the day when duty called them, but they have no problem sending our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters off to fight. Then, having hastily decided to go to war, these same chicken hawks don’t send our soldiers well-prepared, but rather let family and friends finance body armor and steel plating privately. I guess their dream of the privatization of every aspect of life reached new highs or lows depending on one’s perspective.
Furthermore, while our own towns and cities have serious needs, Iraq becomes a financial drain on investment at home. Anyone remember the old school lessons about the fall of Rome? A couple of examples to chew over from recent budgeting:
4.6 billion dollars for Iraqi water and sanitation and 3.1 billion for our own; $290 million for Iraqi first responders and $200 million for our own.
When our pseudo-cowboy president chased away our major allies, he also chased off those who had helped cover the military and financial side of things in past operations.
But wait, Donald Rumsfeld says, we have (increasingly had) many allies making up the “Coalition of the Willing.” Yes, it may be true that South Korea sent 24 soldiers and Lithuania sent a dozen or so, but this touted “Coalition of the Willing” (COW) was meager and left the American taxpayers pretty much paying all the bills and Halliburton and friends decided that they saw a COW, so they might as well milk it for all it’s worth.
From what I could gather from the 60 Minute report, even if a company is fined for fleecing us all, they simply pay a relatively small fine but still keep a nice fat profit.
Where is the outrage? Where is the outcry? 700 billion dollars unaccounted for – money that could have gone to repair our infrastructure, teach our children, help develop alternative energy for our own country, or simply bolstered Social Security for our Baby Boom retirees.
Today, gas was more than $3.00/gallon – oil companies have gotten a pay raise and now it’s time that the American worker does too.
Health care costs are hindering job creation in both the private and pubic realm. When our city sees rising health insurance costs in the double digits every year, it scares us from hiring and likewise, when the manager or business owner sees the same thing, he usually decides to forgo hiring another worker because of these peripheral costs. That 700 billion dollar COW sure could have helped do much here at home but while the corporate buddies of this administration got the milk, the American people were left holding the bucket.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
TO THE EDITOR
I am writing to correct the information Tony Brockmeyer has received
regarding the alleged embezzling of funds in the St. Chalres City Finance
Department. I know this person was NOT fired from thier job to date and
that the situation has nothing to do with embezzling but rather with more
personal issues with the Director of Finance. This employee did NOT steal
any money and, if there was an issue of theft, the police certainly would
have been contacted immediately. Mr. Brockmeyer should check his facts and
question his sources before writing something damaging about someone, thus
jeopardizing their integrity.
Received by e-mail
EDITOR'S NOTE
We stand by our earlier stories.
DEAR EDITOR
I'm curious as to how Mr. Douchant, recent letter writer to editor in P-D,
conducted his own personal survey on (in his words) the "lefty lunatics"
whom he describes as "rarely getting anything right".
Sounds to me as if he has a few prejudice bones in his head
concerning why the bill of rights - Amendments 1-10 - were added to the U.
S. Constitution and perhaps his perceived superiority over said "lunatics"
is exactly why our forefathers felt adding these amendments was so
important. It might behoove some of us spewing self-importance to re-visit
the Amendments and understand why they are so very important to us, aside
from the information given in his diatribe as to the particulars of when it
was adopted and by whom, etc. Perhaps our forefathers had the foresight to
realize there would be those whom might feel themselves superior and
therefore endanger the rights of "all Americans" to freedoms of speech,
freedom of the press, freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances. Seemed like a good idea to those
writing the Bill of Rights at the time and in the current atmosphere of
secrecy, re-writing of laws and attempts at changing the U.S. Constitution
in order to remove citizens rights rather than protect them, I'd say it was
and is important to us all to see that those rights are protected now more
than ever. Carrying placards and signs and voicing individuals concerns
about government decisions without the benefit of Congressional approval or
public debate is not only a right but a duty, whether you happen to be a
Constitutional scholar or a layman. It also gives you the right to make
public your opinions no matter how prejudice or one sided those opinions
might be; so embrace them now and fight for them as they become endangered,
lest we become that which we fear the most.
Sandra Vago
10241 Tesson Valley Ct.
St. Louis County (un-incorporated)
63123
314-544-5000
I am writing to correct the information Tony Brockmeyer has received
regarding the alleged embezzling of funds in the St. Chalres City Finance
Department. I know this person was NOT fired from thier job to date and
that the situation has nothing to do with embezzling but rather with more
personal issues with the Director of Finance. This employee did NOT steal
any money and, if there was an issue of theft, the police certainly would
have been contacted immediately. Mr. Brockmeyer should check his facts and
question his sources before writing something damaging about someone, thus
jeopardizing their integrity.
Received by e-mail
EDITOR'S NOTE
We stand by our earlier stories.
DEAR EDITOR
I'm curious as to how Mr. Douchant, recent letter writer to editor in P-D,
conducted his own personal survey on (in his words) the "lefty lunatics"
whom he describes as "rarely getting anything right".
Sounds to me as if he has a few prejudice bones in his head
concerning why the bill of rights - Amendments 1-10 - were added to the U.
S. Constitution and perhaps his perceived superiority over said "lunatics"
is exactly why our forefathers felt adding these amendments was so
important. It might behoove some of us spewing self-importance to re-visit
the Amendments and understand why they are so very important to us, aside
from the information given in his diatribe as to the particulars of when it
was adopted and by whom, etc. Perhaps our forefathers had the foresight to
realize there would be those whom might feel themselves superior and
therefore endanger the rights of "all Americans" to freedoms of speech,
freedom of the press, freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances. Seemed like a good idea to those
writing the Bill of Rights at the time and in the current atmosphere of
secrecy, re-writing of laws and attempts at changing the U.S. Constitution
in order to remove citizens rights rather than protect them, I'd say it was
and is important to us all to see that those rights are protected now more
than ever. Carrying placards and signs and voicing individuals concerns
about government decisions without the benefit of Congressional approval or
public debate is not only a right but a duty, whether you happen to be a
Constitutional scholar or a layman. It also gives you the right to make
public your opinions no matter how prejudice or one sided those opinions
might be; so embrace them now and fight for them as they become endangered,
lest we become that which we fear the most.
Sandra Vago
10241 Tesson Valley Ct.
St. Louis County (un-incorporated)
63123
314-544-5000
THE CONSERVATIVE FACTOR - By Alex Spencer
A couple weeks ago, I took a trip to the emergency room. Mind you, it was not voluntary visit – they really never are. I had to have my appendix out. It was a fairly unpleasant couple days, but I’ll survive. An appendix is of those things that the doctors can’t really explain. See, we have one, but apparently we don’t actually need it. At some point many, many years ago, we might have needed it. (If you believe in evolution – not trying to spark a great debate, jut letting you know about my surgery). Well, mine’s gone now and I am one appendix lighter, although I experienced no significant weight loss, and I was confined to jello for several days.
One of the things that really struck me while I was in the hospital was the absence of politics. I mean really – here’s this captive audience right, folks who can’t leave or do anything else for that matter, and there is no politics.
As far as I know, St. Joe’s doesn’t allow candidates to campaign door-to-door at the hospital, but imagine the possibilities. You could hit hundreds of doors and your doors-to-square-mileage ratio would be outstanding. You can’t really discount the importance of the doors-to-square-mileage ratio when everyone wants 3-acre lots. You would think the politicians would object to 3-acre lots. With the houses so spread out, it’s harder to knock on all the doors and meet your potential constituents. But back to the hospital.
So, you could have the candidates sign up for times during visiting hours and have them divide up by floor and ward. Now, I’m not really sure how that would work with some of these races. Ignoring the token Democratic candidate – there are six candidates on the Republican ballot for Sheriff. There are also so many candidates for judge, I’ve lost count. It reminds me of that old saying: you can’t swing a dead cat around here without hitting…(in our case, a candidate for sheriff or judge). But anyways, these candidates would go around and see the patients and distribute their literature. The patients/voters might actually pay attention since the cable TV station line-up is sadly lacking.
Some of your more industrious candidates would be able to come back periodically to hit the votes recovering in the outpatient surgery ward. I really think I’m on to something. The seriously ill patients are marked outside their doors for the staff, and I am assuming that the candidates would be respectful and simply skip those rooms. The real bonus includes the friends and family visiting the patients. The real problem is trying to determine which folks are registered voters. Your odds are pretty good. I would think that citywide and countywide candidates would be okay working St. Joes, here in St. Charles. I think that the same would apply to Barnes in St. Peters and the new new hospitals out west. State Reps, Aldermen and Councilmembers would need to find a slightly different system since it would be nearly impossible to determine if the hospital patient lived in their district/ward, but maybe the hospital could reorganize them? I also think it might be handy for the older guys like Pagano, Hollingsworth and Hoepfner to be near cardiac care while campaigning.
Besides, if the candidates were going door-to-door inside, then we wouldn’t have to listen to that dunce, Barclay, over in St. Peters tell us all about his sunburn from going door-to-door in the summer being much more sunny than going door-to-door in the spring. Of course, I think he had to run like 3 times before he finally won an aldermanic seat in St. Peters, so he might want to invest in a bunch of sunscreen, it may take him a few more tries to win a County Council seat. His consistently silly mentions of his knocking exploits remind me of all the times I heard Perennial candidate Lennie Miller tell the story of wearing out his shoe leather going door-to-door. Maybe I’ll devote an entire column to stupid stories told by candidates, but that is for another day.
The candidates could also post signs in the hospital. Everyone has to look at the signage to find their way around anyway, so they might subliminally process the signage better while they are trying to find the Family Waiting Room. Now, I think there would have to be some guidelines about tasteful signage – this will probably rule out most of the Sheriff candidates and those ridiculous signs that Gartner and Thornhill have put up, but it’s a thought.
Seems that the hospitals are always looking for breaks from the politicians, so it only seems fair the hospitals open their doors to the folks that will ultimately help them out. Think about it, might be kind of interesting. Seems like a timely issue with the elections coming up next month.
I’m not really sure what to think about this year’s Primary Election. There are a lot of contested races, but nothing that makes you want to run out to the polls and vote. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be there to vote, because I believe that’s the responsibility of all Americans, but I’m not really sure that I feel strongly about the outcome.
I’ll be sharing my own voter’s guide with you in my next column, which comes out right before the election, and there are so many races and so many candidates to consider – that was SIX Republican candidates for Sheriff, too many to count for Judge, and a few RINOs to boot. After all, I had plenty of time to think about it while I was waiting to have my appendix out and then, recovering.
Much more to come on the upcoming election, but in the meantime, give some thought to my idea about politicians being allowed to campaign at the hospital…I really think I’m onto something here.
One of the things that really struck me while I was in the hospital was the absence of politics. I mean really – here’s this captive audience right, folks who can’t leave or do anything else for that matter, and there is no politics.
As far as I know, St. Joe’s doesn’t allow candidates to campaign door-to-door at the hospital, but imagine the possibilities. You could hit hundreds of doors and your doors-to-square-mileage ratio would be outstanding. You can’t really discount the importance of the doors-to-square-mileage ratio when everyone wants 3-acre lots. You would think the politicians would object to 3-acre lots. With the houses so spread out, it’s harder to knock on all the doors and meet your potential constituents. But back to the hospital.
So, you could have the candidates sign up for times during visiting hours and have them divide up by floor and ward. Now, I’m not really sure how that would work with some of these races. Ignoring the token Democratic candidate – there are six candidates on the Republican ballot for Sheriff. There are also so many candidates for judge, I’ve lost count. It reminds me of that old saying: you can’t swing a dead cat around here without hitting…(in our case, a candidate for sheriff or judge). But anyways, these candidates would go around and see the patients and distribute their literature. The patients/voters might actually pay attention since the cable TV station line-up is sadly lacking.
Some of your more industrious candidates would be able to come back periodically to hit the votes recovering in the outpatient surgery ward. I really think I’m on to something. The seriously ill patients are marked outside their doors for the staff, and I am assuming that the candidates would be respectful and simply skip those rooms. The real bonus includes the friends and family visiting the patients. The real problem is trying to determine which folks are registered voters. Your odds are pretty good. I would think that citywide and countywide candidates would be okay working St. Joes, here in St. Charles. I think that the same would apply to Barnes in St. Peters and the new new hospitals out west. State Reps, Aldermen and Councilmembers would need to find a slightly different system since it would be nearly impossible to determine if the hospital patient lived in their district/ward, but maybe the hospital could reorganize them? I also think it might be handy for the older guys like Pagano, Hollingsworth and Hoepfner to be near cardiac care while campaigning.
Besides, if the candidates were going door-to-door inside, then we wouldn’t have to listen to that dunce, Barclay, over in St. Peters tell us all about his sunburn from going door-to-door in the summer being much more sunny than going door-to-door in the spring. Of course, I think he had to run like 3 times before he finally won an aldermanic seat in St. Peters, so he might want to invest in a bunch of sunscreen, it may take him a few more tries to win a County Council seat. His consistently silly mentions of his knocking exploits remind me of all the times I heard Perennial candidate Lennie Miller tell the story of wearing out his shoe leather going door-to-door. Maybe I’ll devote an entire column to stupid stories told by candidates, but that is for another day.
The candidates could also post signs in the hospital. Everyone has to look at the signage to find their way around anyway, so they might subliminally process the signage better while they are trying to find the Family Waiting Room. Now, I think there would have to be some guidelines about tasteful signage – this will probably rule out most of the Sheriff candidates and those ridiculous signs that Gartner and Thornhill have put up, but it’s a thought.
Seems that the hospitals are always looking for breaks from the politicians, so it only seems fair the hospitals open their doors to the folks that will ultimately help them out. Think about it, might be kind of interesting. Seems like a timely issue with the elections coming up next month.
I’m not really sure what to think about this year’s Primary Election. There are a lot of contested races, but nothing that makes you want to run out to the polls and vote. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be there to vote, because I believe that’s the responsibility of all Americans, but I’m not really sure that I feel strongly about the outcome.
I’ll be sharing my own voter’s guide with you in my next column, which comes out right before the election, and there are so many races and so many candidates to consider – that was SIX Republican candidates for Sheriff, too many to count for Judge, and a few RINOs to boot. After all, I had plenty of time to think about it while I was waiting to have my appendix out and then, recovering.
Much more to come on the upcoming election, but in the meantime, give some thought to my idea about politicians being allowed to campaign at the hospital…I really think I’m onto something here.
The View From The Cheap Seats - By Jerry Haferkamp
(This column was written several weeks before publication)
I have just finished reading the intellectual desert known as the editorial column of the St. Peters Advertiser (A.K.A. the St. Charles Journal) referring to our city’s fireworks ordinance as a “joke”. Whoever this “Editor” is that wrote that column, he or she fails to address the real problem. Here it is, faithful readers:
Our fireworks laws are no more of a “joke” than our speed limit laws are. What is the real “joke”, you ask? The real joke is the resident who is so wrapped up in his own self-gratification that he has absolutely no respect for his neighbors. Like the speeder on our streets, the ones that put our property in danger and ruin our night’s sleep are the ones who think laws only apply when it is convenient to their purpose.
This source of constant comedy, the Journal’s “Editor” assails our council for passing an ordinance restricting discharge of fireworks. In the next issue he or she will probably assail the council for restricting speed in school zones. Since some morons don’t obey our laws, the Journal editor blames the council. The Editor can’t seem to gather up enough guts to address the real culprits, the violators of our laws. That certainly wouldn’t be conducive to his duty to getting our mayor’s message out that all ills in St. Charles are born of anyone who doesn’t bow to the throne of the Queen of the Center of the Universe.
As I stated in my last column, the Journal has pretty much always been out of step with the citizens of St. Charles. One can only assume that the Editor considers all laws a “joke” if some jerks don’t abide by them. Since there is murder being committed in our society, this editor must think our laws forbidding murder are a “joke”. Cars are stolen; therefore car-jacking laws must be a “joke”. Some people drive drunk. Are our drunk driving laws a “joke”?
The column fails to note that absent this ordinance there would be no restrictions on how late these morons could violate your peaceful sleep. St. Peters has completely banned fireworks, but that hasn’t stopped the use of them in their city. St. Louis County is the same story.
Our ordinance gives the real celebrants of Independence Day the opportunity to celebrate. The people shooting fireworks at 1 or 2 a.m. are celebrating only their own self-centeredness.
No, our fireworks ordinance isn’t a joke. Neither are our speed laws. There are just too many self-centered morons who violate them.
The “joke” is the Journal editorial.
Of course, that's just the view from the cheap seats.
P.S. (Question) The mayor’s pit bull Mikey has missed a lot of meetings. Did he break free from her leash?
I have just finished reading the intellectual desert known as the editorial column of the St. Peters Advertiser (A.K.A. the St. Charles Journal) referring to our city’s fireworks ordinance as a “joke”. Whoever this “Editor” is that wrote that column, he or she fails to address the real problem. Here it is, faithful readers:
Our fireworks laws are no more of a “joke” than our speed limit laws are. What is the real “joke”, you ask? The real joke is the resident who is so wrapped up in his own self-gratification that he has absolutely no respect for his neighbors. Like the speeder on our streets, the ones that put our property in danger and ruin our night’s sleep are the ones who think laws only apply when it is convenient to their purpose.
This source of constant comedy, the Journal’s “Editor” assails our council for passing an ordinance restricting discharge of fireworks. In the next issue he or she will probably assail the council for restricting speed in school zones. Since some morons don’t obey our laws, the Journal editor blames the council. The Editor can’t seem to gather up enough guts to address the real culprits, the violators of our laws. That certainly wouldn’t be conducive to his duty to getting our mayor’s message out that all ills in St. Charles are born of anyone who doesn’t bow to the throne of the Queen of the Center of the Universe.
As I stated in my last column, the Journal has pretty much always been out of step with the citizens of St. Charles. One can only assume that the Editor considers all laws a “joke” if some jerks don’t abide by them. Since there is murder being committed in our society, this editor must think our laws forbidding murder are a “joke”. Cars are stolen; therefore car-jacking laws must be a “joke”. Some people drive drunk. Are our drunk driving laws a “joke”?
The column fails to note that absent this ordinance there would be no restrictions on how late these morons could violate your peaceful sleep. St. Peters has completely banned fireworks, but that hasn’t stopped the use of them in their city. St. Louis County is the same story.
Our ordinance gives the real celebrants of Independence Day the opportunity to celebrate. The people shooting fireworks at 1 or 2 a.m. are celebrating only their own self-centeredness.
No, our fireworks ordinance isn’t a joke. Neither are our speed laws. There are just too many self-centered morons who violate them.
The “joke” is the Journal editorial.
Of course, that's just the view from the cheap seats.
P.S. (Question) The mayor’s pit bull Mikey has missed a lot of meetings. Did he break free from her leash?
Lane Being Changed at Cave Springs/Truman to Accommodate Storm Sewer Installation
The northbound lane of Cave Springs Road/Truman Boulevard near Highway 370 will be moved on Friday to allow crews to install new storm sewer pipes. The road project is part of Lakeside 370 levee construction.
Northbound traffic will be moved in this area of Cave Springs/Truman so that it passes next to southbound traffic. Currently, northbound and southbound lanes are separated. Signs will be posted to help direct traffic. The speed limit will be 25 mph. Motorists are asked to use caution driving through the construction zone.
Storm sewer installation is expected to last about two weeks. After the storm sewers are installed, pavement will be removed from Cave Springs/Truman to allow for levee construction across the road. The road will be reconstructed over the levee. Motorists can expect periodic lane changes during the project, which is expected to be complete in October.
Northbound traffic will be moved in this area of Cave Springs/Truman so that it passes next to southbound traffic. Currently, northbound and southbound lanes are separated. Signs will be posted to help direct traffic. The speed limit will be 25 mph. Motorists are asked to use caution driving through the construction zone.
Storm sewer installation is expected to last about two weeks. After the storm sewers are installed, pavement will be removed from Cave Springs/Truman to allow for levee construction across the road. The road will be reconstructed over the levee. Motorists can expect periodic lane changes during the project, which is expected to be complete in October.
New Town Kids Decorate Recycling Bins to Help Spread the Word
(click on image to enlarge) Contest sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Recycling, Allied Waste and New Town St. Charles to emphasize importance of recycling
Thirty young residents of New Town St. Charles put their artistic talents to work decorating recycling bins last Saturday morning, July 22. They used paint and recyclables stuck on the bins to convey why they think recycling is important. More than 250 residents voted throughout the afternoon on the “Best Bin” with prizes awarded to four winners.
The contest was sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation, New Town St. Charles and Allied Waste to encourage residents to recycle. “It is exciting to have these groups helping us push recycling. Currently we recycle only about 10% of our waste,” said St. Charles Councilman John Gieseke who represents the New Town area. “I know we can do better than that. We must. We need to push recycling to save our natural resources and help keep our trash costs from rising.”
Those decorating bins were asked to why they thought recycling was important. “In reading these kids’ statements, it’s clear they know how critical it is for communities to step up recycling efforts,” said Steve Campbell, Director, Marketing, Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation. “Through this contest and other outreach efforts underway in New Town, we hope residents start talking to each other about the many reasons to recycle and how easy it is.”
Those participating picked up their bins at the end of the evening, and many residents also picked up extra bins for their own households. “It was fun to see the kids so excited about the reason for the contest and the actual act of decorating the bins,” said Gieseke. “And now we have 30 households in New Town with uniquely decorated bins…each caring an important message!”
The winners by age category were:
Girl -- 10 years and under: Lexie Lehmuth
Boy – 10 years and under: Sam Wallut
Girl – 11 years and older: Chelsea House
Boy – 11 years and older: Anthony Burton
Each of the four winners received a gift certificate provided by Anheuser-Busch Recycling for a new bike.
Open House Aboard Corps’ Largest Diesel Towboat in Alton, Illinois
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, will host an open house aboard the Corps of Engineers’ M/V (Motor Vessel) Mississippi, which will be docked at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Ill., from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, August 5.
The public is invited to take a self-guided tour of the Corps’ largest diesel towboat and flagship to the Mississippi River Commission. The M/V Mississippi is 241 feet long, 58 feet wide and five stories high. Three 2100-hp diesel engines power the vessel.
The vessel’s primary mission is to move barges in support of bank stabilization work on the lower Mississippi River. However, each spring and late summer, the Mississippi River Commission conducts a series of public meetings aboard the vessel, with the late summer trip including the St. Louis area. The Commission, established by Congress in 1879, holds the meetings to maintain a dialogue, and to exchange viewpoints and ideas with its stakeholders and the public. The St. Louis District will host its public meeting August 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam.
The public is invited to attend the open house and will have the opportunity to talk with Corps of Engineers’ representatives, as well as the motor vessel’s crew. Melvin Price Locks and Dam is located at #1 Lock and Dam Way off of Hwy 143 in Alton, Illinois.
For more information, or if you require special accommodations, contact the National Great Rivers Museum at 618-462-6979.
The public is invited to take a self-guided tour of the Corps’ largest diesel towboat and flagship to the Mississippi River Commission. The M/V Mississippi is 241 feet long, 58 feet wide and five stories high. Three 2100-hp diesel engines power the vessel.
The vessel’s primary mission is to move barges in support of bank stabilization work on the lower Mississippi River. However, each spring and late summer, the Mississippi River Commission conducts a series of public meetings aboard the vessel, with the late summer trip including the St. Louis area. The Commission, established by Congress in 1879, holds the meetings to maintain a dialogue, and to exchange viewpoints and ideas with its stakeholders and the public. The St. Louis District will host its public meeting August 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam.
The public is invited to attend the open house and will have the opportunity to talk with Corps of Engineers’ representatives, as well as the motor vessel’s crew. Melvin Price Locks and Dam is located at #1 Lock and Dam Way off of Hwy 143 in Alton, Illinois.
For more information, or if you require special accommodations, contact the National Great Rivers Museum at 618-462-6979.
Annual Boy Scout District Planning Meeting Set
Boone Trails District of Boy Scouts of America, which covers St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren counties, will hold their annual program preview on Tuesday, August 1st 2006 at Lindenwood University Hyland Performance Arena. The Performance Arena is located on John Weber Road, off First Capitol Drive in St. Charles. The pre-opening begins at 7:00pm, with the opening ceremony at 7:30pm.
There are more that 150 units in the Boone Trails district, providing a Boy Scouting program to over 6,000 youth members. These units are sponsored by local schools, churches, and civic organizations. Scouts benefit the local community through service projects, Eagle projects, and area wide “Good Turns” like Scouting for Food.
Information will be provided on 2006-2007 scouting programs, events, activities, camping, training opportunities, advancement and membership recruitment. All registered Boy Scout and Cub Scout leaders should attend in order to plan a well-rounded scouting program in their individual units.
To help facilitate the meeting, unit leaders are requested to bring the name, address and phone number of their unit’s coordinators for School Night to Join Scouting, Scouting for Food, Trails End Popcorn Fundraiser, and the date for Friends of Scouting presentations.
There are more that 150 units in the Boone Trails district, providing a Boy Scouting program to over 6,000 youth members. These units are sponsored by local schools, churches, and civic organizations. Scouts benefit the local community through service projects, Eagle projects, and area wide “Good Turns” like Scouting for Food.
Information will be provided on 2006-2007 scouting programs, events, activities, camping, training opportunities, advancement and membership recruitment. All registered Boy Scout and Cub Scout leaders should attend in order to plan a well-rounded scouting program in their individual units.
To help facilitate the meeting, unit leaders are requested to bring the name, address and phone number of their unit’s coordinators for School Night to Join Scouting, Scouting for Food, Trails End Popcorn Fundraiser, and the date for Friends of Scouting presentations.
CRISIS NURSERY-SAINT CHARLES ASKS FOR YOUR HELP WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES
It’s almost back-to-school time again and the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery-St. Charles is asking for your help with school supplies. Backpacks, pencils, rulers, paper, socks and underwear are needed. Monetary donations would also be greatly appreciated.
Supplies may be delivered to the nursery located at 315 First Capital Dr., across the street from St. Joseph Health Center.
The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery provides safe care for children whose families are in crisis, parent education, community referrals, and extended family support and operates in four locations across the St. Louis and St. Charles regions.
Supplies may be delivered to the nursery located at 315 First Capital Dr., across the street from St. Joseph Health Center.
The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery provides safe care for children whose families are in crisis, parent education, community referrals, and extended family support and operates in four locations across the St. Louis and St. Charles regions.
First Capitol Counseling Connection - By Dr. Howard Rosenthal
Dr. Howard Rosenthal
Power Walking On Main Street
An insightful interview with Louise Cheli first place winner of the 2006 Healthy Woman Award
HR: Louise, congratulations are in order. I understand that you just snared the 2006 Healthy Woman Award conferred via St. Luke’s Hospital. When did you become interested in health and fitness? Were you into sports and exercise as a child?
LC: Thank you Howard. I think I first became interested in health and fitness in about 5th grade. I started keeping a journal as part of a class assignment, and I loved it. I found that it really inspired me to reflect on my own behaviors,inspirations and attitudes. I started to keep a “Health File”. It contained information about health, fitness, nutrition, stress management, the aging process, prayers – essentially, anything that I thought would help me become the best I could be. I loved to play many sports, and to be outdoors in nature, climbing trees or riding my bike or skateboard. I think I was about 16yrs. old when I “officially” saw that my interest was in “Health & Wellness”. It was about this time that I then expanded my “Health File” to include files about: children, marriage, and aging as well. I knew how wonderful it felt to be fit and active and I wanted this for everyone.
HR: Bye the way, I know you grew up in South St. Louis. How did you end up in St. Charles and what is it that you like about our town?
LC: My husband Dave and I both grew up in the Carondelet area of South St. Louis. We decided that we wanted to consider buying a house with some land. Dave’s Mom and Dad had moved to St. Charles from South St. Louis, and Dave’s sister and her husband also lived out here. So we decided to look in St. Charles, and when we found our home with replete with a lot that is nearly an acre. It’s a great fit for us.
I really like our children’s school, the Academy of the Sacred Heart, our church, St. Charles Borromeo, our St. Charles libraries, the parks, Main Street stores – like the new Picasso’s, and the friendliness/thoughtfulness of the people. I like the closeness of the community here. I have met life-long friends here in St. Charles, and I feel blessed.
HR: What are the nuts and bolts of a healthy lifestyle?
LC: I am glad you asked! I am currently working on a “Health and Inspiration Manual” for children and adults. I hope to have the book published within two years –by 2008! The nuts (right away I think of protein!) and bolts of a healthy lifestyle are, in my estimation, can be viewed in light of six main areas: Spiritual, mental, emotional, occupational, social and physical. When I was in college I designed a Wellness model I named the “Balance Ball”, to teach wellness. Without a picture of the “Balance Ball” it is difficult to explain the concept, but I can say it is about wholeness and balance in each of these areas. One must find fulfillment and support for each of these areas to be “balanced and whole.” Let me give you an example. Let’s just look at two areas of a person’s being – spiritual and physical. If a person decides that they feel very spiritually “full/whole” because they pray often and attend Mass, services etc., but do not take care of their physical self by being active, eating healthfully, managing stress in healthy ways, getting enough sleep, tending to safety on the road when driving etc., then, we might say this person was a little out of balance. One must view a person’s “Balance Ball” in light of all six areas/components to get an accurate view of one’s degree of balance. It seems obvious that we, as human beings, have similar needs in the various areas of health I mentioned (spiritual, mental, emotional, occupational, social and physical), but there is much variation, of course. This model is simply a guide to assess where one is currently. Then, it is important to see where one is going – towards illness or high level wellness.
HR: How do you handle the scientific confusion? I mean today it’s fruits and veggies, tomorrow we’re supposed to measure a palm full of food in our hand to get into the Zone, the next day the rage is a caveman diet with enough meat and fat to make an Atkin’s dieter blush and God only knows what diet Oprah will be suggesting next . . . and she will be suggesting one.
LC: I consistently depend on conservative, reliable health organizations like the American Heart Association, the National Dairy Council, the Lung Association, the Diabetes Association, the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Dietetics Association and many others. Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who first coined the term “aerobics”, has a fitness/wellness center/complex in Dallas Texas, and he is another good resource. St. Charles has another great, local resource which is Healthy Communities St. Charles County (a program of Community Vision St. Charles County, Inc.). The website is: www.healthycommunitiesscc.org. I am a skeptic when it comes to new health news. It has to stand the test of time and scrutiny by committed professionals before a claim is to be seen as legitimate.
HR: Do you personally ever cheat when it comes to diet? I must tell the readers that I once . . . yes just once . . . spied you seemingly enjoying . . . dare I say it . . . a slice of fast food pizza!
LC: Pizza is tasty isn’t it! I truly never think of anything I eat as “cheating”. There is room in one’s diet for any food one likes – in reasonable amounts. It is a matter of balancing energy in (food/nutrients/calories) with energy out (calories/energy expended in exercise/activity). I don’t think anything is “forbidden.” It really doesn’t fit a healthy mindset towards food. When I teach children about nutrition, I tell them to erase the words good and bad food from their vocabulary.
I tell them, “There aren’t “good foods & bad foods,” unless we are talking about taste, and then of course there are! Some taste good & others taste bad. These terms can be replaced by more appropriate terms: “more nutritious & less nutritious.” I teach that (excluding allergies to certain foods for certain people) all foods can have a place in our diets.
Food should be enjoyed in moderation in a healthy eating plan. We have to watch our portion sizes too. A serving of meat, for instance, is 3oz. of lean meat, which is about the size of a deck of playing cards! It is a wonderful thing to have the immense variety and nutritional value we enjoy here in the United States. It is our responsibility to use our abundance to benefit our health as a nation, not diminish or damage it! I do believe US citizens are on our way to healthier days!
So, I shall restate your question to allow you to get at the answer you are looking for. Do I ever overdo it? Occasionally, I probably have too much “dairy” in my diet. Translation: I enjoy ice cream. (It is usually low-fat. ☺)
HR: I’ve seen you zoom past me as you power walk down Main Street or Fifth Street on numerous occasions. What is your personal daily exercise workout like?
HR: The YMCA is my favorite place to exercise besides the KATY trail or my neighborhood. I work out at least three times a week at the YMCA. I do at least 30 to 60 minutes of strictly aerobic exercise such as stair-climbing, the treadmill, or riding an exercise bike. I also engage in 20 minutes of weight-lifting for all the major muscle groups. It is a blast! I love to walk (when I have seen you) and thus do it nearly every day.
A lady at the YMCA asked me why I was smiling so much when I was running on the treadmill and I said, “Because it is fun, and I love the challenge of it.” She shook her head and said, “Well, I am not there yet.” I encouraged her and told her it is great she works out at the Y, and to stick with it. She smiled and said she intends to.
HR: How does one achieve emotional well-being?
LC: Let’s have a clear understanding of what emotional well-being is first, before we proceed. According to the psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger co-founder of the well-known Menninger Clinic, emotional health is a matter of degree. We all have in our minds what we consider the ideal emotional maturity and well-being we seek on some level. But because of the many facets of our personalities, we exhibit signs of emotional health and well-being as well as emotional difficulties. Here are some of Menninger’s criteria of an emotionally mature person: Ability to function under difficulty; capacity to change; control over tension and anxiety; capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than in receiving; consideration of other persons; curbing hate and guilt; capacity to love. I would add that an emotionally healthy person is realistic about one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and accepts their own feelings about those traits. An emotionally healthy person is assertive (not abrasive) in communicating their feelings both positive and negative to themselves and others. An emotionally healthy person can accept criticism with the dignity of an adult, not the grief of a child. An emotionally healthy person continually tries to be the best they can be by utilizing their God given talents.
I think one achieves emotional well-being by first going to the bed-rock … the foundation of what is the truth: each person possesses unsurpassable human dignity. John Paul II said, “Nothing surpasses the greatness and dignity of the human person.” If a person knows and believes this to be true, one would naturally cherish oneself and all others. To cherish is to love and hold dear. We are indeed worthy of the best possible care and love. Out of this truth, we become dedicated to caring for ourselves the best we can so we can care for others –the best we can. Respect is grown from this vine of greatness and dignity. By appreciating others, we learn to live in relationship to others with increased openness and better communication which fosters emotional well-being also.
We achieve emotional well-being through perseverance. We maintain emotional well-being through perseverance, and as M. Scott Peck put it in his wonderful book, The Road Less Traveled, “mental health is dedication to reality at all costs.” An emotionally healthy person pays attention to the red flags, or the symptoms which indicate that things are getting out of balance, and takes steps to get things back in balance as readily as possible.
HR: I know you consider yourself a very spiritual person. Tell us about that. How does spirituality fit into the health equation?
LC: To me, spirituality is the very essence of who we are. I think it is the foundation of everything we do. It is life, meaning, growth, change, intensity, relationships. In a word: LOVE. God is LOVE. For me, it all grows from the two great commandments: Love, God and love your neighbor as yourself. That is it. Spirituality demands that whatever state of health we are in, we do the best we can, where we are with what we have. We do the best we can at what? At loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Will we love others if we do not love ourselves? Can we give to others what we do not have? That is where health fits in, to me, in the spirituality equation. There is a responsibility to do one’s best in taking care of oneself because others who are less fortunate may need you to help them in their suffering, struggling and hardship. Taking care of yourself enables you to take good care of others too! Plato said, “The soul by its own excellence ensures that the body be as fit as possible.”
An example may prove helpful. Let’s take a 15 year old who has allowed himself (due to inactivity, poor eating habits and lack of sleep) to become out of shape and out of balance. He may not be able or mentally willing to help an older man next door who would like help in cutting his lawn. Possibly, too, the young man becomes so preoccupied with himself and his own imbalance that he is not conscious of those around him who may need him.
If I were to put this into an equation it might read:
Healthy living (good habits etc.) + Spiritual living (sacraments and loving God and your neighbor) = fully alive/responsible life
HR: You have always looked up to Father Richard Tillman, a trained social worker and the Priest at St. Charles Borromeo. What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your discussions with Father Rich?
LC: I certainly do look up to Father Tillman. That isn’t to say we always agree. The most important thing I have learned and reinforced from discussions with Father is to respect and love all life: human beings and nature. This has helped me become more accepting of people and less judgmental.
HR: Some studies indicate that fitness in kids is at an all-time low. Should we force them to get involved in organized sports? And if I’m not being too personal: Have you ever forced your children to play soccer, baseball or whatever?
LC: No, a parent shouldn’t force a child to become involved unless the child has an interest in participating. Encouraging/expecting and requiring a certain amount of outdoor activity/exercise is reasonable however. No, we have never forced our children to play a sport or participate in something they didn’t show an interest in. It would seem to be an unhealthy thing to do!
HR: Your husband Dave is an accomplished businessman and a consummate musician. Does music play a part in one’s quest for total health?
LC: What a great question Howard! Yes! Music comes into the equation by being a source of spiritual, mental, emotional, social, physical and possibly even occupational health. Think about this: Music is a universal language…like a smile. People can relate and connect even if we are from different cultures…or different centuries! Bach once commented that music’s gift to our health is that it can wipe away the dust of everyday living.
Music is one of the best ways to handle stress! Like prayer and exercise, music can transport you to a beautiful place to give you a respite from your troubles. It is a healthy way to cope! Playing an instrument involves one’s whole self (spirit, mind and body) and thus enriches one’s whole self. We have no idea how deeply music can affect our spirits, our minds and our bodies. Norman Cousins unearthed the wisdom of laughter and its positive effect on our immune system. I believe music’s power is similar. It heals and lifts us up. Of course, some types of music can have the opposite effect as well. One must be selective. Another aspect of music which is so powerful is its ability to free us from being too complacent at times. It touches us deeply.
HR: Are there any final gems of wisdom you’d like to cast at our readers?
LC: I don’t know if this is a “gem of wisdom”, but I would like to cast this line into the waters:
Try waking up THANKFUL each and every day. Before your feet touch the ground from your bed, try saying a prayer of gratitude for LIFE and LOVE, and FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED.
Thank you, Howard, for your thoughtful questions, and the time you took to interview me.
Dr. Howard Rosenthal is professor and program coordinator of Human Services at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and a multi-book author. His book Therapy’s Best: Practical Advice and Gems of Wisdom from Twenty Accomplished Counselors and Therapists (Haworth Publishing) will be released this summer. His website is www.howardrosenthal.com Copyright 2006. Dr. Howard Rosenthal
Power Walking On Main Street
An insightful interview with Louise Cheli first place winner of the 2006 Healthy Woman Award
HR: Louise, congratulations are in order. I understand that you just snared the 2006 Healthy Woman Award conferred via St. Luke’s Hospital. When did you become interested in health and fitness? Were you into sports and exercise as a child?
LC: Thank you Howard. I think I first became interested in health and fitness in about 5th grade. I started keeping a journal as part of a class assignment, and I loved it. I found that it really inspired me to reflect on my own behaviors,inspirations and attitudes. I started to keep a “Health File”. It contained information about health, fitness, nutrition, stress management, the aging process, prayers – essentially, anything that I thought would help me become the best I could be. I loved to play many sports, and to be outdoors in nature, climbing trees or riding my bike or skateboard. I think I was about 16yrs. old when I “officially” saw that my interest was in “Health & Wellness”. It was about this time that I then expanded my “Health File” to include files about: children, marriage, and aging as well. I knew how wonderful it felt to be fit and active and I wanted this for everyone.
HR: Bye the way, I know you grew up in South St. Louis. How did you end up in St. Charles and what is it that you like about our town?
LC: My husband Dave and I both grew up in the Carondelet area of South St. Louis. We decided that we wanted to consider buying a house with some land. Dave’s Mom and Dad had moved to St. Charles from South St. Louis, and Dave’s sister and her husband also lived out here. So we decided to look in St. Charles, and when we found our home with replete with a lot that is nearly an acre. It’s a great fit for us.
I really like our children’s school, the Academy of the Sacred Heart, our church, St. Charles Borromeo, our St. Charles libraries, the parks, Main Street stores – like the new Picasso’s, and the friendliness/thoughtfulness of the people. I like the closeness of the community here. I have met life-long friends here in St. Charles, and I feel blessed.
HR: What are the nuts and bolts of a healthy lifestyle?
LC: I am glad you asked! I am currently working on a “Health and Inspiration Manual” for children and adults. I hope to have the book published within two years –by 2008! The nuts (right away I think of protein!) and bolts of a healthy lifestyle are, in my estimation, can be viewed in light of six main areas: Spiritual, mental, emotional, occupational, social and physical. When I was in college I designed a Wellness model I named the “Balance Ball”, to teach wellness. Without a picture of the “Balance Ball” it is difficult to explain the concept, but I can say it is about wholeness and balance in each of these areas. One must find fulfillment and support for each of these areas to be “balanced and whole.” Let me give you an example. Let’s just look at two areas of a person’s being – spiritual and physical. If a person decides that they feel very spiritually “full/whole” because they pray often and attend Mass, services etc., but do not take care of their physical self by being active, eating healthfully, managing stress in healthy ways, getting enough sleep, tending to safety on the road when driving etc., then, we might say this person was a little out of balance. One must view a person’s “Balance Ball” in light of all six areas/components to get an accurate view of one’s degree of balance. It seems obvious that we, as human beings, have similar needs in the various areas of health I mentioned (spiritual, mental, emotional, occupational, social and physical), but there is much variation, of course. This model is simply a guide to assess where one is currently. Then, it is important to see where one is going – towards illness or high level wellness.
HR: How do you handle the scientific confusion? I mean today it’s fruits and veggies, tomorrow we’re supposed to measure a palm full of food in our hand to get into the Zone, the next day the rage is a caveman diet with enough meat and fat to make an Atkin’s dieter blush and God only knows what diet Oprah will be suggesting next . . . and she will be suggesting one.
LC: I consistently depend on conservative, reliable health organizations like the American Heart Association, the National Dairy Council, the Lung Association, the Diabetes Association, the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Dietetics Association and many others. Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who first coined the term “aerobics”, has a fitness/wellness center/complex in Dallas Texas, and he is another good resource. St. Charles has another great, local resource which is Healthy Communities St. Charles County (a program of Community Vision St. Charles County, Inc.). The website is: www.healthycommunitiesscc.org. I am a skeptic when it comes to new health news. It has to stand the test of time and scrutiny by committed professionals before a claim is to be seen as legitimate.
HR: Do you personally ever cheat when it comes to diet? I must tell the readers that I once . . . yes just once . . . spied you seemingly enjoying . . . dare I say it . . . a slice of fast food pizza!
LC: Pizza is tasty isn’t it! I truly never think of anything I eat as “cheating”. There is room in one’s diet for any food one likes – in reasonable amounts. It is a matter of balancing energy in (food/nutrients/calories) with energy out (calories/energy expended in exercise/activity). I don’t think anything is “forbidden.” It really doesn’t fit a healthy mindset towards food. When I teach children about nutrition, I tell them to erase the words good and bad food from their vocabulary.
I tell them, “There aren’t “good foods & bad foods,” unless we are talking about taste, and then of course there are! Some taste good & others taste bad. These terms can be replaced by more appropriate terms: “more nutritious & less nutritious.” I teach that (excluding allergies to certain foods for certain people) all foods can have a place in our diets.
Food should be enjoyed in moderation in a healthy eating plan. We have to watch our portion sizes too. A serving of meat, for instance, is 3oz. of lean meat, which is about the size of a deck of playing cards! It is a wonderful thing to have the immense variety and nutritional value we enjoy here in the United States. It is our responsibility to use our abundance to benefit our health as a nation, not diminish or damage it! I do believe US citizens are on our way to healthier days!
So, I shall restate your question to allow you to get at the answer you are looking for. Do I ever overdo it? Occasionally, I probably have too much “dairy” in my diet. Translation: I enjoy ice cream. (It is usually low-fat. ☺)
HR: I’ve seen you zoom past me as you power walk down Main Street or Fifth Street on numerous occasions. What is your personal daily exercise workout like?
HR: The YMCA is my favorite place to exercise besides the KATY trail or my neighborhood. I work out at least three times a week at the YMCA. I do at least 30 to 60 minutes of strictly aerobic exercise such as stair-climbing, the treadmill, or riding an exercise bike. I also engage in 20 minutes of weight-lifting for all the major muscle groups. It is a blast! I love to walk (when I have seen you) and thus do it nearly every day.
A lady at the YMCA asked me why I was smiling so much when I was running on the treadmill and I said, “Because it is fun, and I love the challenge of it.” She shook her head and said, “Well, I am not there yet.” I encouraged her and told her it is great she works out at the Y, and to stick with it. She smiled and said she intends to.
HR: How does one achieve emotional well-being?
LC: Let’s have a clear understanding of what emotional well-being is first, before we proceed. According to the psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger co-founder of the well-known Menninger Clinic, emotional health is a matter of degree. We all have in our minds what we consider the ideal emotional maturity and well-being we seek on some level. But because of the many facets of our personalities, we exhibit signs of emotional health and well-being as well as emotional difficulties. Here are some of Menninger’s criteria of an emotionally mature person: Ability to function under difficulty; capacity to change; control over tension and anxiety; capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than in receiving; consideration of other persons; curbing hate and guilt; capacity to love. I would add that an emotionally healthy person is realistic about one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and accepts their own feelings about those traits. An emotionally healthy person is assertive (not abrasive) in communicating their feelings both positive and negative to themselves and others. An emotionally healthy person can accept criticism with the dignity of an adult, not the grief of a child. An emotionally healthy person continually tries to be the best they can be by utilizing their God given talents.
I think one achieves emotional well-being by first going to the bed-rock … the foundation of what is the truth: each person possesses unsurpassable human dignity. John Paul II said, “Nothing surpasses the greatness and dignity of the human person.” If a person knows and believes this to be true, one would naturally cherish oneself and all others. To cherish is to love and hold dear. We are indeed worthy of the best possible care and love. Out of this truth, we become dedicated to caring for ourselves the best we can so we can care for others –the best we can. Respect is grown from this vine of greatness and dignity. By appreciating others, we learn to live in relationship to others with increased openness and better communication which fosters emotional well-being also.
We achieve emotional well-being through perseverance. We maintain emotional well-being through perseverance, and as M. Scott Peck put it in his wonderful book, The Road Less Traveled, “mental health is dedication to reality at all costs.” An emotionally healthy person pays attention to the red flags, or the symptoms which indicate that things are getting out of balance, and takes steps to get things back in balance as readily as possible.
HR: I know you consider yourself a very spiritual person. Tell us about that. How does spirituality fit into the health equation?
LC: To me, spirituality is the very essence of who we are. I think it is the foundation of everything we do. It is life, meaning, growth, change, intensity, relationships. In a word: LOVE. God is LOVE. For me, it all grows from the two great commandments: Love, God and love your neighbor as yourself. That is it. Spirituality demands that whatever state of health we are in, we do the best we can, where we are with what we have. We do the best we can at what? At loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Will we love others if we do not love ourselves? Can we give to others what we do not have? That is where health fits in, to me, in the spirituality equation. There is a responsibility to do one’s best in taking care of oneself because others who are less fortunate may need you to help them in their suffering, struggling and hardship. Taking care of yourself enables you to take good care of others too! Plato said, “The soul by its own excellence ensures that the body be as fit as possible.”
An example may prove helpful. Let’s take a 15 year old who has allowed himself (due to inactivity, poor eating habits and lack of sleep) to become out of shape and out of balance. He may not be able or mentally willing to help an older man next door who would like help in cutting his lawn. Possibly, too, the young man becomes so preoccupied with himself and his own imbalance that he is not conscious of those around him who may need him.
If I were to put this into an equation it might read:
Healthy living (good habits etc.) + Spiritual living (sacraments and loving God and your neighbor) = fully alive/responsible life
HR: You have always looked up to Father Richard Tillman, a trained social worker and the Priest at St. Charles Borromeo. What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your discussions with Father Rich?
LC: I certainly do look up to Father Tillman. That isn’t to say we always agree. The most important thing I have learned and reinforced from discussions with Father is to respect and love all life: human beings and nature. This has helped me become more accepting of people and less judgmental.
HR: Some studies indicate that fitness in kids is at an all-time low. Should we force them to get involved in organized sports? And if I’m not being too personal: Have you ever forced your children to play soccer, baseball or whatever?
LC: No, a parent shouldn’t force a child to become involved unless the child has an interest in participating. Encouraging/expecting and requiring a certain amount of outdoor activity/exercise is reasonable however. No, we have never forced our children to play a sport or participate in something they didn’t show an interest in. It would seem to be an unhealthy thing to do!
HR: Your husband Dave is an accomplished businessman and a consummate musician. Does music play a part in one’s quest for total health?
LC: What a great question Howard! Yes! Music comes into the equation by being a source of spiritual, mental, emotional, social, physical and possibly even occupational health. Think about this: Music is a universal language…like a smile. People can relate and connect even if we are from different cultures…or different centuries! Bach once commented that music’s gift to our health is that it can wipe away the dust of everyday living.
Music is one of the best ways to handle stress! Like prayer and exercise, music can transport you to a beautiful place to give you a respite from your troubles. It is a healthy way to cope! Playing an instrument involves one’s whole self (spirit, mind and body) and thus enriches one’s whole self. We have no idea how deeply music can affect our spirits, our minds and our bodies. Norman Cousins unearthed the wisdom of laughter and its positive effect on our immune system. I believe music’s power is similar. It heals and lifts us up. Of course, some types of music can have the opposite effect as well. One must be selective. Another aspect of music which is so powerful is its ability to free us from being too complacent at times. It touches us deeply.
HR: Are there any final gems of wisdom you’d like to cast at our readers?
LC: I don’t know if this is a “gem of wisdom”, but I would like to cast this line into the waters:
Try waking up THANKFUL each and every day. Before your feet touch the ground from your bed, try saying a prayer of gratitude for LIFE and LOVE, and FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED.
Thank you, Howard, for your thoughtful questions, and the time you took to interview me.
Dr. Howard Rosenthal is professor and program coordinator of Human Services at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and a multi-book author. His book Therapy’s Best: Practical Advice and Gems of Wisdom from Twenty Accomplished Counselors and Therapists (Haworth Publishing) will be released this summer. His website is www.howardrosenthal.com Copyright 2006. Dr. Howard Rosenthal
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