All the News

Sports

Ball kids are treated special
at basketball games

Last spring, Ali Anderson got special treatment at the 2001 NCAA Women's Final Four basketball tournament. She not only got in free but also saw the action right down on the floor.

This March, she and brothers Riley and Keegan O'Neill will get the same sort of VIP treatment at the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference's men's basketball tourney. They'll be among the ball kids who keep the floor clear so players don't slip and fall.

(Would you like to have a chance to be a ball kid at this year's MVC tournament? Young Saint Louis.com has a special offer for you. Just click here for details.)

Thirteen-year-old Ali is now an eighth grader at Oakville Middle School. She's been a ball kid for the MVC tournament for four or five years. The Women's Final Four was a bonus for her as St. Louis hosted the national tournament.

She said, "I want to play basketball in high school and college. I like to watch the games up close so I can see how they play in college."

Ali plays guard or forward on two youth basketball teams. One is at the local Y and another is a select team involving kids from various schools.

She said she also had been taking dancing lessons. But, she said, "I dropped dance. My mother said, 'With the select team playing in tournaments and out of town, that was too much.'"

Twelve-year-old Riley O'Neill is a sixth grader at Blades Elementary School in south St. Louis County. He and his brother worked the MVC men's tournament two years ago.

He said there are at least four ball kids for each game. Two sit under the baskets on each end of the court. Then, others make sure referees get towels and refreshments. They also fill cups of water for players when teams don't bring their own water bottles.

When working under the basket, the ball kids get instructions from the referees. Riley said, "If a player falls, the referee will tell us to wipe up the sweat."

Also, the ball kids clean the floor during half-time.

Sometimes, when the action on the court is fast and furious, they have to be alert.

Eleven-year-old Keegan O'Neill is a fifth grader at Blades Elementary. He said he's been hit by a player once. "He was going for a lay-up and was fouled and fell over on me," he said. But, he said neither he nor the player were hurt.

Wiley said he's almost been hit by players or the ball. But, he was able to get behind the goal standard in time.

Ali said, "A ball has come at me but I was able to catch it and throw it back."

Unlike Ali, Riley isn't a basketball player. He plays baseball and soccer. He's now playing in an indoor soccer league at Waterloo, Ill. In early December, his team was 4-0.

But, in the MVC meet, he cheers for Southwest Missouri State from Springfield, Mo. "My friend's sister goes there," Riley said.

Keegan plays basketball along with roller hockey, soccer and baseball. As for being a sports fan, Keegan said, "I like hockey. I root for the (St. Louis) Blues."

Both the Women's Final Four and the MVC tournaments were at the Savvis Center. That's the home arena for the Blues. The hockey season is on when the basketball tournaments are played.

The basketball playing surface is placed right over the ice.

But, Riley and Keegan said they've never been cold at the basketball games.

Ali, Riley and Keegan said they like the "perks" the ball kids get at the games. In addition to free admission, they also get free snacks and soft drinks. Each of the kids gets to keep the tournament T-shirt that is their "uniform" at the games.

Ali said they also get to talk with the players and coaches at times. She said, "Also, I got to joke with the team mascots during half-time."

She said the ball kids get special training before the games so they'll know just what to do.

Ali said they have some towels to wipe the floor and then other towels for the referees. "You have to make sure we keep them separate. It wouldn't be good to mix the floor towels with the referee towels," she said.

The ball kids said all the players, coaches and referees treated them very well.

Want to be a ball kid? Apply here.

Want to be a ball kid at the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament in March? Young Saint Louis.com is giving you a chance.

Conference officials have reserved two ball kid spots in the tournament for readers of YSL.com. You apply by filling out the attached registration form and mailing it by Jan. 31, 2002.

All completed applications will be put into a hat and two winners will be drawn. We'll also pick two alternates. The winners and the alternates will be notified by phone. The tournament managers will give advance training before you go on the floor.

Usually four kids work each tournament game, two on each end of the court. They are important because they keep the floor clean so players don't slip and hurt themselves. Also, the kids wipe down the whole floor at half-time of each game.

The Missouri Valley Conference uses both boys and girls as tournament ball kids.

Kids who work as ball kids get some "perks" from the conference. Of course, there's free admission to games along with a MVC T-shirt. Also, kids get free snacks and soft drinks. There's also the opportunity to mix with the players and coaches of the tournament teams.

To apply for one of the YSL.com ball kid spots, you need to be between 10 and 13 years of age and agree to work an entire shift. That might involved two games, depending on the day's game schedule.

The MVC men's basketball tournament will be March 1-4 at the Savvis Center in downtown St. Louis. The winner of the 10-team tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA's national tournament.

The schedule calls for two games on Thursday, March 1; four on Saturday, March 2; two on Sunday, March 3. The tournament's final game is Monday, March 4.

Here's how to enter in the MVC ball kid drawing:

1. Print out the following entry form.
2. Fill in your name, address and telephone number.
3. Have a parent/guardian sign the registration, giving permission for you to do the games.
4. Mail your entry to:
   
   MVC Ball Kids
   Young Saint Louis.com
   7733 Forsythe Blvd., Suite 350
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
5. Only registrations postmarked by Jan. 31, 2002, will be included in the drawing.

----------Clip here and mail----------

YSL.com Entry for MVC Ball Kids Drawing

______ Yes, I would like to be a ball kid for the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament at the Savvis Center, March 1-4.

Name: ____________________________ Age: _________

Address: ________________________________________

City: ___________________, State: ______, ZIP: ________

Contact phone no: (____) ___________________

* I, _____________________________, as parent/guardian

for _____________________________ give my permission for him/her to work as a MVC ball kids during the March 1-4 meet.

Profile

Brothers earn top conservation youth award

Josh and Jacob Weller love to study and work in Missouri's outdoors. This month, they will receive the highest award in the Missouri Conservation Frontiers program.

The Frontiers program introduces kids to the joy of Missouri's outdoors. It also encourages them to learn more and work to protect the state's natural resources.

The boys have been taking part in the Frontiers program for eight years.

On January 15, the boys will receive the program's Missouri Conservationist title. That's the highest level of achievement in the state's youth program.

Sixteen-year-old Josh said, "I like to be out in nature. The Frontiers program gave me a good reason to be out there."

That they've learn a lot about Missouri's outdoors is shown by 15-year-old Jacob's nickname of "Nature Boy." He said, "My fellow boy scouts gave me the name because I always was able to identify things in nature."

The Frontiers program includes a list of 135 different activities involving Missouri's outdoors. These concern everything from study lessons about plants and wildlife to service projects in parks or streams.

They also are encouraged to share their knowledge with others by giving demonstrations to youth groups and at retirement homes.

Frontier kids earn points for successfully completing these projects. The awards range from as little as 10 points to as many as 300 per activity. As you earn points, there are 12 different levels of achievement.

Josh and Jacob earned the Missouri Conservationist awards by earning over 30,000 points during their time as Frontiers members.

Actually, both boys went over the 30,000 point totals because they were so busy doing things that they didn't keep track of all their points. In the final tally, Jacob had 30,750 points while Josh ended up with 33,900 points.

The boys estimated they took part in over 50 different types of activities and lessons.

Asked about their favorite, both mentioned the building of brushpiles in wildlife areas to provide shelter from predators for rabbits, quail and other small animals.

Josh said, "We'd use recycled Christmas trees so we didn't have to cut down anything new to provide the shelters."

They also liked the chance to plant food plots for wild turkeys.

Jacob said, "The conservation people would plow up plots in the woods. Then we'd go in and plant native Missouri plants that turkeys use for food."

They also helped to clear trails at the Rockwoods Reservation. Another project was to clear watercress plants from a natural spring so tiny fish, shrimp, salamanders and crawfish had room to live.

Josh said, "Watercress isn't a native plant and it can grow so fast that it crowds out other native plants and wildlife."

The boys also gave demonstrations for both children and elderly people.

Jacob told of working with Head Start kids in St. Charles to make bird feeders out of pine cones. "We'd smear the pine cones with peanut butter and then roll them in bird seeds," he said. Then, the kids could hang the cones in trees near their home to attract birds.

Josh said he and his brother also put on bird demonstrations for residents of Gambrill Gardens retirement home in west St. Louis County. "We did a slide show to help them with bird identification. Then, we made bird feeders so they could hang them outside their windows," he said.

Josh was asked about the most important lessons of their Frontiers work. He said, "I learned a lot of basic knowledge about nature. The more you know, the more you respect our natural resources."

Jacob said, "I learned how to conserve natural resources."

One project around their home in Wildwood involved two plastic kiddie pools.

Josh said, "We have two big swimming pools in our sub-division. In the spring, there would be tadpoles and salamanders that got in the pools over the winter.

"Before the pools were cleaned and filled, we'd try to rescue as many of them as we could. We'd put them into the kiddies pools so they could grow."

The wooded backyard of the Weller home provides a natural habitat for wildlife.

If you'd like to join the Conservation Frontiers program, contact: Outreach and Education Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. Or log on to the department's website at:

Writing

Local authors give St. Louis kids writing tips

Some local school kids are getting personal tips on writing from a husband-and-wife author team. St. Louisans Fred and Patricia McKissack have published over 100 kids books, many of them prize-winners.

Late this month, the kids will meet again with the McKissacks via closed-circuit video. In December, the McKissacks visited with them in a video-conference and gave them writing assignments.

The McKissacks asked them to write about one of the holidays celebrated during December. They could write about Christmas. But, Pat McKissack suggested they also look at December holidays celebrated by Jews, Arabs, African-Americans or Chinese.

Thirteen-year-old Kiersten Peltier said she's going to write a poem about Christmas. "I've been reading books by the McKissacks since I was in nursery school. They inspired me to write poetry," the eighth grader said.

However, she said she won't be around for the next video-conference. She and her family will be moving soon to Louisiana. "I'm going to write my poem and leave it with my teacher for the next conference," she said.

Fellow eighth-grader Amina Larara said she's going to write about Ramadan. She's a Muslim and Ramadan is the Muslims' month-long religious holiday.

She said a major feature of Ramadan is daily fasting, from sunup to sundown. "Then, at the end of the month, we have a big feast and buy new clothes," the 13-year-old said.

Thirteen-year-old Tamecia Woods said she's going to write about the Chinese New Year. "I don't know anything about that holiday. That makes me want to learn more about another culture," the eighth grader said.

The McKissacks used one of their books to introduce the subject of writing to seventh and eighth graders at Brittany Woods Middle School. The book is "Christmas at the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters."

Young Saint Louis.com published a review of that book in its December edition. To read about the book, just click here.

Earlier, the McKissacks used two other books of theirs to introduce writing to second and third graders from Jackson Park Elementary School. Those books were "Messy Bessey" and "Messy Bessey's Holidays."

The younger kids' assignment also included writing about a December holiday, either in paragraph form or as a poem.

The "Messy Bessey" books were written in poetry form. The McKissacks explained about how to make the lines of a poem rhyme.

They gave the kids the first three lines of a poem and asked them to make up the fourth line. The kids were to make the last line rhyme with the second line. The first three lines were:

Some of the kids' suggestions for the fourth line were:

     We're late for the show.....The gas is low.....Don't say no....and Don't forget to say good-bye to Joe.

The McKissacks also outlined various parts that make up a story. Those included characters, action, setting and a story idea.

For the older kids, the McKissacks explained how they researched the "Christmas at the Big House" book. That involved traveling to Virginia to study how Christmases were celebrated by the plantation owners in the "big house" and the slaves in the "quarters."

Their book tells the story of Christmas in 1859, just before the start of the Civil War which ended slavery.

Pat McKissack said their research turned up lots of important things for the book. But, she said they also found out how the food, "hush puppies," got their name.

She said the slaves cooked food in a separate building. Then, kids had to carry the food from the kitchen to the main house. But, dogs on the plantation could smell the food. They would jump up on the kids trying to get at the food.

Pat McKissack said, "The cooks would take corn and cook it with animal fat. Then, when the kids went to the main house, they would throw the cooked corn on the ground for the dogs. They would yell, 'hush, puppies, hush.'"

She told the kids about one of the early books she wrote, It was about one of her childhood heroes, the poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. She was teaching in Kirkwood at the time.

She said she was proud of the book. But, she added, "My students told me it was boring," After re-reading it, she had to agree. She said the book was full of facts but "I hadn't told a good story."

Making sure you tell a good story is the most important thing about writing a good book, she said.

Books

The month's book reviews

A book about kids in the U.S.
who become wizards

After reading the Harry Potter books and seeing the movie, this reader thought it might be time to look at a book called "So You Want to be a Wizard" by Diane Duane. The book first appeared in 1983 but has been republished in paperback in 2001. It's only natural to compare it to the books by the British author, J. K. Rowling, since it came before Harry Potter and is about wizards in the United States.

The heroine in the wizard book is eleven-year-old Nita (short for Jaunita) Callahan. She lives in a New York City neighborhood. Some bigger girls in middle school have been bullying her after school. Nita has a way of being too quick with her mouth, so Joanne, the leader of the bullies, is especially hard on her. One day, after school, Nita ran from the group and hid from them in the basement of the public library. It was there that she came upon an old book titled "So You Want to be a Wizard." Nita thought it was a joke at first, but she began to read the book. She was so impressed she signed it out to take it home.

Nita's first attempt at wizardry involved talking to trees, and, amazingly, they talked back to her. While attempting to cast simple spells in the woods, she met Christopher (or Kit). She vaguely knew him from school, and she knew that older boys bullied him, just as older girls were bullying her. Kit also had found a book on wizardry. He was only a little more advanced in his wizard studies that Nita, but they teamed up to explore further what was involved in being a wizard.

At first Nita and Kit thought they could use their spells to keep the older kids from picking on them. They quickly found out, however, that wizardry involved a lot more than that. While experimenting, they ended up in an alternate universe, where New York had been taken over by bad wizards. New York taxicabs, for example, were living beings and, under the control of an evil wizard, were bent on destroying Nita and Kit. There were helicopters, which like giant preying mantises, tried to eat them up. By accident, the two kid wizards are put in a position where they had to save their city from being taken over by that evil wizard and his followers.

The wizardry in this book is a lot different from that in Harry Potter. There is much more effort to explain wizardry in "scientific" terms and these explanations used black hole terminology and radiation, for example. The first part of the book has little action and moves very slowly. The last third of the book is all action, as Nita and Kit and a strange electronic ally, called Fred, try to save New York City and return to home as they remembered it. There is an attempt at fun and humor in the book, but it doesn't work as well as it does in Harry Potter's adventures.

Another great sports biography
from Matt Christopher

Kobe Bryant is certainly unlike most of the players in the National Basketball Association. For one thing, he went to the NBA right out of high school. Sure, his father had been a fairly successful NBA player when Kobe was little. But, as he was growing up, Kobe lived in Europe. His father played basketball for a team in Italy. Kobe played his early days of basketball with kids who liked the game of soccer better than American basketball.

When he finally returned to America to go to high school in Philadelphia, he had to learn how to play pickup basketball with inner city kids in Philadelphia. Kobe had to learn a whole new English language as well, since the English he spoke in Italy didn't work in big city America.

Of course, Kobe had advantages that most kids would not have when it comes to playing basketball. He had his basketball star father to play one on one with. He played with pro basketball players when he was still in his early teens. In Europe, he learned to play disciplined ball, so he did not have the bad habits that kids pick up playing ball in the neighborhood. On top of all that, Kobe would rather play basketball than do about anything else. He played day and night and year around.

This biography is an entertaining life story to read. In addition, for the kid interested in basketball, it may give some useful insights on how to play the game better. At the end, it deals with the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, as they took the Lakers to the national championship.

A book about a real, live "wizard"

The closest things we have in real life to wizards are the great magicians, who make us believe they do magical things. Probably the best know magician of modern times is Harry Houdini, who lived from 1874 to 1926. "Harry Houdini, Master Magician," by Dana Meachen Rau is his biography written for kids.

Harry Houdini's real name was Ehrich Weiss. He was born in Budapest, Hungary. At the age of four, he was brought to the United States to live in Wisconsin with his parents, three brothers, and a half-brother. From the time he was very young, Ehrich had to work shining shoes and selling newspapers in order to help support his family.

When Ehrich was about fifteen, he read the life story of a famous French magician named Robert-Houdin. Ehrich was so impressed by Robert-Houdin that he later called himself Harry Houdini, when he began performing as a magician. By 1891, he was touring with a partner and doing magic to entertain audiences. In 1894, he met a young woman named Bess Rahner. They married and Bess became not only his wife but also replaced Houdini's partner in his act.

The Houdini's had a hard time making a living in the early years of their performing. Harry became interested in "escape" acts. He became famous as a magician who could break his way out of jails around the country, even when left in a cell while handcuffed. In 1900, Harry and Bess went to Europe, where they performed in all the major cities. On his return to the United States, he continued to perform as an "escape artist." One of his newer acts was to allow himself to be put in a straightjacket and suspended high in the air, as he tried to escape. He allowed himself to be handcuffed and chained and dropped in a cold river, and was still able to free himself and swim to shore.

The book explains some of Houdini magical tricks and illusions. It also points out that with all of his efforts to fool people into believing what he did on stage was magic, Harry Houdini worked hard to prove to people that there was really no such thing as magic. Every trick had a logical explanation. There is really no such thing as a wizard!

A close look at the Civil War in Missouri

Early one evening, thirteen-year-old Jacob Knight looked up to see about a dozen horsemen, with masks over their faces, yelling for his father to come out of their small farm home. It was October of 1861, early in the Civil War. Jacob's father was for the Union and against the South's taking up arms and breaking away form America. The masked men were neighboring farmers who wanted Missouri to break away from the Union and become one of the Confederate States. Called "bushwackers," these men were willing to burn down barns and houses, steal livestock, and, sometimes, even kill Union sympathizers.

Jacob's parents ordered him to take his eight-year-old sister, Eliza, and run and hide in the woods for safety. When Jacob finally returned home, he found the barn and farmhouse burned to the ground and his parents and the younger babies gone. For safety, Jacob decides that he and his sister should try to make it to Iowa, where relatives of his mother lived. He hoped that his parents would also have escaped to go there. He feared, though, that they were dead.

The rest of the story is about Jacob's efforts to travel and, then, eventually, survive the winter with his sister. A caring woman on a small farm in middle Missouri gives them shelter. While living and helping out on the farm, Jacob found out that there were Union sympathizers, or jayhawkers, who were doing the same kinds of things that the bushwackers had done to his family. Jacob has to decide what to do when he is sure both sides are in the wrong.

The book, "The Bushwacker," by Jennifer Johnson Garrity, not only tells what the Civil War was like in Missouri, but it gives a detailed picture of what farm life was like in the 1860's.

News

Steger kids sell Chinese
calligraphy to aid Belize girl

Steger School sixth graders have added something extra special to their study of China. They held a sale of hand-made calligraphy to raise money to aid an 11-year-old from Belize.

One part of their world studies class last semester was to practice Chinese calligraphy--or writing. The kids from the Webster Groves school decided to hold a sale of their best efforts to raise money to help Kenisha Whyte.

The girl came to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital here last fall for a series of operations. Because of a childhood illness, Kenisha's lower jaw didn't form. She hasn't been able to open her mouth for seven years.

After seeing Kenisha's story, the Steger kids decided to help. The calligraphy sale last month raised over $260. The money went toward Kenisha's big medical expenses.

Teacher Dennis Tullmann said, "The kids really got interested in her plight."

For the sale, many kids did the Chinese symbol for their year of birth. For most, that was either the Year of the Horse (1990) or the Year of the Snake (1989).

But, 11-year-old Anthony Thompson decided to use the Year of the Dragon (1988).

"One of my friends and one of my cousins were born that year," he said.

Other symbols that the kids practiced on in class included the Chinese characters for beauty, eternity, peace and strength. The calligraphy was done with brushes and black paint on paper.

Twelve-year-old Christopher Goers decided to use the symbol for the word heavenly as his art work. "I may be able to find a frame for it for the sale," he said.

The framed artwork sold for $3 while unframed calligraphy sold for $1.

Although the study was on China and the Far East, that wasn't the first choice for many as a first foreign trip.

Eleven-year-old Madeline Harding said she wanted her first trip to be to Australia. "I think the television from the Olympic Games inspired me. I liked the pictures of the harbor and the Opera House," she said.

If she went to China, Madeline said she'd like to go to places near the borders of Russia or India.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Pey said she wants her first foreign trip to be to France. "Both my older sister and my father speak some French. And I want to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris," she said.

One part of the China study involved kids creating special projects and making presentations in front of the class. One of the projects involved study of the Giant Panda bears of China.

In that project, there was a quiz. One of the questions was: How much do Giant Pandas weigh at birth? The answer: Four ounces. The babies are so small the mother carries them around for weeks so they don't get stepped on or get lost in the grass.

Christopher Goers also included a quiz in his project presentation. His subject was tigers.

A sample question: Why is there a white spot on the back of a tiger's ear?

His answer: "That's so the tiger cubs can follow their mother at night."

Madeline Harding used both library books and the Internet to gather project information. She reported on China's golden monkeys. They live in the mountains near India.

Hannah Pey's project involved a demonstration of Chinese games. "I took the kids outside to demonstrate games such as Tsoo! Tsoo! and Catch the Dragon's Tail," she said.

She described Tsoo! Tsoo! as like Blind Man's Bluff. One of the kids is blindfolded and other kids try to touch the blinded kid without being caught. Once another kid is caught, he or she becomes "it," Hannah said.

In Catch the Dragon's Tail, kids line up behind each other with their hands on the shoulders of the one in front. Then, the leader tries to catch the last kid in line.

She also told how kites were used by Chinese as American Indians used smoke signals.

The China segment is taught by world studies teacher Tullmann. The subjects include transportation, food and work habits along with calligraphy.

Tullmann gathered much of his information during a China trip with 22 other teachers in the summer of 2000. He is scheduled to return for another trip after this school year.

Entertainment

St. Cecilia kids write, score and record music

Kids at St. Cecilia School are working on 17 new songs for their new CD recording. They do it all: write the words, score the music and make the recordings right at school.

They produced their first CD last spring. It contained all the original music from their spring concert last May.

This year, they'll include something different. Some of the new songs will be in Spanish since the Catholic school in south St. Louis City has 30 per cent Hispanic students. Last month's Advent pageant of Las Posadas featured songs sung in both English and Spanish.

Most of last spring's songs were written by whole classes.

But, student Carmen Alfonso handled both words and music for an original song, "Praise the Lord's Name On High."

Carmen is now an eighth grader. She explained how the song came into being. "I was taking a class in liturgical dance. I made up the words on my own and adapted music from the dance," she said.

This year, she's working with her younger sister, Madeline, on a new song about AIDS. But, Carmen's also got words written for another song, "Come Jesus Come." That could be considered for the concert next spring.

The whole school has added a special emphasis on music since Principal Jim Ford came to St. Cecilia. He was formerly at New City School in University City.

It's fitting that music should have an increased role in the life of that school. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music in the Catholic religion.

One of the special musical events at the school is a Coffee House celebration in November. That special musical programming is built around the traditional feast day in honor of St. Cecilia.

Principal Ford is a believer that music "can be used for every curriculum subject." He believes that people learn in different ways. Some who are inclined to music may be able to understand even math and science better if it's taught in musical terms.

Music teacher Katy Harr told of some fifth graders who were having trouble with multiplication tables. "They tried to put the tables to music to see if it might help them remember better," she said.

Carmen said she believes music can help her with some of her other homework.

In addition to music classes during school, St. Cecilia also has an after-school music program as well as a regular summer music camp.

Twins Casey and Kevin Cavanaugh take part in the after-school program. The 12-year-olds play the drums. Casey usually plays regular drums with drum sticks while Kevin plays conga drums.

Recently, they played in a concert where both of them played congas at the Thomas Dunn Learning Center.

The brothers had a hand in writing and performing two songs on last spring's CD. The songs were "Follow the Ways of the Lord" and "Thank You."

All sixth graders sang those songs with accompaniment from Ms. Harr and another student on the congas.

Recording of songs can be completed on a new computer system. It's set up to let the school handle its own production work. The recordings are done in the music room.

Eleven-year-old Alison Crudden is another student who tried her hand at writing music. She said it took her about a week to write the words for her song, "Angels Everywhere."

She said one of the hardest things was to make the words fit the melody of the song. "I had to make a lot of word adjustments there," she said.

She then did the singing for a recording with Ms. Harr accompanying. Asked if she was a good singer, Alison smiled and said, "No." She likes the emphasis on music although she doesn't come from a musical family.

Ms. Harr has all students, from kindergarten through eighth grade, in music classes twice a week. The after-school program also is twice a week. It provides a chance for more individual attention for students.

This semester, students will have chances to learn on the guitar, percussion and keyboard.

Outdoors

Expanded chances to view eagles
on the Mississippi River

The eagles are coming! The eagles are coming! And St. Louis area kids and their families get more chances this month to see our national bird in its natural Mississippi River habitat.

(For other outdoor information, see sidebar below.)

One of the annual outdoor highlights of the local winter season are Eagle Days on the renovated Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

This year's Eagle Days festival for the public will be Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 19-20. Hours have been expanded to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. That's two hours longer each day than last year.

This event includes special demonstrations by the World Bird Sanctuary and Missouri Department of Conservation. There are warming tents and spotting scopes for better views of the eagles. The scopes are staffed by volunteers to help you see the eagles better.

Also, a second eagle-viewing weekend on the bridge has been added a week later, on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27. This weekend will be for viewing only. There won't be the informational eagle programs like the first weekend.

But, the expanded 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. hours will be on both days.

Liz Lyons is a Missouri Conservation Department educational consultant.

She said the expanded hours and the extra weekend were added this year because of increased demand. Last year, 3,000 people showed up on Saturday, when weather was sort of stormy. But, on Sunday, under clear skies, 6,000 people took part.

Some school kids in both Missouri and Illinois will get an advance look of eagles from the bridge. On Wednesday, Jan. 16, about 400 kids from a dozen Illinois schools will have the bridge to themselves for eagle viewing.

On Thursday and Friday, Jan. 17-18, over 800 kids from 23 Missouri schools have the same advance viewing chance. All these schools have been signed up already, Lyons said.

But, there are plenty of special things for families at the public days Jan. 19-20, she added.

In addition to demonstrations, a group of historic re-enactors will camp out over the weekend. They'll be dressed in costumes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition time period.

The House Springs Lions Club also will have a barbecue stand for food and refreshments.

One unique Missouri Conservation display this year will be the Eagle Talon test of strength. That's where adults and kids grip an object and measure the pressure they can generate.

Lyons said, "Don't feel let down if you can't match the strength of an eagle's talons. Not many humans can."

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is an ideal place to watch the eagles. The natural limestone formation across the Mississippi helps to break up ice on the river. This provides open water so eagles can catch fish easily.

Also, tall trees nearby provide ideal nesting for the birds. The nesting areas are close enough to the bridge to provide good views of the eagles. The use of spotting scopes or your own binoculars and stadium glasses bring the view closer.

Lyons said, "Eagles like to sit up high and have open water for fishing."

The colder weather up north in the winter force the eagles to move south to find open water for fishing, she said.

She added that the best time to see eagles fishing is early in the morning. But, they are visible flying or perched in trees all during the daylight hours, she said.

Once in awhile, there are other birds of prey visible. "Last year, a peregrine falcon perched on the bridge all one day," Lyons said.

To get to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, you can use I-270 east or west and get off at Riverview Drive on the Missouri side. It's just a short distance south on Riverview.

There are two satellite lots for parking. You take a free shuttle to the bridge. Parking right near the bridge on the Missouri side is $5 per car.

For information, call Trailnet at (314) 416-9930; Missouri Department of Conservation at (314) 231-3803, or Illinois Department of Natural Resources at (618) 462-1181.

Math Puzzler

The January, 2002, Math Puzzler questions

We're starting off the new year with all-new questions in the Young Saint Louis.com Math Puzzler contest.

Our Mr. Math Puzzler, Wayne Hesse from Green Park Lutheran School, likes to provide math questions that stretch your mind. But, he wants them to be fun.

Each month, YSLouis.com publishes a series of six Math Puzzlers. We make a little contest out of it, but these are primarily for your entertainment. They deal with a variety of math concepts but they are not a class assignment.

All but one of the January Puzzlers are word problems. The other involves a problem of objects orbiting in space and includes an illustration.

Remember, the main objective of the YSL.com Math Puzzlers is to have FUN. We believe, if a subject is fun, you're likely to learn more than if it is a chore.

Submit your answers to this January contest by using the form below. In February, we'll publish names of those who answered all questions correctly. We'll also include explanations of the answers. (For answers to the December Math Puzzlers, click here.)

As always, we offer an ADDED BONUS for entries. Each month, we'll put all entries that answer correctly all six Puzzlers into a hat and draw for up to three $10 gift certificates from Borders Book Stores.

A note: We've made these Math Puzzlers quite challenging, especially for younger kids. But, we don't mind if you solicit help from a parent or older brother or sister. In fact, you might want to make this a family activity.

Here's how to enter:

1. Print out the following entry form.
2. Fill out your name, address and telephone number.
3. Give your answers to the six Math Puzzlers.
4. Put your completed entry into a stamped envelope.
5. Mail your entry to:
   
   Math Puzzler Contest
   Young Saint Louis.com
   7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 350
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
6. All entries must be postmarked by the 15th of the month to be eligible for a book prize.

-------Clip here to make entry-------

Entry for January, 2002, Math Puzzler Contest:

Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

City:_________________, State:______ ZIP_______

Contact phone no.(____)_______________________

The Math Puzzlers
(January, 2002)

1. The clerk misunderstood the order for rope. He reversed the feet and inches and the customer got only 30% of what she ordered. What was the length of rope really ordered?

Answer:___________

2. Jerry went shopping. He spent half of what he had plus $5 for a shirt. Then, he spent half of what was left plus $5 for a mystery novel. Finally, he spent half of what was left plus $5 for stationery. Then, Jerry had nothing left. How much did he start with?

Answer:___________

3. There was a contest to guess how many beans were in a jar. Herb was off by 6, Sally was off by 5, James was off by 4 and Lucy was off by 3. Susie was correct. One guessed 19, one guessed 22, one guessed 29, one guessed 25 and one guessed 30. What was the right answer?

Answer:___________

4. Jim climbed a rock wall at half a mile per hour and descended twice as fast. The trip took 12 hours. How far was it to the top?

Answer:___________

5. Fifteen knights were invited to a sumptuous meal at the castle. Before sitting down, each of the 15 knights shook hands with each of the other knights. How many hand shakes were needed?

Answer:___________

6. Different things orbit the earth at different speeds and distances. For example, satellites and space instruments released by the space shuttle are only several hundred miles away from earth, while communication satellites circle at a distance of about 22,300 miles.

In this puzzle, Satellite X-1 orbits our planet once every nine hours, Satellite Beta once every 4 1/2 hours and Satellite Parking once every three hours. At time zero, the satellites are positioned in a straight line. How long will it take for all three objects to position themselves again in a straight line?

Answer:__________

Answers to December, 2001, Math Puzzlers

1. You have seven coins. Five of them weigh the same and two are slightly heavier. (The heavier coins are equal in weight to each other.) Using only the balance scale, which is the fewest number of weightings needed to determine which coins are the heavier ones?

Answer: Up to 3 weighings

Explanation: This answer is fairly easy to understand with illustrations. But, we'll be using words so it'll take a little longer.

The first weighing involves putting three coins on each side of the balance, leaving one coin off the bar. If the balance is even, that would mean there is one heavier coin on each side of the balance and the left-out coin was a light one. If the balance goes down on one side or the other, it means you have one or two heavy coins on the side that dips. (Remember, the balance could go down with only one heavy coin, which would then mean the seventh coin you left off might be a heavy one.) You won't know for sure until the second weighing.

The second weighing involves splitting up the three coins on one side. In the case of the even-balance, you're looking to find the "heavier" coin on each side. If this weighing finds the balance with one coin on each side still even, the "heavier" coin is the one left off. Then a third weighing with the three coins on the other side will locate other "heavier" coin.

In the case of the uneven-balance, your second weighing focuses on the "heavy" side by putting one coin on each side and leaving one off. If the balance is even, both of the coins on the bar are "heavier." If the balance dips, it means the left-off coin and the coin on the side that dips are the "heavier" ones.

2. Place the digits 1 through 7 in the boxes below so that each three-box-line, including the diagonals, add up to 12.

                      Answer: 1   3
                     6 4 2
                     5   7

Explanation: This is a matter of trying different combinations until they add up. Entrants in the contest found a number of different combinations that worked. The above answer is just one of the acceptable ones.

3. What is the smallest number that can be divided by 6, leaving a remainder of 5; divided by 5 and leaving 4, and divided by 4 and leaving 3?

Answer: 59

Explanation: This involves finding the least common multiplier (LCM) and then subtract one to leave each original number with the right remainder. In this case, the LCM of 6, 5 and 4 is 60. Then, to get the remainder, you take one off, or 59.

4. Ron and Jane compete in a car rally, going several times around a closed circuit. Ron can drive the circuit in 25 minutes, but Jane takes 30 minutes. If the two drivers start at the same time, how long will it take Ron to lap Jane?

Answer: 2 1/2 hours

Explanation: This also is an LCM problem. The LCM of both 30 minutes and 25 minutes is 150 minutes, which reduces to 2 1/2 hours.

5. Pymm has many dragons. A few years ago, one of these dragons, Alaranthus, though not fully grown, weighed one thousand pounds plus two-thirds of his own weight. How much did Alaranthus weigh?

Answer: 3,000 pounds

Explanation: This is an algebra problem. Alaranthus' weight is W, therefore the formula is

W = 1,000 + 2/3 W. When you subtract 2/3 W from both sides of the equation, you have

1/3W = 1,000. To find out the value of W, you multiply both sides by 3 so that W = 3,000 pounds.

6. Betty has 13 chains with three links in each chain. She would like to connect all 13 chains together to form one continuous circular chain. If a jeweler charges $4 to cut a link open and $10 to weld it back together again, what is the cheapest cost by which Betty can have this done?

Answer: $140

Explanation: Sometimes you need to "think outside the box." A common way to find this answer would be to cut a link in each of the 13 three-link segments and reweld all. That answer would be $182. However, you were to find the cheapest way. To do that, you keep 10 of the segments intact and cut each link (9 in total) of the other three segments. Using the nine links, you can cut and weld together nine of the segments ($14 each or $126). Then to make the final link, you need to cut and reweld only one link of the other 10 segments to put the whole thing together; that's another $14. The total is then $140.

Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this month's issue. When you have completed the puzzles, you can click here to find the answers!

Young Saint Louis.com - January

Young Saint Louis.com - January #2

January Book Reviews

Winter Wonderland

More goofy book titles

When Shall We Meet Again?
     By Miles Apart

Will He Win?
     By Betty Wont

Crossing Roads Safely
     By Luke Bothways

The Lady Artist
     By Andrew Pictures

Don't Wake the Baby
     By Elsie Cries

The Haunted Room
     By Hugo First

Late Again
     By Misty Bus

The Big Bang
     By Dinah Mite

The Garlic Eater
     By I. Malone

Are you still there? Then try these...

Knock. Knock.
     Who's there?
Rita!
     Rita who?
Rita good book, you might learn something!

How do you stop a dog from barking in the back seat of a car?
     Make him sit in the front seat!

What did George Washington say to his men before crossing the Delaware in a boat?
     Get in!

What does a person have to know before teaching tricks to a dog?
     More than the dog!

What's the best way to talk to a vampire?
     By long distance!

What part of a car causes the most accidents?
     The nut behind the wheel!

Why did the traffic light turn red?
     You would too if you had to change in front of all those people!

Why shouldn't you sweep out a room?
     Because the job is too big. Just sweep out the dirt and leave the room there!

Answers to Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this months issue.

Young Saint Louis.com - January

Young Saint Louis.com - January #2

January Book Reviews

Winter Wonderland