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Harry Potter

Finally, a look at Harry Potter
and his fifth year at Hogwarts

As Harry Potter fans, it seem like we have been waiting a long time for book number five, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Once you pick up the book, you'll know why we had to wait so long. It's 870 pages long! And when you read it, it seems like 870 long pages!

When the book begins, you soon know you are reading about a different Harry. Harry starts off grouchy and feeling sorry for himself. And he seems that way throughout the book. But he is fifteen years old now and tired of being treated like a kid.

Just as with all the books, Harry is eager to leave the Dursleys and get back to school at Hogwarts. In this new volume, his departure from the Dursleys is even more dramatic than earlier ones. He has to fight off dementors who are attacking both him and Dudley, his bully of a cousin. Once the smoke and dust has cleared from the battle, Harry joins His friends, Hermione and the Weasley's. They come together at the old family home of Sirius Black, Harry's trouble-prone godfather. There they find that this old mansion is the headquarters for a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix. The Order, founded by Professor Dumbledore, has as it purpose keeping track of the movements of Lord Voldemort, the evil nemisis of all good wizards and, for that matter, of all muggles as well.

Harry has been warning anyone who will listen that Voldemort has regained his strength and powers and is about to set out to take over the wizard world. The head of the Ministry of Magic, however, supports a party line that Voldemort is no longer a threat and that an attention-seeking Harry Potter is spreading lies. Natruallly, Harry is upset. He is even more shocked when the Ministry places a High Inquisitor at Hogwarts who is assigned to get rid of Dumbldore's supporters and, eventually, replace Dumbledore as headmaster of the school. Harry is particularly incensed when Hagrid, his gentle half-giant friend, is one of the group's early targets.

The middle part of the book is filled with endless detail. One of the more interesting segments is Harry's efforts to start dating a girl friend - no, not Hermione or Ginny Weasley.

The ending of the book, as with all the others, is a dramatic confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. In this one, there is even more violence and more wizard types involved than in the other books. Dumbledore, of course, is involved in the final confrontation and, in the end, tells Harry more about his origins and why he is destined to continue to fight a battle to the death with Voldemort. And so the plot and action for books six and seven are projected. Some of us may hope that they are not quite as lengthy as book five.

 

Lifestyle

"Pennies for the Park" drive nets lots of $$$

Eighth graders at Parkway West Middle School call their annual Forest Park fund-raiser "Pennies for the Park." But, they end up giving a lot more than pennies.

The 2002-2003 total donated for renovation of Forest Park was $3,204.26. That brought the school's three-year total to $8,418.08.

The kids' reward this spring was a full-day field trip to Forest Park. They got a chance to see some of the work being done to refurbish the 1,370-acre park in the city of St. Louis.

Fourteen-year-old Amanda Klohmann said the best part of the tour for her was seeing construction on the park's golf courses. "The machines were working there and we could see where our money was being used," she said.

For 14-year-old Deborah Olmstead said the "neatest" thing on the tour was seeing work being done to improve park lakes. The lakes are being emptied and then repaired and deepened.

Deborah said she liked the idea that now the lakes are connected. That allows a current to go through all the lakes just like a river. That circulation will make water quality better.

(For more information about the Forest Park renovation, see sidebar below.)

Most of the money raised by the eighth graders was from sales of candy, cookies and gum. Since the kids donated most of the treats, the entire selling price went to the Forest Park capital fund drive.

Samantha Shasserre and Natalie Buehler made up one of the two-person teams that sold candy. The kids made sales in the halls before classes started. Then, there was another sales period during first period classes.

Natalie said she also collected "pretty much money" while selling in her neighborhood.

Samantha said she put a "coffee can for donations at my dad's work." She said that netted over $100.

Many of the kids said their families make good use of Forest Park, although they live in west St. Louis County.

Nina Baumann's family goes to the Zoo and the Muny as well as the Jewel Box. She said the plants in the all-glass Jewel Box "are really beautiful."

Amanda Klohmann said, "Every summer, I go to the Muny a lot. I've been going since I was very little, maybe 5 or 6."

But, Sarah Masalskis said she was glad to help with fund-raising although her family doesn't use Forest Park much. "We go to the Zoo a couple times. That's usually all we do," she said.

Kids in St. Louis have a long history of helping with community projects. At the time of the 1904 World's Fair in Forest Park, it was 80,000 kids' signatures on petitions that convinced officials in Philadelphia to let the Liberty Bell come to the fair.

Last year, Young Saint Louis.com included a story about kids who contributed to the Zoo's recent fund drive. To read that story, just click here. In 1910, the Zoo's first elephant, Miss Jim, was paid for by a kids' penny drive.

Eighth grade science teacher Tony Piccinni has headed up the Forest Park project at Parkway West Middle for three years. He said he's pretty sure Forest Park will continue to get support at the school.

"Since we started 'Pennies for the Park,' I've gotten more involved in working with the park," he said. Now, he works at a teachers' academy at the Park. This project seeks ways to help schools make use of Park facilities for teaching kids.

Of course, Forest Park is the home of some of St. Louis' biggest attractions. They include the Zoo, the Art Museum and the History Museum. Those are in addition to the outdoor activities.

Deborah Olmstead said she's looking forward to the complete renovation of the lake at the base of Art Hill. "They says they're going to have battleship reenactments when the lake is finished," she said.

Many of the Parkway Middle kids extend their charity work beyond school projects.

Natalie Buehler said she and her mother are in the National Charity League. Local members volunteer at orphanages, animal rescue centers and Children's Hospital.

Nina Baumann said she works at animal adoption agencies. There, she feeds animals and cleans cages.

Samantha Shasserre said, "Next year, I'm going to volunteer at nursing homes."

 

Forest Park getting complete upgrading

Forest Park was established in 1876. The 1,370-acre park is the largest urban park in the country, some 500 acres larger than New York's famed Central Park.

The park was the site of the 1904 World's Fair. And it's the location for famous St. Louis institutions, the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum and Muny outdoor theater park.

Over the years, the park was overused but under-maintained.

That's all changed. In 1996, a $100 million capital campaign was started. The money was to be used for the master redevelopment plan for the park. The Forest Park Forever organization was set up to coordinate the cooperative effort.

To date, $92 million has been raised. .

Much redevelopment is complete or in final stages. Some major elements of the are:

• A River Returns. This includes refurbishing of lakes and connecting them together so water flows like a river through all the lakes.
  
  
• Nature in the City. Planting 7,500 trees and maintaining park forests, meadows, hills and wildlife habitat. New native wetlands and prairies are planned.
  
  
• Historic preservation. Restoring historic areas and buildings. This includes the Grand Basin at the foot of Art Hill. The basin was the central point of the 1904 Worlds Fair.
  
  
• Recreational opportunities. Improving the park's ballfields, bike path, tennis courts, play areas for kids and the golf courses.
  
  
• Improved park facilities. Restoring such things as the World's Fair and Lindell pavilions, the Jewel Box, Steinberg skating rink, boat house and picnic shelters.

For more information, see the Forest Park Forever website: www.forestparkforever.org.

 

Garden

Make a garden grow? Use "manure tea"

Kids in the Spoede School Garden Club sprinkle their crops with homemade fertilizer. It's made by putting manure into a sack and soak it in a tub of water. They call it "manure tea."

But, 10-year-old Allison Gowen thinks she has a better name. She calls it "poop soup."

The thick, dark colored liquid with bits of stuff floating in it certainly looks more like soup than a cup of tea.

Regardless of what you call it, the fertilizer is one of the things kids are using to grow vegetables in the club's garden. The Spoede club is one of five school gardening groups that are at work this summer.

The Kemper Center's Youth Gardening Program is backed by the Missouri Botanical Garden and the University of Missouri-St. Louis' Outreach program. The sponsors want to provide kids with "hands-on field learning."

About 20 kids are in each school's gardening club. The groups are at five elementary schools in St. Louis County. The schools are Spoede, Reed, Old Bonhomme, Hudson and the Clayton Child Center.

(If you or your family would like to learn more about home gardening, visit the Botanical Garden's website at www.mobot.org. Then click on the Kemper Center logo.)

(Another good local gardening resource is Gateway Greening. It helps groups or individuals set up community gardens. They can be contacted at 314-577-9484.)

The Spoede club members aren't all from Spoede Elementary. There are also kids from nearby parochial schools as well as some who are home schooled.

Nine-year-old Veronica Benduski said she likes all but one thing in gardening. "I really don't like to make manure tea," she said.

Ten-year-old Miles Taylor said the only thing he doesn't like about gardening is bugs. "They are really annoying," he said.

But, for the most part, the kids are really into gardening, even weeding.

Many of the kids in the Spoede club also help with gardens at their homes.

Allison Gowen is a 5th grader at St. Clement of Rome Catholic School. Her mother, Jan, helps with the Spoede club. Mrs. Gowen recently earned a "master gardener" rating from the Botanical Garden.

Allison said their home garden is filled with flowers. "We have a very big bed of flowers in our backyard," she said.

"I like the roses the best. We started the rose bed with black dirt and then covered it with mulch," she said. She said she gets down on her hands and knees to help with the weeding.

She said her favorite class in school is science. She said one subject this year was plants.

Miles Taylor goes to Spoede School. He said his garden at home is in the side yard. It's a combination of flowers and tall grasses. "We've also got an evergreen tree," he said.

He said his favorite flowers are zinnias because "they're pretty and colorful."

Miles said he likes "messing around in the dirt" of the garden. He said the way he tells which plants are weeds is by size. He said they buy garden plants that have already been growing in little pots before put in the garden.

When pulling weeds, "I know the weeds are the smaller plants," he said.

He said putting mulch on the garden also helps to keep the weeds down.

Veronica Benduski also is a student at Spoede School. She said her family has both flowers and vegetables in home gardens.

"We have a garden by the front door that has flowers," she said.

Their vegetable garden has a variety of plants. Her favorite is radishes. "I like them in salads and then in sandwiches," she said.

But, this year, she said they are having trouble with their radishes. "The bunnies are eating them," she said. Other favorites are onions and broccoli "kind of."

Both Allison and Veronica think they'd like to work with animals when they grow up. Allison said, "I want to be a veterinarian." At home, she's got 21 fish, three turtles and four cats for pets.

Veronica said, "I like horses a lot." She'd like to work in stables when she's bigger.

 

Books

This month's book reviews

A story about a girl who wants her picture in the paper and be famous at least for a little while

Judy Moody is only in the third grade. She is tired of everybody else winning prizes and getting talked about for something they have done. She is especially tired of Jessica Finch. Jessica was always winning spelling bees and getting her picture in the paper. She even had a crown she wore to school. Why couldn't Judy Moody get her picture in the paper at least once? She wasn't even famous enough to get her picture on the refrigerator!

Judy is not one to sit around and just be moody. She thinks up one scheme after another that might make her famous. How about memorizing all the words in the dictionary? Or maybe coming up with a cherry seed from the cherry tree that George Washington cut down? She didn't want to do something bad to become famous. Besides her teacher, Mr. Todd, told her that would be "infamous" anyway.

The reader of this little story follows Judy through one attempt after another to get some attention. They are all pretty funny, but they don't make her famous. But she does one little (good) thing and gets written up in the paper and talked about all over town. What? You have to read the book to find out.

 

A hungry teenager finds out that his
new job involves robbing graves

Imagine that you are twelve years old and have just lost your whole family to cholera. You are roaming the streets of New York City with no place to go and nothing to eat. It is early in the 1800's. You see a small notice in the paper looking for a "bright lad" and it offers "training and board." Wouldn't you answer the ad?

When Matthew Morrissey answers the ad he expects to find a doctor of medicine, since the ad had been placed by a Dr. ABC. Instead he finds that Dr. Asa B. Corwall is a Doctor of Phrenology. Dr. Corwall seems eccentric but he does like Matthew and is willing to take him on as an apprentice. Matthew has found a place to eat and sleep and is about to learn a new trade.

Matthew is impressed by the books stacked around Dr. ABC's small quarters. He is shocked, however, by the grinning skulls stacked on shelves. He finds out that a Doctor of Phrenology studies people's skulls and tells them about their strengths and weaknesses based on the shape of their heads and the small bumps on their skulls. It seems to be an accepted science, at least by some, and many people are willing to pay a fair amount of money to have their skulls evaluated.

The trouble is that Dr. ABC considers himself a research scientist in his field. He is in the process of writing not just one book on phrenology, but two such books. He needs to do research. Unfortunately, his research involves studying the skulls of famous people who have already died. And that requires digging up bodies and stealing skulls from graves. It takes a while before Matthew realizes what his new job calls for him to do.

Matthew reluctantly goes along with Dr. ABC's nighttime raids on graveyards. In the process, however, he meets a menacing and murderous grave robber that turns out to be a killer who is out to kill Dr. ABC and steal his manuscripts.

"Skullduggery" is an exciting adventure tale that tells you a lot about the time in which it is set and about a now discredited science called phrenology.

 

How a nine-year-old can get into a lot
of trouble without even trying

Ruby Lavender is a nine-year-old who lives in Halleluia, Mississippi. She lives with her mother, but her best friend is her grandmother, Miss Eula, who lives nearby. Just about a year before, Ruby had lost her grandfather in a car accident. He had accidentally driven off a bridge one night on a trip home from the city. Both Ruby and her grandmother were still grieving over the loss, but they tried to keep busy. Among other things, they painted the grandmother's house a flaming pink. The also sneaked in and kidnapped some old hens in order to save them from being slaughtered because the owner of the chickens was getting out of the egg business

When Miss Eula decides to visit her son in Hawaii and see her newest grandchild, Ruby is devastated. She can't face a whole summer in boring old Halleluia without her grandmother. But, the best she can do is to write everyday and tell Miss Eula all her troubles. Her biggest trouble is in trying not to get in a fight with the prissy Melba Jane Latham, who was in her same room at school.

Ruby finds herself getting into one bad situation after another. Most of them involve Melba Jane in one way or another. Although the two girls can't stand each other, they keep turning up in each other's life. Can Miss Eula get home from Hawaii in time to keep Ruby from doing something really bad to Melba Jane? It's one laugh after another as the reader reads on to find out the answer.

 

A fifth grade girl copes with both
arthritis and a younger brother

Julie Welsh is only eleven years old but she already is suffering from arthritis. The disease is often painful and keeps Julie from dancing and running as freely as other kids her age. But Julie is determined to not let her arthritis interfere with her being active and having as much fun as possible with her friends.

Frankie, Julie's nine-year-old younger brother, has a wild imagination and is always dreaming up weird things to do. The trouble is that Julie often gets involved in Frankie's schemes. When something goes wrong, as it usually does, she gets the blame because she is older. They realized it wasn't such a good idea to push a dummy dressed in Julie's clothes out of a second story window when their parents called 911 before running out in the yard to see how badly Julie was hurt.

Much of the story is told in letters that Julie is writing to her pen pal, Mrs. Kaplan, an eighty-nine year old woman living in a nursing home in another state. Both Julie and Mrs. Kaplan are coping with arthritis, and through their letters help keep each others spirits up.

We learn, along with Julie, that Frankie is really a big help to her, because he is always pushing her to not give into her illness and fight to stay active.

 

Neighborhood

Kids learn how neighborhoods change

When Dawn Jones first considered her home neighborhood, she thought it was a "real ghetto." But, after weeks of study, she also began to see that lots of good things happened there.

The 14-year-old freshman said, "My community is a ghetto. Most of the young people that live in the community stay out until 2:00 in the morning. There are only about five high school kids on my street that actually go to school every morning."

But, she added, "My community isn't all bad though. The kids are extremely respectful. No matter how they act, they have never been disrespectful in any way."

Dawn is one of the Soldan High School freshmen who studied the neighborhoods as part of a "History and Community" program. The study, co-sponsored by the St. Louis Public Schools and the Missouri History Museum, also included elementary school kids.

The program shows kids how people in the neighborhoods make them what they are. And also those same people can make them better.

Freshman Ashley Cage focused her study on her old north side St. Louis neighborhood. But, she also compared that with her new south side neighborhood. Her family moved into a new house there just six months ago.

She said she liked both neighborhoods although the north side one was pretty noisy. "The south side neighborhood is a lot quieter at night. I like to relax when it's quiet," she said.

Fourteen-year-old Chapel Haines said he was most interested in learning how people can change their neighborhoods for the better. For instance, he said, if people continue to throw trash, "I learned how you can go to the city government to get the problem fixed."

Late in May, Soldan held a Youth Summit, which featured visits from city officials. Mayor Francis Slay was among those who talked to the students. This helped the students understand the link between them and their government.

Last fall, the "History and Community" study had the kids focus on how their families fit into their individual neighborhoods. Then, they studied the past history of the neighborhoods and how they changed over time.

One of the first projects was for students to draw a map of their neighborhood. They put in key features, such as a church, park or school that help hold a neighborhood together.

Not many of their neighborhoods were anchored by large shopping areas. A couple did have a couple "corner stores." And one had a "plaza-like" collection of new stores.

Since Soldan High School is a magnet school, the kids were describing neighborhoods all over St. Louis. Not many of them lived near the high school.

Not only were neighborhoods different. The kids' attitudes about them also were different.

(Toward the end of their study, kids had to write personal descriptions of their neighborhoods. For excerpts from some descriptions, click here.)

Dawn, Ashley and Chapel said they spend much of their free time in their neighborhoods.

Ashley said much of her time in spent at her church. She said she goes to church on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and "sometimes on Saturday if I'm singing in the choir."

Dawn saw Fairgrounds Park as one focus of her neighborhood. "We're just down the street from Fairgrounds Park," she said. She said she "stays at home" most of the time.

Chapel said he also mostly "stays in my own community." There is a small park in his neighborhood where he often meets friends. But, if he wants to play basketball or baseball, he goes further to the larger Fairgrounds Park.

Both Chapel and Ashley said their music activities take them further afield in St. Louis.

Chapel has been in the school band for four years. This summer, he plans to play again in the band which marches in the VP Fair in downtown St. Louis. This summer would mark his third year in the parade band.

Ashley said she's planning to attend band, debate and track camps this summer.

Both kids are hoping they can qualify for band scholarships to help pay for college.

But, they aren't planning to make music a career. Chapel wants to go to medical school and be a surgeon.

Ashley and Dawn both want to pursue careers in business.

 

 

Excerpts from neighborhood descriptions

Here are some of the excepts from Soldan kids' descriptions of their local neighborhoods. They were written as a part of a "History and Community" study co-sponsored by the Missouri History Museum.

The kids were all freshmen in teacher Tamara Taliaferro's language arts class at Soldan.

(To read the main story about the neighborhood history project, click here.)

* By Dawn Jones:

"My community is a ghetto. Most of the young people that live in my community stay out until 2:00 in the morning. There are only about five high school kids on my street that actually go to school every morning. The rest of them dropped out or they skip school. They sell drugs and always get into fights with people around the corner.

"My community isn't all bad, though. The kids are extremely respectful. No matter how they act, they have never been disrespectful in any way. Across the street from my house, there is a church. There is another one around the corner. A couple teenagers are members of these churches.

"There is a park in my community too. Every Sunday, many people are at Fairground Park. There are five schools in my community. There are two high schools, Central VPA and Beaumont. The middle schools are Yeartman and Bunche. There is one elementary school, Ashland. My community also has a library, bank and a plaza-like thing."

* By Ashley Cage:

"A community, to me, is where everyone sticks together and helps one another if needed. If I had to choose to be in a community, I would choose mine because of the way I have grown to love and get to know the people around me.

"My community is very fun. I like my community because it is quiet, clean and everyone gets along. We're like our own little family within the neighborhood. We respect our community, along with each other. We treat our neighborhood like it's a person. Great. It's a part of us. It shows people the way we live, and who we are."

* By Chapel Haines:

My community is fairly all right. We throw a few block parties here and there. Sometimes we just hang out on the streets and chill. In my community, my favorite activity is going to the park. I like going to the park to play basketball and sometimes football. Other times when I'm not at the park or at home, I'll be at my friends' house or just walking around the neighborhood. These are the main things that go on in my community."

* By Mirza Sofric:

" My neighborhood is pretty nice, except for the abandoned movie theater. People without homes hang out there. It should be knocked down. A restaurant should be built there. Across the street from the theater, on Kingshighway and Chippewa, there is a really big area of grass and dirt. There should be a big Olympic size swimming pool for the public to swim in put there. Everything else is nice."

* By Lejla Fapaclovic:

"I live in the south side of St. Louis. And my neighborhood is not bad. It's not quiet, but it's all right. There's always something new happening in my neighborhood, whether it's someone new moving into the neighborhood or some kind of party or a celebration going on. Sometimes there are fights, but that rarely happens now. The people that live in my neighborhood are from different countries. People from Bosnia and Albania will all be grilling food and having a good time."

* By Ayanna Flenoid:

"My community is getting better
and better each day.
Flowers are blooming,
trees getting greener,
and grass growing.
Friendly people sitting on porches
Waving and sending a thought
HELLO!
Animals running
Up and down the street
Birds singing.
My community is a nice community.

"One thing I don't have to worry about is getting shot when I step out my doors. My community is full of kids of all ages. It has a beautiful garden that is nicely taken care of. My street is clean. Most of the time there is no trash on the ground."

 

History

Family tradition shapes History Day entry

Fourteen-year-old Andrew Austermann had family tradition behind him in the National History Day competition. He was following in his oldest brother's footsteps..

Last month, Andrew represented Missouri in the history nationals held at the University of Maryland. He won a national delegate position earlier at Missouri's History Day.

Andrew said, "I was in kindergarten and my brother, Justin, was in sixth grade at St. Margaret of Scotland school when we first learned about the history competition." That year, Justin earned his first of two nationals trips. He also won as an eighth grader.

Justin is now 20 and in college in Ohio. Two other brothers, Patrick and Devin, also had entered history competitions but didn't advance to the nationals. Andrew, when he was in sixth grade, even teamed with Devin one year.

So, this was Andrew's last chance in the junior history competition.

He certainly picked a tough enough subject. It was titled "Libel vs. Liberty: Callender and the Sedition Act of 1798."

The entry explored how that infamous law affected the life of Revolutionary-era pamphleteer James Thompson Callender. The writer was sentenced to nine months in prison and fined $200 for a critical pamphlet about President John Adams.

One part of Andrew's history entry was a 10-minute live acting performance. He first appeared before regional judges St. Louis. Then, he performed twice at Missouri History Day in Columbia.

There was even family history in his choice of costume to match Revolutionary times.

His brother Justin had used the same suit for his nationals presentations. His entries also called for a costume centered in early times.

But, the suit had an even earlier place in the family. Andrew's dad, Robert, worn it when he was a member of a high school rock band.

In picking his final subject, Andrew also got some help from his father.

"I was looking for something in the general area of free speech and free press. My dad had just finished reading William Safire's book, 'Scandal Monger.' It was about Callender," Andrew said.

He said, by using an individual, he could give his project a clearer, sharper focus.

Entries are more than just the final presentation. Andrew had to do research and compile a bibliography of sources. He also needed a 500-word "process paper."

"Then, I had to write a 10-minute script and memorize it," he said. He also put together his props. In addition to the suit, Andrew found an old writing table, an ink-well and quill pens to depict the late 1700's period.

It's not unusual to find out that Andrew's favorite subject in school is social studies. "History is always fun," he said. He likes study of the World War I and II period.

The Austermann family also live in the city of St. Louis in a house built in 1872.

Family vacations often have a history focus. "I've been to almost every Civil War and Revolutionary battlefield," he said.

The family drove to the National History Day event last month. That was so they could take in some additional historical sites in and around Washington, D.C.

Asked about his feelings toward Callender, Andrew said, "My opinion of him changed quite a lot. At first, I thought he was just a malicious writer."

But, after research, Andrew said he became "more sympathetic." He added, "It turned out that some of his writings were true."

Callender was no stranger to controversy over his writings. He had come to America after fleeing legal troubles in England. His run-in with this country's Sedition Act was over a pamphlet called "The Prospect Before Us." It attacked then President John Adams.

Critics of Adams and other Federalists thought they were trying to turn the government from democracy back to a monarchy. Among those with similar views was Thomas Jefferson. Andrew said Jefferson actually paid Callender to write some Federalist criticism.

Later, when Jefferson was president, he pardoned Callender but was slow in refunding his $200 fine. Then, when Jefferson refused Callender's request to be postmaster of Richmond, Va., the writer turned on Jefferson.

Some of the criticism was of Jefferson's alleged affair with his slave, Sally Hemming.

 

Entertainment

See International Funfest on July 12-13

The International Funfest is a chance for kids to enjoy performances by different local ethnic groups. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13.

The free performances will be in the grand hall of the Missouri History Museum. That's located in Forest Park.

Also, magician Terry Richison will perform between the music and dance acts. He also will be there both Saturday and Sunday. Kids take note: One of his specialties is calling on volunteers to help with the magic illusions.

Face painting, caricatures drawing, balloon animal-making and other kid-friendly activities also will be available.

Barnes Bradshaw is the special events coordinator for the Missouri History Museum. He said the Funfest acts are "representative of the many different groups now living in St. Louis."

All the way back to frontier days, St. Louis has been home to many different nationalities. That started with the French and Spanish adventurers who first settled here.

Bradshaw said, "In recent years, St. Louis again has been the destination for many immigrant groups from around the world." Funfest reflects this international diversity.

Here is a rundown on the groups that will perform:

On Saturday, July 12:

* Noon, Stars of David perform klezmer music and folk dancing.

Key musical performers are Elsie Parker on clarinet and vocals; Mike Carosello on piano and Bob Lowe on bass. Among the tunes will be a Russian folk song, "Turn Balalyka (Play, Balalyka)." Also, the group will perform Yiddish favorites such as "Der Heyser Bulgar (The Hot Bulgar)" and "Abi Gezunt (If You Have Your Health)."

* 1:15 p.m., the Brazilian music group Samba Bom Trio will perform.

Members of the trio are Carolyn Day, Moacyr Marchini and Blake Travis. Carolyn is a native of St. Louis who is studying jazz performance at SIU-Edwardsville. Moacyr is a native of Brazil. He specializes in playing the cavaquinho, a Brazilian guitar, and other traditional Brazilian hand instruments. Blake's musical roots are in soul music.

* 2:30 p.m., the Aalim Dance Company will perform Middle Eastern music and dancing.

The Aalim Dance Company was founded more than 15 years ago. Their dancers have appeared in many local and regional cultural events. Current director Lois Marshall goes by the Middle East name of Salwa. She has performed and taught Middle East dance for 21 years. Co-director Barb Nicholas, or Serena, has taught and performed for 17 years. If you're interested, you can learn about lessons by calling Salwa at (314) 576-6935.

On Sunday, July 13:

* Noon, the Niji Choral Group and Nami Folk Dancing Group will perform Japanese selections.

Japanese cultural groups have been well-known in the St. Louis area for many years. The two groups provide an opportunity for kids and families to see the best in both music and dance. Along with the costuming, the performances are distinctly Japanese.

* 1:15 p.m., Diadie Bathily will perform both African drumming and dancing.

Diadie Bathily is a professional dancer who specializes in African dance and costume design. His work reflects arts from Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal and Ghana. He's lived in St. Louis for the last four years. He teaches and performs locally at the Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA) and various local universities and colleges.

* 2:30 p.m., Mitzi MacDonald and Keltic Reign will perform Irish and Celtic music.

Mitzi has performed since she was 8 years old. Her early performing was in her native Nova Scotia, Canada. She moved to St. Louis in her mid-20s. She's recorded four CDs, ranging from country to spiritual. She has performed Irish and Celtic music a number of times with Keltic Reign.

Magician Terry Richison has been performing for 20 years. Much of his work has been close-up, stand-up magic. That's what he'll be doing at Funfest.

However, he's been branching out with "grand illusions." This fall, he's scheduled to try make the Gateway Arch disappear on national television.

 

Profile

Second in a series

Surprising outcome of early IQ test

When Meghan Boitnott was in kindergarten, her teacher thought she might have a learning disability. But, an early IQ test cleared up that misunderstanding.

Since then, the 13-year-old has shown she's more than just a good student. She also excels in sports, music, at church and in community service.

And, those early troubles have shown the St. Charles girl a career path for when she's an adult. Meghan plans to be a pediatrician so she can help young kids as they grow up.

Earlier this spring, Meghan was selected as a 2003 Young Achiever of the Year. She was one of 12 St. Louis area youngsters given the award for personal accomplishments.

(Young Saint Louis.com announced the Achiever winners in its May edition. Last month, YSL.com began a series of Achiever profiles of the four elementary and four middle school winners. This is the second of the eight Achiever profiles.

(To read the May announcement story, click here. To read the June profile on Kristen Delia, click here. To learn more about the Achiever, visit www.iln-gateway.org.)

About her kindergarten problems, Meghan said her teacher was concerned she wasn't learning in class. "She told my parents I ought to be tested by a doctor," Meghan said.

"The tests showed I had a high IQ but I learned differently. I was learning but I didn't care much about learning," she said. All that's changed.

This fall, Meghan will be an eighth grader at Borromeo Catholic School in St. Charles. She's an honor student and has been in enrichment classes for the last three years.

In addition, she's been on student council, plays musical instruments and excels in soccer and dance. She's also a "school buddy," who help younger kids get familiar with school.

One of the things that attracted the Achiever judges was Meghan's work with the Friends of Kids with Cancer. That program helps kids cope with their cancer.

"A couple years ago, I was having a birthday party. I invited my whole class from school. There were 37 of them. I told them the presents would go to Friends of Kids with Cancer," she said.

"We ended up with two big buckets of toys and $75," she added.

When she turned in the toys and money, she learned other ways she could help.

For the last two years, she's been chairman of her school's "Hats-on Day." If kids make at least a 50-cent charitable donation, they can wear "any kind of hat they like" in school that day, Meghan said.

Friends of Kids with Cancer has been the recipient of those donations.

This summer, Meghan is turning to another project to help kids. She's planning to develop a website for kids with attention-deficit disorder (ADD).

"There are lots of websites for parents of ADD kids. But, my website will let ADD kids exchange information," Meghan said. She's seeking a grant from an organization called Youth Venture. "It helps with finances for kids with dreams," Meghan said.

Her website would have a message board so kids "could tell others what works for them" in overcoming ADD. There's also be information about local reading clubs.

"Two of my teachers have told me that they'd help me with the website," Meghan said.

But, she's already had some experience with websites.

Two years ago, she went to New York with her mother, who was on a business trip. While there, she took some dance lessons at the Broadway Dance Center. Her guest instructor was Mike Minery, a professional tap dancer.

Meghan said, "I really liked his classes. After class, I asked him if he had a fan club and he said 'no.'" When she got home, she built a Mike Minery Fan Club website.

Meghan has more than just website work on her summer schedule. She's the goalie for the traveling Gateway Strikers under-13 soccer team. She's also finishing classes for certification as a youth soccer and softball official.

In addition, she'll be taking dancing lessons at two schools.

Then, there'll be music camp at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She already plays clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet and drums. But, she wants to take saxophone lessons this summer "so I can be in the high school jazz band."

Longer term, Meghan wants to attend medical school so she can be in practice with her older cousin, Caroline Goodwin. Caroline is now in pre-med at Saint Louis University.

"I hope some day to work with learning disability children," she said.

 

Vacation Tips

A look at neat St. Louis summer attractions

(Editor's note: Young Saint Louis.com asked local travel author Julie Douglas to select some nearby attractions that would be neat for kids to visit this summer. Here are a few selections from her book, "A Parent's Guide to St. Louis.")

St. Louis Surprises
By Julie Douglas

Click here to buy this book from Amazon.com

When you go back to school in the fall, you may be asked to write a report titled "What I Did on My Summer Vacation." Would you like to have something really unusual to tell?

Your classmates might write about their trips to the Arch or the Zoo (which are great places to visit!). But, you can wow them with a story about one of the fun St. Louis area attractions listed below:

* Bigfoot 4x4, Inc., 6311 N. Lindbergh Blvd. Hazelwood, MO 63042. Tel. (314) 731-8112. Website: www.bigfoot4x4.com. Hours: M-F, 9-6; Sat., 9-3; Closed Sunday. Free.

If you're a monster truck fan, race up to Bigfoot 4x4, Inc., in Hazelwood. You can see a huge 4x4 truck on display in the parking lot. Inside you can learn about monster trucks, take a "virtual test drive" and watch a video about 4x4s. There's even a race track where you can drive mini-Bigfoot trucks.

* Brussels Ferry, Hwy 100 at Hwy 3, Brussels, IL. 62013. Tel. (618) 786-3636. Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day. Free. Directions: From Missouri, take I-270 to Hwy 367 and head north to Alton. Cross Clark Bridge and turn left on Hwy. 100. Take 100 to Grafton and watch for signs.

Did you know that we live in one of the coolest river towns in the country? The St. Louis area is home to the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers. Get up close and personal with the river by taking a free ride on the Brussels Ferry. The ferry crosses the Illinois River near Pere Marquette State Park. The ferry will take you and your car across the river to Calhoun County, Illinois.

* Chain of Rocks Bridge, Riverview Drive at I-270, St. Louis, MO 63137. Tel. (314) 416-9930. Website: www.trailnet.org. Hours: April-Nov. daily, sunrise to sunset. Free. Directions: From I-270 north, take Riverview Drive exit (last Missouri exit). Go south on Riverview Dr. Entrance and parking lot is immediately on left. .

Speaking of rivers, how would you like to tell your friends that you rode your bike across the Mississippi River? You can! The Chain of Rocks Bridge in north St. Louis County is no longer open to automobiles. It is a mile-long bike and pedestrian trail, which means you can bike or hike over the Mississippi.

* The Whistle Stop, #1 Carson Rd., Ferguson, MO 63135. Tel. (314) 521-1600. Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri-Sat, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun, Noon-9 p.m. Closed Mon.

While you're in North County, make tracks to Ferguson for lunch and ice cream in a real train depot. Although trains still pass by, buying a ticket here now will get you a frosty treat instead of a ride.

* Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122. Tel: (314) 821-1209. Website: www.laumeier.org. Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to one-half hour past sunset. Free.

It's a park. It's an art museum. It's fun! Hike past huge, imaginative sculptures at Laumeier Sculpture Park in south St. Louis County. Going for a walk at Laumeier can be an adventure because there are surprises around every bend in the trail.

* Lone Elk Park, I-44 North Outer Rd., Eureka, MO 63025. Tel: (314) 615-7275. Hours, daily, 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Free.

Animal lovers will go wild over Lone Elk Park. Take a drive through the park to see bison, wild turkeys, deer and elk.

* Alton Museum of History and Art, Loomis Hall, 2809 College, Ave., Alton, IL 62002. Tel: (618) 462-2763. Hours: M-F, 10-4; Sat-Sun, 1-4. Cost: Adult $2, kids, 50 cents.

Have you ever met a real giant? Many of the folks in Alton knew a man who was the tallest human on record. They have created an interesting museum dedicated to Robert Wadlow's memory, Stand in Wadlow's footprints and compare the size of your feet to his. Stand next to his silhouette to see how you measure up. (Robert grew to be 8'11".) The museum also is home to interesting exhibits about pioneers, the Underground Railroad, Abe Lincoln and riverboats.

* Melvin Price Locks and Dam, 2751 Berm Hwy, East Alton, IL 62024. Tel: 1-888-899-2602. Hours: Daily, 9-5. Tours must be pre-arranged. Free. Directions: From Missouri, take I-270 to Hwy 367 exit and head north. Hwy 367 will become Hwy 67 to Alton. Cross Clark Bridge and turn right on Rte. 143. Follow the signs.

Huge barges travel up and down the Mississippi every day. Have you ever wondered how and why they go through the locks? Find out at the largest locks and dam on the Mississippi River. You can view the locks on your own or call to schedule a tour.

* Soulard Farmers Market, 730 Carroll St., St. Louis 63104. Tel: (314) 622-4180. Website: www.stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/soulardmarket. Hours: Wed-Fri, 8-5:30; Sat. 6-5:30. Free.

Vegetables. You know you love them! Well, you just might if you found out how much fun it is to shop for them. Shoppers have been filling their baskets with fresh veggies, fruits and baked goods here since the mid-1800s.

If you feel like hitting the road for an adventure out-of-town but close-to-home, try these day trips:

*Giant City State Park, 235 Giant City Rd., Carbondale, IL 62958. Tel: (618) 457-4836.

Take a hike through huge sandstone rock formations. Many of the trails look like streets in the city of giants. Giant City is part of the Shawnee National Forest. A lake and camping also are available in the park.

* Bonne Terre Lead Mine, 39 Allen St., Bonne Terre, MO 63628. Tel: (888) 843-3483. Website: www.2dive.com. Hours: call ahead. Cost: Tours-Adult, $12-17.50; children under 11, $6-17.50.

Not many people can say they have gone into a lead mine. Head south to Bonne Terre and you can take a tour of the abandoned St. Joseph lead mines. You can walk through the top levels and take a boat tour of the Billion Gallon Lake below.

* Maramec Spring Park, Highway 8, St. James, MO 65559. Tel: (573) 265-7387. Hours: daily, daylight hours. Cost: $3 per car. Directions: From St. Louis, take I-44 west to Hwy 8 south. (About 105 miles from St. Louis at Maramec Spring Park. (Note: Maramec is correct spelling for the park.)

If your family likes to camp, Maramec Spring Park is a fun place. Once the site of an iron foundry, the park now has a trout hatchery where you can fish. Also, there's lots of roads and paths for bike riding. You can hike up to a natural fresh water spring and visit two museums on the property. Maramec Spring Park is privately owned.

* Onondaga Cave State Park, 7556 Hwy H, Leasberg, MO 65535. Tel: (573) 245-6600. Website: www.mostateparks.com. Hours: March-Oct, daily, 9-5. Cost: Adults, $9, kids 13-19, $7; kids 6-12, $5, kids under 6, free.

The state of Missouri is home to thousands of caves. Visit Onondaga for a peek at some amazing stalagmites and stalactites!

 

About author Julie Douglas

After visiting many local attractions as a teacher and mother, author Julie Douglas thought she had been everywhere in St. Louis. But, much to her delight, she discovered lots of exciting and educational places to go with kids while she was writing "A Parent's Guide to St. Louis"

The "Parent's Guide" book includes over 240 fun things to see and do in the St. Louis area. The book includes chapters on the city, the county, Metro-East and St. Charles County. More attractions can be found in the Daytrips and Calendar sections.

"A Parent's Guide to St. Louis" is available at area bookstores and on Amazon.com.

 

Things to do, Places to go

Mad Mud Mania and other July fun events

If it's July, it must be Mad Mud Mania time. And, there are plenty of other things for kids to do during July. Just read on.

Mad Mud Mania is a must-do event on the St. Louis County Parks' summer schedule. The two-day event will be held July 25 and 26 at Jefferson Barracks Park in south St. Louis.

The first day, Friday, July 25, is reserved for organized kids groups. Reservations are needed so call (314) 638-2100.

Saturday, July 26, is General Admission Day. Reservations are recommended since admissions are controlled to avoid over-crowding at any time. The reservation number also is (314) 638-2100.

Admission is $6 in advance or $7 at the gate. The event is open to kids 5 through 15. Parental permission forms also are required. Hours for both days are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mad Mud Mania is one of those events where kids are urged to wear clothes they never plan to wear again. Once you've tried out the 200-foot mud obstacle course, you probably couldn't get them clean again anyway.

In addition to the gooey mud pit, there are 10 other fun theme areas.

A couple other fun offerings at St. Louis County Parks are:

* Civil War Baseball on Wednesday, July 23.

Learn how to play America's favorite sport the way it was done in the 19th Century. No gloves are needed. Admission is $5 and advance registration by July 18. Call (314) 544-5714. The camp will be at Jefferson Barracks Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon.

* Children's Gardening on Saturday, July 12.

The July meeting will study succulent plants. This is a monthly series that meets every first Saturday from April through September. Hours are 9 to 11 a.m. The classes are for kids 16 and under. July's meeting is at Sherwood's Forest Nursery and Garden Center in west St. Louis County. For information and directions, call (314) 822-8151.

 

Theme weeks continue at Conservation areas

The three Missouri Department of Conservation areas will continue their series of theme weeks during July.

* At the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation area:

For reservations, call (636) 441-4554.

July 14-18, Outdoor Skills Week Kids ages 10-16. Programs are from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Equipment will be furnished or you can bring your own. Reservations begin June 30. Subjects are archery, fire building and fishing.

July 21-25, Hike and Bike Week. Hours and ages varied by subject. Reservations begin July 7. Subjects are Busch Hike, St. Stanislaus Hike and Bike the Busch Trail.

July 28-Aug. 1, Aquatics Week. Hours 10 to 11:30 a.m. Reservations begin July 14. Subjects are pond study, big river study and stream study.

* At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center:

For reservations, call (314) 301-1500.

July 14-18, Maze Days Week. Hours 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ages 7-12. Reservations begin June 30. Kids will study three-dimensional mazes.

July 21-23, Kids' Outdoor Skills Week. Hours 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ages 10-16. Reservations begin July 7. Subjects are gun safety, archery and fishing.

July 28-Aug. 1, Lewis&Clark Week. Hours 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ages 7-12. Reservations begin July 14. Subjects include how Lewis and Clark prepared for, survived and learned from their Corps of Discovery expedition.

* At Rockwoods Reservation:

For reservations call (636) 458-2236.

July 14-16, The Beauty Within. Hours 10 to 11:30 a.m. with special art show on last day from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For kids 7-14. Reservations begin June 30. Subjects are nature photography, painting, sketching/journaling

July 21-25, Lewis&Clark: How did they do it? Hours 10 to 11:30 a.m with special adventure race on last day from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Kids 7-14. Reservations begin July 7. Subjects are mapping, Native American cultural influence and skills and Lewis & Clark cooking.

 

St. Louis Science Center classes and programs

The St. Louis Science Center continues its "Summer Science Blast" series of classes and workshops in July. The activities are for kids from grades 1 through 8.

The classes are held at the Science Center and some programs are at Babler State Park in west St. Louis County.

Of course, both the indoor and outdoor activities have a variety of science themes, geared to the children's ages.

For information, call (314) 289-4414.

 

St. Louis Art Museum's July schedule

The St. Louis Art Museum has summer classes for kids during July.

Classes are taught in different sections so subject matter can be tailored by age of the kids. There's everything from pre-school through 6th grade. For information call (314) 721-0072.

July class subjects dates are:

July 8-11: Stained, Hammered, Propped: Works of Glass and Metal.

July 15-18: Brushed, Splattered, Poured: Works in Paint and Ink.

July 22-25: Carved, Sewn, Dyed: Works in Wood and Fibers.

 

St. Louis History

This month in St. Louis History

From Missouri History Museum

Good and bad of St. Louis history

St. Louis' history was highlighted by the good and bad during past Julys.

Missouri was one of the early states to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. That's the one that gave women the right to vote.

In past Julys, there also were tragic examples of racial riots and violent labor unrest.

But, July 14th offers an opportunity to party. That date is Bastille Day, France's Independence Day. That holiday is celebrated in the historic Soulard Neighborhood south of downtown St. Louis.

These are just a sample of July anniversaries of local historic events. (For more about local history, visit the Missouri History Museum's website at www.mohistory.org.)

* The Women's Suffrage Amendment

Missouri's Legislature ratified the 19th Amendment on July 3, 1919. We were the 11th state to approve the amendment giving women the right to vote.

Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin were credited with being the first to ratify the proposed amendment. All three ratified it on June 10, 1919.

But, it wasn't until August 18, 1920, before 32 states approved the proposed amendment to finally put it into the constitution. It takes favorable votes by two-thirds of the states to approve the amendment. (32 is two-thirds of 48; there were only 48 states in the United States at that time. Alaska and Hawaii joined later to make up the current 50 states.)

If you'd like to know more about the history of women in Missouri, there's a neat book that's been published by the Missouri History Museum. It is entitled, "In Her Place: Guide to Women's History in St. Louis."

The author is Katherine Corbett.

Also, if you'd like to know more about women's issues, you can log on to www.pbs.org. Then check on web links. There are a whole host of internet links to everything from famous women to women's organizations.

* The Levee Strike of 1877

The early struggle for better wages in the U.S. became known as the General Strike of 1877. In St. Louis, the strike involved workers who unloaded boats on the local riverfront.

About 200 St. Louis roustabouts walked off their jobs. The issues were low wages and poor working conditions. Most of the levee workers were African-American. But, they were joined by hundreds of other workers in St. Louis.

This struggle involved lots of different workers in other U.S. cities.

In St. Louis, the levee strike shut down commerce for several days. Eventually, the protest failed and workers went back to their jobs.

This levee workers strike is on the African-American walking exhibit in the museum. For more, see www.mohistory.org/content/exhibitions/AAhistory.

* East Saint Louis Race Riot of 1917

Another local outbreak of violence with a July anniversary was the race riot of 1917 across the Mississippi River in Illinois.

The riot killed 40 blacks and 8 whites. Over 6,000 were driven from their homes.

The East Saint Louis riot attracted nationwide attention. The National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) staged a silent protest parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City.

For more on this, see www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/reference/articles/ east_saint_louis.

* Bastille Day July 14

The French were some of the earliest settlers in what is now St. Louis. The city started as a fur trading center. The French influence lives in present-day St. Louis, with lots of French names and the historic Soulard Market in south St. Louis.

The name Soulard honors Antoine Soulard, who arrived in St. Louis as a refugee from the French Revolution. He was named the second surveyor-general of Upper Louisiana by the then Spanish commandant.

The Soulard Market is patterned after European open-air markets. It is the oldest public market still in existence in the U.S.

For a profile of the historic Soulard Neighborhood, see www.slfp.com/soulard.htm.

 

Lots of unique local history trivia in July

History notes for July in St. Louis read like a trivia contest.

Mark Twain was arrested after a corpse showed on his front lawn. A St. Louis Cardinal pitcher won both ends of a doubleheader with two complete games.

And then there was the teacher protest to the FCC about Dizzy Dean's imperfect speech during his baseball broadcasts.

Also, two St. Louis fliers set a world endurance record for non-stop flying.

(These are just a few of the interesting historical notes mentioned for July in local historian Joe Sonderman's book, "St. Louis 365." The book can be purchased at local book stories or on the internet at www.booksonline.com.)

Here are just a few of the 156 historic events included in the July chapter of the book:

July 1, 1920: The Cardinals moved back to Sportsman's Park from deteriorating Cardinals Park at Natural Bridge and Vandeventer. They had played there since 1892. At the time, the Browns were the better team and owned Sportsman's Park. The Redbirds paid rent. Sportsman's Park became Busch Stadium in 1953, after the brewery bought the Cardinals and the Browns moved to Baltimore.

July 2, 1917: Much of East St. Louis was in flames. Rioting touched off by the killing of two white detectives was sweeping the city. Mobs of whites pulled blacks off the streetcars, clubbing and stoning them to death, while police and government officials stood idly by. The exact death toll will never be known, but at least 39 blacks and eight whites were killed.

July 5, 1879: Dwight F. Davis was born in St. Louis. An excellent tennis player, he served as the city parks commissioner and installed tennis courts in Forest Park. They were the first public courts in the nation. In 1900, he donated the "Davis Cup" for the international lawn tennis competitions.

July 10, 1923: Cardinal rookie pitcher Johnny Stuart went the distance and won BOTH games of a doubleheader. Stuart tossed a three-hitter to win the first game, 11-1. He won the second game by a score of 6-3.

July 14, 1936: July 14 is traditionally the hottest day of the year in St. Louis. In 1936, the high was 108 degrees. It was the sixth day in a row with a high of over 100 degrees, and the 10th day of eleven. The heat had already taken 139 lives. The death total from 37 days that summer with highs over 100 degrees would reach 471.

July 16, 1875: The news reached St. Louis that Mark Twain had been arrested. The Missouri-born humorist saw a boy steal his umbrella and jokingly offered a reward of $205, $5 for the umbrella and $200 for the lad's "remains." He was arrested when a corpse turned up at his home, along with a note claiming the reward. It turned out that some pranksters at a medical school had sent the corpse.

July 19, 1946: The English Teachers Association of Missouri had ignited a firestorm after complaining to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about Dizzy Dean's assault on the language during the baseball broadcasts on (radio station) WIL. The teachers said he was a bad influence on students. Hundreds of telegrams poured into WIL in support of Ol' Diz. (One of his grammatically-challenged quotes: "He slud into third base.")

July 30, 1929: Dale Jackson and Forest O'Brine landed their "St. Louis Robin" at Lambert Field, after establishing a new aerial endurance record. They stayed aloft for 420 hours, 21 minutes. Their exploits were front page news across the nation. In July, 1930, two Chicago aviators beat the record. So, the "Robin" took off again, regaining the record in August, 1930.

 

Math Puzzler

Some Math Puzzlers need more than a formula

Mr. Math Puzzler decided to give you some extra-fun questions in July. There will be fewer formulas and more educated guesses in this list of Puzzlers.

He's even thrown in a question about a farmer with an artistic touch. This one doesn't even have a numeric answer; you answer the question with a design.

Wayne Hesse, our Mr. Math Puzzler, thought the summer vacation month of July would be a good time to give some leeway in answering questions. Not only are the questions "looser;" there are a couple that have more than one correct answer.

So, get your educated guessing caps on and answer away.

Young Saint Louis.com is continuing the Math Puzzlers during the summer. That's so you can have some fun while keeping up your math reasoning skills. Why not get together with your neighborhood chums and each fill out a Math Puzzler entry form. You can have a little competition to see how many can get all of them correct.

If you or your friends are first-time entrants, you might like to review some past Puzzlers to learn how Mr. Math Puzzler thinks.

YSL.com Math Puzzlers started in September, 2001. Using the Past Stories tab on the home page, pick a past month and you can review past questions and check answers the next month.

By studying past questions and answers, you'll see what Mr. Math Puzzler likes.

(To see the June answers, click here.)

Young Saint Louis.com likes it when kids who enter the Math Puzzler competition get the correct answers. We list all winners the following month. We also give out up to three $10 Borders gift certificates as an extra bonus.

A reminder: These Math Puzzlers can be quite challenging, especially for younger kids. Remember, we don't mind if you get 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
   231 So. Bemiston Ave., Suite 800
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
6. All entries must be postmarked by the 15th of the month to be eligible.

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

Entry for July, 2003, Math Puzzler Contest:

Name: _______________________________ Age: _______

Address: ___________________ School: _______________

City:_____________________, State:_____ ZIP__________

Contact phone no.(____)____________________

The Math Puzzlers
(July, 2003)

1. The dragons Argothel and Bargothel like to get together for fiery conversations. They live some distance apart, each in his own cave. One day, Argothel left home to visit Bargothel at exactly the same time that Bargothel left home to visit Argothel. The day being most agreeable, both dragons decided to proceed at a rather leisurely rate. So, rather than fly, they walked. Argothel walked at a constant rate of 24 miles per hour and Bargothel at a constant rate of 36 miles per hour. How far apart were they five minutes before they met? (We've had a similar question to this one in the past.)

 

Answer: _______________

 

2. We have an old-fashioned grandfather clock that strikes the exact number of times each hour to indicate the correct time. It takes 15 seconds to strike 6 o'clock. How long will it take to strike 12 o'clock?

 

Answer: _____________

 

3. Place the numbers one through eight in the squares shown so that no consecutive numbers occur next to each other in adjoining squares either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

 

Answer: _____________

 

4. Can you take the digits 1 through 9 to form the numerator and denominator for a fraction that is equal to 1/2?

 

Answer: _____________

 

5. There once was a very artistic farmer with 10 fruit trees. He wanted to plant them in five straight rows with 4 trees in each row. How did he lay out his orchard? (Remember, there is no numeric answer. Your answer must be in the shape of the orchard's design.)

 

 

 

Answer: _____________

 

6. A water tower has three drains. One drain could empty the tank in 45 hours, one in 15 hours and the third one in 30 hours. How long would it take to empty the tower if all three drains were opened? (This is not going to give you a nice even-numbered answer.)

 

Answer: _____________

 

Mr. Math Puzzler was too tough;
No June winners

Every once in awhile, Mr. Math Puzzler comes up with a set of questions that are stump everyone. June was one of those times.