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Books

A serious look at the 1904 St. Louis
World’s Fair in comic book form

Everybody in St. Louis by now knows that this year is the 100th anniversary celebration of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, or what is locally known as the St. Louis World’s Fair. Writer Marcello Vital and artist David Montgomery came up with the idea of telling all about the Fair through an adventure story told in comic book type format. The hero of the story is Nicco, a boy from the Italian Hill neighborhood in St. Louis. Nicco has managed to get a job as a messenger boy at the Fair. On his bike, he delivers messages from fair officials to each other around the Fairgrounds. He is able to get into the Fair each day free of charge. His messenger duties take him all over the grounds and he is able to visit every display and exhibit. The fair exhibitors, who come from all over the world, all get to know Nicco and call him by name.

To add some romance to the story, Nicco’s girlfriend, Claire is also in the story. She sells drinking water to thirsty visitors at the Fair. On one of their days off from their jobs, they go together to take in the sights of the Fair just as the tourists from all around the world are doing. To add some suspense to the story, Nicco hears some bad guys plotting to blow up one of the major exhibits and scare people off from coming to the St. Louis Fair. The bad guys threaten to kill Nicco when they can catch him. What’s really bad is that nobody believes Nicco when he tries to warn the Fair officials.

While the story is being told, we the readers get to visit all the major attractions at what many believe was the greatest World’s Fair of all time. We are kept guessing whether Nicco can escape the gangsters and manage to save the Fair from turning into a disaster that might kill hundreds of people. All in all, the book is a neat way to find out why the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition was a highpoint in St. Louis history.

 

Meet the author and artist of “1904”

Writer Marcelo Vital and artist David Montgomery are collaborating for the first time with the “1904” book.

Vital is originally from Brazil and has developed more than 800 different comic book characters. Montgomery is a freelance artist and muralist. Both now live in Kansas City.

Their book was published April 20, 2004, just in time for the start of St. Louis’ centennial celebration of the 1904 fair.

This month's book reviews

A different kind of teacher takes over
in an Alaskan school in 1948

When this story starts, the teacher in the one-room schoolhouse in remote Alaska is pushing her way on the mail plane, in a hurry to get away as quickly as possible from her job. She just couldn’t stand the constant smell of fish anymore. She was just one of many who never stayed long in the small village trying to teach the Indian kids that could make it to school on a regular basis.

In October, Sam, the pilot, brought in a new teacher. When Sam was asked if the new teacher was nice, he told the kids, “This one’s got a little mileage. You kids are not going to get away with nothin’.”

The new teacher is from England. She wears pants. She had been teaching at another location in Alaska and had hoped to go home to visit her family in England. But she had been persuaded to finish out the school year as a replacement for the younger teacher who had suddenly quit.

The curious girls who went to spy on the new teacher were pleasantly surprised when she asked them in to help her straighten up the cabin that the teacher was given to live in. She told them to call her Miss Agnes and invited them in for tea. She talked to them just like they were grown-ups.

Miss Agnes wasn’t like any of the other teachers the kids had known. The first thing she did was to get rid of the old textbooks that were tattered and worn out anyway. She opened up a collection of books and novels that she had brought with her. She started reading aloud from the very first day of school. One of the favorites was “Robin Hood.” She also had brought new pencils and paints for the kids to use. Miss Agnes had also bought a record player and a variety of music that she played, for both herself and the kids.

It turned out to be a wonderful year for the village kids. They had never learned so much nor enjoyed school as much as they had that year. As the school year drew to a close, Miss Agnes prepared to return to her home in England. The kids were really upset that they were losing such a good teacher. But they had to say good-by to Miss Agnes.

When it was time for a new school year to start, one of the kids saw a light burning in the schoolhouse. It made them sad to think a new teacher was coming in to replace Miss Agnes. Then one of them saw Miss Agnes’ cat. Could it possibly be that Miss Agnes was coming back?

 

A black family copes with racial prejudice
in 1900’s rural Mississippi

The Logans were a hard-working black family that lived on a prosperous 200 acre farm. That part of rural Mississippi had been going through a drought so bad that creeks and wells were going dry. The Logan’s farm had a deep well with good water that never seemed to run dry. During a drought, neighbors, both black and white, knew they were welcome to come for water from the Logan well. Generally, these neighbors were polite and expressed appreciation for the generosity of the Logans.

One set of neighbors, the Simms, however, always seemed to be jealous of the Logan’s prosperity. Charlie and Ed-Rose, the two younger Simms boys, especially, were always trying to promote a fight with the younger Logan boys. When the Simms boys finally had to visit the Logan farm and take water from the well, they seemed eager to provoke thirteen-year-old Hammer Logan into a fight. It was only though the intervention of Mama Logan that Hammer was kept from a confrontation with the white brothers.

In those days in the rural South, a black person, even a young boy, who talked back to whites, risked a beating, or even worse, being lynched. Hammer was too proud to endure humiliation, especially from white boys who were about his own age. His younger brother, David, and his mother knew what danger he was putting himself in.

It seem clear from the beginning of the story that Hammer and Charlie were headed for a fight, one way or another. It was also clear that Charlie Simms would do all that he could to get Hammer into trouble with the whites in the area if Hammer ever raised a hand to protect himself. The sheriff would not take the word of a black against the charges of a white person, even a boy who was a known bully. Is there any way at all that this story can have a reasonably happy ending? As you can guess, the well plays a big part in the final outcome.

 

Is there a good excuse for a seventh
grader caught driving the school bus?

Kyle Brawly is the nice guy no one ever expects to get into trouble. He is a seventh grader at Hart Marks School, which all the kids call “Hard Marks” school. Mr. Chump, the principal at Hard Marks, has rules written down to control every kind of behavior. So it’s nearly impossible for anybody not to get into trouble as least sometimes - even Kyle. On the other hand, Kyle’s friends, Wilson, who invents ways to get into trouble, and Dusty, who thinks he can talk his way out of anything, are high on Mr. Chump’s list of usual suspects.

Things really began to get out of hand when the three boys accidentally left a shoe box with a wasp nest in it on the school bus. For reasons you can well imagine, Grandma, the regular bus driver had to be replaced. Her replacement was “Mister Sarge”, who had been a bus driver for the state department of corrections. His old job, then, had been driving penitentiary inmates. Sarge mistakenly thought that driving a school bus full of kids would be a piece of cake compared to his old job. The three boys had to try to prove him wrong.

Without going into a lot of detail that would spoil the story for you, Kyle ends up having to drive the school bus off a railroad track in order to keep them all, including Mr. Sarge, from getting hit by a train. Unfortunately, Kyle had only learned how to drive the bus. What he hadn’t learned was how to use the brakes and stop the bus. Talk about getting into trouble!

“Don’t get caught driving the school bus” is another book by Todd Strasser who has specialized in writing about kids in outlandish situations.

 

Sometimes “losers” don’t know they’re “losers”

Donald Zinkoff is really different. He’s klutzy, clumsy, and never wins at anything. But he doesn’t seem to notice. Everything to him is novel and interesting in his hometown of Heatherwood. He laughs often, and sometimes he laughs so hard, he can’t stop. Even though the other kids think he’s strange, Zinkoff doesn’t mind, he still loves school. And, oh yes, he really prefers to be called “Zinkoff.”

In the book, we follow Zinkoff’s activities from first grade until “graduation” from fifth grade at Satterfield Elementary School. Naturally, with the name Zinkoff, Donald is the last one called to receive his “diploma” from the Superintendent of Schools. Even we the readers wonder whether he will really graduate! But, he does, and he goes on into middle school.

In the first five grades, kids and teachers had come to sort of accept Zinkoff for his strange behaviors. He had some kind of status as a “loser”. Not so at Monroe Middle School. It was just as if he didn’t exist at all. His greatest disappointment was to never get picked to play in the schoolyard basketball games. He was just ignored by the other kids. That “nobodyness” was really hard for Zinkoff to bear.

During Zinkoff’s first winter at Monroe, the area has a huge snowstorm. The storm provides Zinkoff with the opportunity to perform a heroic act as he tries to save a lost little girl. Even though once again he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and almost loses his own life, Zinkoff emerges a hero in the eyes of the townspeople. Can this one act turn him around from being a lifelong “loser”?

Environment

Jessica and Dylan Yegge and Katy and Elly Kehl liked to walk and ride bikes on the Riverfront Trail in Washington, Mo. But, they didn’t like all the messy trash on the trail along the Missouri River.

So, last fall, the kids decided to do something about it.

Seventh-grader Jessica and 6th-grader Katy wrote a letter to Washington’s Mayor Dick Stratman. They asked if they could volunteer to clean up a mile stretch of the trail.

The mayor invited them to a meeting in his office to discuss their idea.

Jessica said, “The mayor answered back pretty quickly. Then, we all went to his office but Katy and I did the talking.”

After meeting with the mayor, the kids formed their Riverfront Trail Litter Patrol. With the help of Jessica’s mother, Tamie, they designed a logo and made up patrol T-shirts.

The multi-colored logo shows a futuristic person throwing items into a trash can. They printed the logos on the back and their names on the front of the shirts.

The city even put up a sign at the start of the trail noting the kids’ clean-up efforts. The sign also urges new users of the trail not to litter.

Eleven-year-old Katy Kehl said their first cleanup took three to four hours to cover their one-mile stretch. She said the second time was “a lot easier.”

Eleven-year-old Jessica said the kids collected six plastic bags full of trash on the first clean-up. But, they used only four bags on the second trash-collection day.

On the second time, Jessica said, “The trail was a lot cleaner.”

Jessica recruited her brother, 7-year-old Dylan, and Katy brought along her 6-year-old sister, Elly. The kids’ parents also are helping.

Dylan said he got “hot and sweaty” during the pickup. The kids each wore rubber “food gloves” while picking up the trash. Katy said their hands “got all-white” when they got wet inside the gloves.

Elly said her dad fooled her one time during the first pickup.

She said her dad threw an empty beer bottle along the trail and then told her where to find it. “He said he didn’t do it but I’m sure it was him,” Elly said.

The kids said most of the trash was beer and soda containers. Katy said the largest item was a big square of Styrofoam. Jessica said she found lots of broken pieces of PVC pipe.

Asked if they ever found anything worth keeping, Katy said she did find a bottle cap with a coupon inside. She said she redeemed the cap for a free bottle of soda.

Elly said she found a bottle of perfume but she didn’t keep it.

Jessica said she and her patrol buddies have had good feedback from other users of the trail. “A few people come up to us while we’re picking up trash. They ask us what we’re doing and then say ‘good job,’” she said.

The kids said they use the trail pretty often for hikes and bicycle rides. For hikes, they usually go about a mile. But, on bike trips, they may travel seven miles round-trip.

Elly said one time she and a next-door friend went on a hike with her dad. “We walked on the trail and then had a picnic afterwards,” she said.

The kids would like some other groups to adopt other parts of the Riverfront Trail.

And, they’ve asked the city to provide some help to prevent the “yukkiest” litter. That is what Katy describes as “freshly fallen dog poop.” Most of the kids agreed that was the worst of the litter they collected.

Tamie Yegge said the city is considering installation of a holder where pet owners could pick up plastic gloves. The loose-fitting gloves are designed so owner can pick up the “dog poop.” When the gloves are taken off, they can be reversed to become a bag that can be thrown away.

There would be refuse cans along the trail into which the used gloves could be thrown.

Dylan will be a second grader this fall at South Point Elementary in Washington. He said he also volunteers to pick up trash on the school playground.

He said the “lunch lady” gives out stickers to the volunteers. Then, the kids turn in their trash to the teachers who throw it away.

Katy will be a sixth grader this fall. She said she volunteered at Fifth Street Elementary to “collect things for soldiers in Iraq and to write them cards.”

 

Space

Challenger Center teaches kids about space

Twelve-year-old Callie Mouser got interested in space exploration in 4th grade. She took that interest another step last month by attending a week-long camp at the Challenger Learning Center.

Callie, who lives in Manchester, said her interest in space started with a school paper she wrote. The report was on Christa McAuliffe, the school teacher who died in the explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle.

The local Challenger Learning Center was established last year to honor the crew of the Challenger shuttle.

In July, Callie was one of 12 kids who took part in a day camp at the center. It’s located on the grounds of the new McClure South Berkeley High School.

(To find out how you can take part in learning center activities, see sidebar below.)

Callie will be a 7th grader at Parkway South Middle School in the fall. She wants to have a career in space exploration. “I want to either be a space engineer or work in mission control,” she said.

She’s not so sure about actually going into space. Callie said, “Going into space would be an experience of a lifetime. But, I’m not sure yet about doing that myself.”

The camp kids got a lot of information about what’s involved in a space mission.

On the first day of the camp, they heard from an astronaut. They also got to try on a space suit. And they saw how the astronauts slept in the weightlessness of space.

Twelve-year-old Ryan Anani said, “We got to see how uncomfortable it is to sleep in a space suit.” Because of the weightlessness, astronauts had to tie down their sleeping bags.

Ryan lives in O’Fallon and will be a 7th grader at Francis Howell Middle School this fall. He said he first got interested in space when he saw a space film in the Omnimax theater at the St. Louis Science Center.

He said he learned about the Challenger day camp from his grandfather, John Schoep. Ryan said, “Grandpa was in the Air Force. He was a friend of one of the people who died in a recent shuttle explosion.”

One of the team projects at the day camp was building a bottle rocket, powered by water and compressed air. The goal is to launch the rocket and have it come to earth without breaking a raw egg in the nose cone.

Thirteen-year-old Francesco Vasi of Chesterfield said his three-man team has a plan for cushioning the egg for landing. He’ll be a 7th grader at Rockwood Valley Middle School.

He said, “We’ll wrap the egg with cotton and then with rubber. We’ll also have mini-springs wrapped around it. Then, we have a titanium cap for the nose cone. We’ll pack everything in tight so the egg can’t move.”

Francesco said he got interested in space three years ago. That’s when his father bought him a model of a 3-stage Apollo rocket. It was propelled by a solid fuel.

He put a “micro-camera” in the nose cone in order to film the launch and landing.

Each stage of the rocket returned to earth with its own mini-parachute, so it could be used again. He said, “It was pretty cool.”

Eleven-year-old Savannah Anthony of Florissant was on the same three-person team as Callie Mouser. The girls named their team Discovery 37. The significance of the 37 was that there were three girls and all will be in 7th grade this fall.

Savannah will be going to Saint Sabina Catholic School.

She said participating in a mock Mission to Mars was one of the highlights of the camp. There is a simulated mission control and shuttle cockpit at the Challenger center.

Savannah said she isn’t planning on a career in space. “I’d like to be either an actor or a teacher,” she said. One of her favorite activities is playing the guitar. Her favorite tune is “The Rakes of Mallow,” an Irish folk tune.

For 12-year-old Joe Kehrwald of Chesterfield, attending the day camp will be one of his last activities in St. Louis. He and his family are moving back to Colorado.

He said he expects to be in Colorado by the time school starts in the fall.

Joe is another camp participant who had past experience with rocket launches. “It was one of those rockets that went about 100 feet in the air and then parachuted down,” he said.

Joe said he isn’t planning on a career in space. He wants to be either a pro athlete or a video-game designer. He said he was already taking technology classes and has a number of designs made.

 

Four more Voyage to Mars sessions

The Challenger Learning Center has four Voyage to Mars sessions open to the public in July. There’s even a 2-for-1 enrollment feature.

The “public missions” will be held on Thursday, July 8; Saturday, July 24; Thursday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 21.

Regular admission is $25 per person. But, for these four “missions,” two people will be admitted for the price of one, according to Tasmyn Front, center director.

Although you actually won’t be going to Mars, you’ll feel like it. The Challenger Learning Center has state-of-the-art flight simulation equipment that you’ll be able to use.

For reservations or information, call (314) 521-6205 or visit wwww.clcstlouis.org.

 

Outdoors

Kids study to get hunting licenses

Fourteen-year-old Matt Davis wants to be a taxidermist when he grows up. But, so far he hasn’t hunted anything larger than squirrels.

However, after a special conservation day camp in June, he’s ready for bigger things.

Matt was one of 25 kids who attended a Youth Hunter Education Day Camp at the Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County. Camp instructors taught the kids lots of things, such as hunter safety, wildlife identification and use of various hunting weapons.

At the end of the camp, the kids took a test to certify them for their own Missouri hunting license. Most of the kids taking the course had no hunting experience. (There’s still time to get certification for a license. See sidebar below for July training sessions.)

Davis, who is from O’Fallon, Mo., has hunted for small game. That sort of hunting is allowed as long as a kid “is within 30 yards of a adult licensed hunter,” he said.

But, he and his other classmates wanted to try for bigger game, such as turkeys and deer.

Twelve-year-old Carrie Giesen of Defiance, Mo., hadn’t been hunting. But, after she was certified to have a license, she thought things were going to change.

“I think we’re going to go shopping for hunting equipment,” the seventh grader said. She hopes to get a .22 rifle as well as archery equipment.

The 4-foot-8-inch Carrie knows she’ll have to settle for some smaller equipment. She said, “Shotguns don’t fit me too well. I can’t reach the trigger.”

Also, she said her brother has archery equipment “but the bow is way to too big for me.”

She doesn’t have to go very far to hunt or fish. “Our land borders on the Busch Conservation area,” she said. Also, she added, “We have a fishing pond on our land.”

During their camp week, the kids got a chance to try out all sorts of different types of hunting equipment. In addition to .22 rifles, there were 20-gauge shotguns, black-powder muzzle-loaders and archery equipment.

In addition to classroom instruction, they went to the range to fire various weapons.

Thirteen-year-old Erin Meier is from New Melle, Mo. She said, “I liked the muzzle-loader the best.”

The hunter loads that gun by pouring black powder down the barrel, then tamping in a cloth patch and rifle slug. After cocking a lever near the trigger, the rifle is ready to fire.

Erin said, after an instructor showed how to load the rifle, she was able to load it herself.

Eleven-year-old Karlos Bledsoe, Jr., and his dad both will be first-time hunters this fall. The Creve Coeur father and son took the hunter education classes together so they could both qualify for Missouri hunting licenses.

Karlos said being outdoors “is the thing I like the most.”

Although he hasn’t been hunting, he has been fishing at the Busch and at Creve Coeur Lake near his home.

He also said he’s experienced a mishap in the outdoors. “Two years ago, our canoe tipped over,” he said. They were in a stream but were able to reach the shore safely.

Fifteen-year-old Ashley Wooden said she wants her hunting license so she can go deer hunting. She said her family is likely to go hunting out-of-state. She said her dad’s family has a farm in Kentucky.

“The place we hunt is more fields than woods,” Ashley said. Last year, her dad got a deer right where a farm field met the forest.

She said he hopes to hunt ducks and geese also. Her family hunts for birds in Illinois.

Matt Davis said his favorite outdoor experience happened last year. “My brother is in the Air Force and he was home on leave. We went hunting and fishing all one day, from sunrise to sunset,” he said.

He said the two hunted all morning and then, after lunch, fished all afternoon.

Concerning his plans to be a taxidermist, he said he’s started already. From his hunting trip with his brother, he brought back two squirrels.

After skinning the squirrels, he tried to tan the hides. “I tanned the gray squirrel’s hide but I messed up with the red squirrel,” he said.

“Right now, I’m working on a raccoon’s hide,” he said. Matt said preparing the hide for display is a complicated job. He said you have to clean the hide, then tan it, comb out the fur and put the hide on a stretcher before displaying it on the wall.

 

More hunter education classes in July

There’s still time for kids to complete their Missouri Hunter Education Certification Course. A number of classes are being offered in the St. Louis metro area in July.

The certificate is needed before kids can qualify for a Missouri hunting license.

Locations and July dates for area classes are:

Franklin County
     At Union Fire Department, Wednesday, July 21 - Friday, July 23; 6:30 to 10 p.m. each night. For information call
(636) 583-8471.

Jefferson County
     At Jay Henges Training Center, Saturday, July 17 - Sunday, July 18; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(636) 441-4554.
     At Jefferson College, Tuesday, July 27 - Saturday, July 31; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For information call (636) 797-3000, ext. 144.

Lincoln County
     At University of Missouri Extension, Troy, Friday, July 23 - Saturday, July 24; 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. For information call (636) 665-5374.

St. Charles County
     At St. Charles Community College, Saturday, July 10 - Sunday, July 11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(636) 922-8000.
     At St. Charles Community College, Saturday, July 31 - Sunday, August 1; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(636) 922-8000.

St. Louis County
     At Florissant Valley Community College, Saturday, July 10 - Sunday, July 11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(314) 595-4444.
     At Meramec Community College, Saturday, July 10 - Sunday, July 11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(314) 984-7777.
     At Forest Park Community College, Saturday, July 17 - Sunday, July 18; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(314) 644-9175.
     At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Saturday, July 17 - Sunday, July 18; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call (314) 301-1500.
     At Florissant Valley Community College, Saturday, July 31 - Sunday, August 1; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For information call
(314) 595-4444.

 

Sports

A big running month for O’Fallon family

July will be an important running month for Megan, Jesse and Danny Mathews of O’Fallon, Mo. They are seeking to qualify for the national AAU track and field meets.

They’ve all qualified for regional meets. July is a big stepping stone to the nationals.

Fifteen-year-old Megan, 12-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Danny already have competed in the AAU national meets in cross-country running. Jesse also ran in last year’s track and field nationals.

Megan is trying to qualify in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs. Jesse is seeking berths in both the 1,500 and 3,000 and in the 4x800 relay. Danny competes in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs as well as the long jump.

The first regional competition is early in July in Joplin, Mo. Then, there’s another regional meet before they know whether they’ve made the nationals.

The kids come from a running family and got started early in life.

Megan is a sophomore at the Christian High School in O’Fallon. She said, “My dad coached track when I was little.”

Jesse ran his first mile at age seven. In third grade, he got a chance to train with the Christian High School track team because his dad was a volunteer coach. Jeff Mathews is a chiropractor who helps with track in his off time.

Danny has been running since he was six.

The kids all belong to the St. Louis Blazer Track Club, coached by Blair Porter. They have club practices every Tuesday and Thursday.

Megan said the Blazer practices are strenuous. She said the team members start off with four laps to warm up. Then, there is stretching and a “fast” lap. The kids then do a series of 50-meter runs to improve their running form.

Jesse said Coach Porter then has the regular workout schedule. “And you can be sure it will be difficult,” he added.

The workout ends with a 300-meter “fast” run and several laps to cool down.

But, the Mathews kids go beyond that. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the family gets up early for additional conditioning and training. They are up by 5:15 a.m.

The kids already have had running success.

Two years ago, Megan set the records in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Missouri Christian school state tournament in Joplin. She was competing as an 8th grader and said that was her best running experience.

But, she said this year’s state tournament was her worst track experience.

That’s because, as a 9th grader, she finished second in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200. However, there was a silver lining. She added, “My records from two years ago still stand.”

Jesse said his best running experience was in the national cross-country meet in Ohio. He finished 30th out of over 250 runners in his age group. Jesse said his low point in running came in last year’s track and field nationals when he finished far back in the 3,200.

“I started out way too slow and couldn’t catch up,” he said.

Danny said he enjoyed running in last year’s cross-country nationals. He was only 7 years old but competed in the 10-and-under class. He finished 70th against the older kids.

He was happy because the first 80 got medals. And he also had fun “because I got real muddy.” The cross-country course received a heavy rain the day before he ran.

However, there was some disappointment. “I was hoping to finish in the top 50. All those kids got a free trip to Disney World in Florida,” he said.

The kids all have to keep their school grades up if they want to continue to run.

Jesse admits that he had a few problems this last school year. “I’m the fastest runner but I’m the mostly like to not be able to run,” Jesse said. But, once he was forced to miss practice his grades improved quickly.

The kids have some immediate athletic goals. Megan said she wants to beat her personal bests of 5:18 in the 1,500 and 11:16 in the 3,000.

Jesse wants to qualify for the nationals in three events. He’d like to medal in the 3,200 and the 4x800 relay.

But, he said he wasn’t as optimistic about the 1,600. He said there’s a runner from Michigan who is “scary fast” at that distance.

 

Music

Kid mixes classical music and skateboarding

Fourteen-year-old Evan Antoine will take a big step forward in his classical music training this fall. But, he’ll also continue to shoot and edit original skateboard films.

The former Ritenour Middle School student this fall will begin cello lessons with UMSL Professor Kurt Baldwin. Evan will be one of only two non-college students taking lessons from the college professor.

Evan will be a freshman at Ritenour High School this fall. He’s taken cello lessons for nine years.

But, his interests are much more varied than just music.

For one thing, he’s an honor student who likes school. His favorite subjects are English and math. He also won the Ritenour Middle School’s spelling bee last spring. He was selected as the school’s outstanding music student.

This fall, he said he may try out for Ritenour High’s soccer and basketball teams.

But, his favorite sports activity is skateboarding. And, the making films about the sport.

Like almost every serious skateboarder, he has the injuries to prove his interest. “I fractured my cheekbone and got a concussion in one fall,” he said.

But, he does more than just skate. He and some of his friends like to make instructional films of the sport. They even provide background music on the VHS tapes.

“We shoot with a camcorder. Then, we transfer that to a computer for editing. After editing, we put it back into the camcorder in order to make the VHS tapes,” he said.

The music he plays on his cello is mostly classical music. But, that isn’t the type of musical accompaniment he uses on his skateboard films. Sometimes, he puts in customized music to suit the tape buyer’s tastes.

He said his most unusual background music was Prince’s recording of “Head.”

He said his most difficult skateboard course he’s tried was Extreme Park in Louisville, Ky.

Although he’s gone to summer music camps in Chicago and Ithaca, N.Y. in the past, he’s not going this summer. Rather, he’s taking a physical education class this summer.

“I want to get my P.E. requirement out of the way so I’ll have time to take some college courses later on in high school,” he said.

Evan has been exposed to music early on at home. His father, Gilbert, is a cellist with the Finger Lakes Symphony in upstate New York. His mother, Deborah, is a music teacher at Normandy Middle and High Schools. She plays and teaches the violin and piano.

He said his best musical experience happened earlier this spring. He was one of two soloists who performed at the Young Heroes in Music concert in May.

The Young Heroes program is sponsored by KFUO Radio. It brings together outstanding young African-American musicians for live concerts at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The May 8 concert was broadcast live on Classic 99’s Classic Kids Saturday program.

One of the pieces he played in the Heroes concert was W.H. Squire’s “Tarantella.” He said that’s his favorite piece of music. “It’s fun to play and it’s fast,” he said.

He played his music from memory. He said, “I don’t have any trouble with memorization.”

Evan said the biggest live audience to hear him play was at the Ritenour School District’s String Concert. He had a cello solo before an audience of 800.

Evan admits he doesn’t like to practice very much. However, he also said he practices “from 45 minutes to an hour” every day.

“I’m disciplined as far as practice is concerned,” he said.

He said he’s played concerts solo, in small groups and with whole orchestras. He said his favorite is to be in a small string ensemble.

His favorite musician is Yo Yo Ma. He said he’s seen the noted cellist in live concerts. Yo Yo Ma has appeared a number of times with the St. Louis Symphony in Powell Hall.

Although most of the music Evan plays is classical, he said his favorite type of music is rock. “But, there isn’t much place for the cello in rock music,” he added.

Although his parents are professional musicians and he’s devoted a lot of time to music, he isn’t sure he wants a career in music.

“I’m open to anything right now,” he said.

 

Peace

Kids prepare peace drawings for Bush

Earlier this year, President Bush visited kids at Laclede Elementary School. Late this spring, first graders made drawings on the subject of peace for the president.

St. Louisan Lloyd Harvey is active in getting kids to create artwork with a world peace theme. He and fellow artist Martha Rose led the art-making project in the Laclede school gym.

A total of 39 first graders took part in the art project.

In addition, two classes of second graders and one special education class observed the hour-long project. The second graders were accompanied by art teacher Joseph Randolph.

Harvey’s peace art usually is made by kids who use recycled materials. This time, they used pieces of recycled canvas, on which the kids drew their ideas about piece.

Before the kids started their drawings, Harvey asked them how they would define peace. Among the answers: “Peace means not being violent” and “Peace is an attitude.”

He also asked them to sit quietly and listen to soothing music from a portable sound system. During that time, they thought how to turn their thoughts of peace into art.

Six-year-old Brianna Farrell’s picture of peace involved a drawing of the American flag with people around it. She said peace involves “quiet and non-violence.”

She added, “When I go to a restaurant and I see a flag with people around it, that represents peace to me.”

Six-year-old Cedric Benbow said peace includes “behavior, attitude and sharing.” Also, it means “paying attention in class,” “always telling the truth to the teacher” and “no fighting.”

Classmate Jameka Liston defined peace this way: “If you fall on the ground and one of your friends picks you up, you’ll be happy.”

Seven-year-old Ramel Robinson thinks of peace as “mostly when I’m alone and its quiet.” He said he can feel peaceful with his family “if they’re quiet.”

For his peace artwork, Ramel made a drawing of the sun. He thought of peace as a “sunshiny day with a flag flying,” he said.

Seven-year-old Darius Kimple said he also equates peace as “no violence and all quiet.”

His artwork involved a drawing of two houses, with trees and flowers.

Harvey’s work with the Laclede kids was the last school project under a grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. The grant called for all peace work to be created on recyclable materials.

Usually, Harvey will select the best art panels and put them together as a wall-hanging or some other art display. He had an example of this type of display on the gym floor in the middle of the students.

Some of his earlier work has been used in traveling peace exhibits. Those exhibits have been showed both in this country and abroad.

But, in the class of the Laclede artwork, he was thinking of putting the panels into a packet and sending it to President Bush. That would be a reminder of his visit to Laclede earlier this year.

Harvey’s “Peace Project” has a slogan, “A celebration of peace and cultural diversity.”

Some of the Laclede kids like to do artwork at home, as well as in school.

Brianna Farrell said she likes to “draw people walking their dogs.”

Jameka Liston said she does “artwork sometimes at home on the weekends.” She likes to trace pictures for the book, “Hello Kitties with their Friends.”

Ramel Robinson’s artwork at home involves drawing runners and other sports people. “I draw the figures and then paint them,” he said.

Darius Kimple said he doesn’t do artwork at home. “I’d rather read,” he said.

Regarding recycling, most of the kids said they didn’t do that at home. However, Ramel Robinson said his family did recycle metal cans.

 

ProfileSecond in a series

Fenton kid earns Achiever status
with many accomplishments

Twelve-year-old Jimmy Gordon spent the day before last Memorial Day putting small American flags by graves at the Jefferson Barracks national cemetery. Earlier, he volunteered during the Scouting for Food and Math-a-thon drives.

These are just some of the volunteer efforts that helped the Fenton, Mo., kid win a 2004 Gateway Young Achiever award. He is one of 12 St. Louis-area kids who received $1,000 savings bond awards in the area competition.

Young Achiever awards are given to outstanding elementary, middle and high school kids. The award honors them for their school accomplishments and activities, along with the volunteer efforts.

Young Saint Louis.com has covered the Young Achiever program for three years. YSL.com likes the program because it honors local kids who make contributions to their communities at young ages.

This fall, Jimmy will be a sixth grader at Rockwood South Middle School. But, his Achiever award was based on contributions while at Uthoff Valley Elementary School.

Jimmy said he gets personal enjoyment out of his volunteer efforts.

He said the Scouting for Food effort is one of his favorites. “That’s one of the really fun activities in Scouting. Everyone liked that one,” he said.

In that drive, local scouts distribute plastic bags in their neighborhoods. Then, a week later, they collect the bags which have been filled with food by neighborhood families.

He said one thing lacking in this effort is seeing the joy of people who get the food.

But, last Christmas, another of Jimmy’s volunteer efforts brought him closer to the people he served. The Uthoff Special Chorus did a holiday concert at an area nursing home.

“You could see the people relax and have a good time,” he said. The chorus sang a concert that included “a lot of classical Christmas songs,” he added.

Jimmy’s life includes a wide range of diverse activities. There’s accelerated reading, sports, artwork, music and martial arts.

He was even selected as Uthoff Valley’s Featured Artist last September. His drawing of an Indian with half of his face in shadow was picked as the month’s best artwork.

But, he admits his younger sister, 10-year-old Sarah, has trumped him in art. Her drawing of a bear in the woods, done in a vibrant Central American style, hangs on a special art wall at the school. This wall contains outstanding artwork selected over several years.

This summer, Jimmy said he was going to “take it easy.” That means he’s only going to participate in Boy Scouts, baseball and martial arts. He decided to pass on participating in the Fenton Swim Team.

“But, I’m re-reading the whole Harry Potter series,” he said.

Reading is one of his favorite activities. He’s been a member of his school’s 100- and 200-point Accelerated Reading programs. Students earn varying numbers of points for different types of books.

The highest number of points are given for classical books or ones that have serious messages. His favorites: “Hunt for Red October,” a wartime submarine story, and “Once and Future King,” of King Arthur’s efforts to establish a just kingdom.

In music, in addition to singing, he plays an instrument. Last year, it was playing cello in the Uthoff Valley Strings. “But, I’m moving to the trumpet and will take lessons,” he said.

He’s not sure he’s done switching his musical choice. “I haven’t found the instrument that’s really me,” he said. The trumpet may not be it but “I’m pretty sure the final choice will be in the brass field,” he said.

In sports, he’s played baseball for six years and been a swim team member for three. He’s fairly new at martial arts but tested in June for an orange belt in goshinjitsu.

Although he passed on swimming this summer, he said he’s pretty sure he’ll resume that.

And, as he moves into middle school, he’s considering trying out for tennis and volleyball.

He also wants to get active in the middle school’s video game and drama clubs.

Last school year, Jimmy had a speaking part in one of Uthoff Valley Elementary’s musicals. The musical was about kids listening to stories by older people.

“I had an easy part. I was a kid, said a few lines, listened to the stories and ate chocolate chip cookies on stage,” he said. In this play, he didn’t even sing any of the songs.

Jimmy said he considers his father to be his primary role model. “He helps me out in tough situations and he helps me concentrate,” he said.

(For more about Young Achiever, visit their website at www.youngachievers.us.)

 

St. Louis History

This Month in St. Louis History

Local July events include aviation, railroads

Key events in St. Louis aviation and railroad industries happened in Julys past. Also, July was a key date in progress toward integration here.

Another July event was the opening of the first free school west of the Mississippi in 1818. And a World War II movie icon, St. Louisan Betty Grable died in July, 1975.

These are some of the highlights of rich St. Louis history provided to Young Saint Louis.com by the Missouri History Museum. You might like to make a habit of checking the organization’s website at www.mohistory.org.

James S. McDonnell and Donald W. Douglas

Donald Douglas started his aviation company on July 22, 1920. James McDonnell started his on July 6, 1939.

Together, the companies became best known in St. Louis as McDonnell-Douglas. That company had key roles in all sorts of aviation history, from early planes to space exploration. The local aviation history now lives on in the Boeing Company, into which McDonnell-Douglas was merged.

The lives of the two aviation pioneers had many parallels. Both were of Scottish ancestry. Also, both graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They also both were chief engineers for the Glen L. Martin Co., an early aircraft maker.

For a more history of the men and their companies, visit www.boeing.com/history/mdc.

Missouri Pacific Railroad

What is now the giant Missouri Pacific Railroad actually began on July 4, 1851, with the ground-breaking in St. Louis for the Pacific Railroad.

The original charter called for construction of a railroad “to extend from St. Louis via Jefferson City to the western boundary of Missouri and then to the Pacific Ocean.”

The grand plan started pretty small. On Dec. 9, 1852, the first segment of the railroad opened for service. It was four miles long.

But, it did carry the first railroad train operated west of the Mississippi River.

From that modest beginning has grown a huge railroad company with almost 12,000 miles of track. It stretches throughout the Southwest and West of this country. The railroad was important to the growth of the country west of the Mississippi.

For more about the growth of railroading from St. Louis, you can read a history of the Missouri Pacific Railroad at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/history/mp/mphis.html.

St. Philippine Duchesne

St. Philippine Duchesne opened the first free school west of the Mississippi River in 1818 in St. Charles. She also established Sacred Heart education in America with other schools in Florissant, St. Louis and New Orleans.

The key July date was July 3, 1988. That’s the day that she was canonized, becoming St. Louis’ first Catholic saint.

The Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne in St. Charles is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The address is 619 N. Second St., St. Charles, MO 63301. For information, call (636) 946-6127.

The shrine stands adjacent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

For more about the history, visit www.ash1818.org/shrine.htm

Lunch counter integration

Civil rights activism took many forms in St. Louis. One of the more visible ones involved efforts to integrate lunch counters in various St. Louis stores.

One key date was July 8, 1947, when 40 black and 15 white women tried to integrate the lunch counter at Stix, Baer and Fuller. The department story closed down the lunch counters rather than serve an integrated clientele.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that integration of department store eating establishments was completed.

Much of the credit for that went to the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

This chapter of St. Louis’ history is included in the Missouri History Museum’s Seeking St. Louis exhibition. It is Stop No. 10 on the Reflections tour, which tells the stories of St. Louisans who shaped the city’s history.

For more, visit www.mohistory.org. Then, click on African American exhibits section.

Betty Grable (1916-1973)

During World War II, a pinup picture of St. Louisan Betty Grable probably was the most recognized photo in the country. She went on to become one of the most popular actresses in the nation.

Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable in St. Louis on Dec. 18, 1916. She died July 3, 1973.

She made over 40 films. One of the most mentioned events of her life occurred in 1943, when Lloyds of London insured her legs for up to $1 million. She was Hollywood’s main attraction at the box office at the time.

She is one of the St. Louisans with a star on the Walk of Fame in University City.

For more about her life, visit www.mutoworld.com/GrableBio.htm.

 

From “St. Louis World’s Fair 365”

Lots of Fair “firsts” in July, 1904

(Editor’s note: St. Louis author Joe Sonderman has produced a book of trivia from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Sonderman has granted Young Saint Louis.com permission to quote some monthly tidbits on this 100th anniversary of the fair.)

The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair opened on April 30. Before it ended late in the year, a total of 19,694, 855 people had attended the exposition. The highest attendance was on December 1, when 293,101 attended.

There were a number of “firsts” introduced during the fair. A couple of them happened in July, 1904, when this YSL.com feature opens. They included first adoption of fingerprinting by St. Louis police and the making of the first ice cream cone.

The 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis also were the first to award gold, silver and bronze placement medals.

(If you would like a copy of “St. Louis World’s Fair 365,” they are available at local book stories or at www.booksonstlouis.com.)

Here are a sample of the 114 items mentioned in the July chapter of Sonderman’s book:

July 1, 1904: The first international competitions at the 1904 Olympics began. Due to the distances involved and the Russian-Japanese war, only 13 nations sent athletes. Over 500 of the 687 competitors were Americans. The games were the first to which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded.

July 2, 1904: Plans for “Negro Day” on August 1 were abandoned. A committee of black men, headed by attorney Walter Farmer, decided not to participate. They were reacting to reports of discrimination at the fair. Many leading black orators and organizations were refusing to come.

July 3, 1904: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company announced that attendance had doubled in June. Total admissions for the month totaled 2,121,836, including 540,340 in the past week. Total admissions for the fair (since the April opening,) topped 3.5 million.

July 4, 1904: The real fireworks of the day came at the Mining Gulch, where nitroglycerin was used to torpedo an oil well. The explosion sent dirt and rock flying through the air. The oil well was not just an exhibit. It was a real rig, with drills in actual operation. The Gulch also offered working copper, turquoise and lead mines.

July 6, 1904: The U.S. Marines claimed they had been under fire at the fair. Over 60 members of the Philippine constabulary assaulted 10 marines on The Pike. The marines drove them off, but the constabulary came back armed. Marine reinforcements arrived and threw them back again as shots rang out. No one was hurt.

July 10, 1904: “The Cascades” by musician Scott Joplin was another popular song during the fair. Fair management frowned on ragtime. Joplin and most ragtime entertainers were exiled on The Pike. But, several white musicians performed his song on the fairgrounds, including John Philip Sousa’s Band.

July 18, 1904: The big electrical convention began. The World’s Fair was a showcase for the electronic marvels of the age, including wireless telegraphy, massive generators, electric ovens, x-ray equipment and hearing aids. Thomas Edison shot a motion picture of a parade on The Pike. The Western and Patterson companies exhibited biograph (motion picture) equipment.

July 27, 1904: Plans were unveiled for a special temporary Police Court near the World’s Fair grounds. The majority of the 150 cases coming before the police court judge each day were of people arrested at or near the fair. The Police Board objected to the plan to use the Mounted Police station at Forest Park.

July 29, 1904: The International Association of Ice Cream Makers says Syrian immigrant Ernest Hamwi invented the ice cream cone on this date. Hamwi sold zalabia, a crisp wafer-like pastry. When ice cream vendor Charles Menches ran out of dishes, Hamwi supposedly plunked a scope of ice cream atop a zalabia. Other ice cream vendors bought his waffles and called the new treat “World’s Fair Cornucopia.” Hamwi was certainly the man who popularized them.

July 31, 1904: The St. Louis Police Department announced it would adopt the fingerprint method of identification on a trial basis. The method introduced at the fair by Scotland Yard would be utilized in conjunction with the Bertillion Method of photographs and measurements. Bertillion superintendent John Shea was to begin lessons in fingerprinting.

(Editor’s note: Watch for monthly features from “St. Louis World’s Fair 365” as the second part of YSL.com’s This Month in St. Louis History. We will run the fair feature through December, 2004.)

Things To Do

Places to Go, Things to Do

Mighty Mud Mania and more in July

Mighty Mud Mania is coming Saturday, July 31. What could be more fun that playing in the mud with hundreds of other kids.

Mud Mania is just one of dozens of special events sponsored in July by the St. Louis County Parks.

There are also lots of other outdoor activities sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Trailnet, Inc. The International Institute also has a neat Festival of Nations, where you can see lows of St. Louisans who have come from other countries.

Here’s a rundown on some of the activities that will be right for kids and their families during July:

Mighty Mud Mania

The St. Louis County Parks go all out on Mud Mania. There’s an obstacle course built in a “pit of slippery, gooey mud.” In addition, there are 10 additional fun theme areas, such as inflatable rides and treasure sand pits.

The event at Jefferson Barracks Park in south St. Louis is often a sellout, so you need to register ahead of time. Call (314) 638-2100. You will be assigned starting times so you’ll avoid long lines.

The charge is $6 in advance and $7 at the gate.

As far as kids are concerned, the best endorsement for Mud Mania comes in the instructions of what to wear. Under “cleanup,” the instructions say: “Remember, the clothes worn in the mud pit should be old clothes of little value.”

In other words, wear stuff you are willing to throw away. There are even special barrels where too-dirty clothes can be thrown away. (You bring another set of clothes to be worn after you shower.)

For more information visit www.stlouisco.com/parks. Then click on Mud Mania on the left-hand index on the home page.

Festival of Nations

The Festival of Nations showcases performances, foods and crafts of over 100 local ethnic groups in St. Louis. It will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, in Tower Grove Park.

The Saturday program will start with a Parade of Nations at 10 a.m. Then, Saturday festival hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Sunday, hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is free.

There will be two performance stages for non-stop entertainment. Also, there are food booths to introduce ethnic cuisine from across the world.

There are hands-on demonstrations of fine handicraft traditions. Also, gift booths will have handmade goods for sale.

A special children’s area will provide activities for kids’ participation.

For more, visit the International Institute’s website: www.iistl.org/events/festival.asp.

Columbia Bottom area

The newly-opened Columbia Bottom Conservation Area will have a neat Wetland Discovery Week in late July. This area located at the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers is ideally equipped to display wetlands.

The Wetland Discovery Week begins on Monday, July 26. Kids will study wetland soils that day. On Wednesday, July 28, there will be wetland plants. And on Friday, July 30, the show is on wetland animals.

Two other theme weeks at Columbia Bottom include Outdoor Skills Week and Birding Week. For a complete program, see www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/areas/bottom.

Other Missouri Department of Conservation areas include the Busch Memorial area in St. Charles County, Powder Valley Nature Center and the Rockwoods Reservation, both in St. Louis County.

In addition, there are two shooting ranges, The Busch Range and the Jay Henges Range.

Each of the other areas also have a variety of programs for kids and families. You can find information on each area by going to the main website at www.mdc.mo.gov/areas.

Outdoor Adventures

The St. Louis County Parks publishes a special Outdoor Adventures booklet. In “Gone Fishin’ 2004,” there are a variety fishing, hiking, camping, paddling and nature opportunities.

The Outer Limits Camps are special ones. There are three different camping periods in July: July 5-9; July 12-16, and July 19-23. All three of the July ones are for kids 10-12.

Campers get to experience canoeing, caving, team challenge course, map and compass, games and an overnight on Thursday night.

A total of 65 different activities and camps are available during July. Visit the County Parks website at www.stlouis.com/parks.

Trailnet’s Bike to the Fair

Trailnet’s Kids’ Fun Bike Ride for July will be on Sunday, July 4. The official name is the Fair Saint Louis Riverfront Bicycle Ride and Gateway Geyser Festival.

There are routes that go 14, 26, 39 or 48 miles. You start at the Illinois side of the Eads Bridge and go up the St. Louis Riverfront Trail to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Longer routes take you to Alton.

When the rides are over, riders are invited to join the Gateway Geyser Festival, which will be just south of the Casino Queen. You’ll be just a short ride away from Fair Saint Louis, where you can get free secure valet bike parking.

For information on all Trailnet activities, visit www.trailnet.org/events.html.

 

Math Puzzler

With summer vacation on, Mr. Math Puzzler turns to questions about pizza, card games and spending money.

There are two questions about pizza and one each about card games and spending money. But, you’ll still need to use regular math principles to find out the answers.

And doing some fun Puzzlers will keep your math skills sharp during the summer.

When you get together with your friends to play Gameboy, video games or maybe a board game or two, why not try to answer Math Puzzlers. Then, you can all submit entry forms and find out who’s the winner.

In this case, if you get all six Puzzlers correct, you’ll get your name listed in the August edition. Also, you’ll have a chance to win a $10 Borders gift certificate.

Before entering the Math Puzzler contest, you ought to check on answers to past questions. You can do that by clicking on Past Stories on the Home Page. Then, pick any month from September, 2001, on.

In addition to next month’s Puzzlers, there’s also a story that gives the answers to the previous month’s questions. Then, after some study, you’ll be ready to enter this July contest.

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, 2004, Math Puzzler Contest:

Name: ___________________________________ Age: ____

Address: ______________________ School: _____________

City:_____________________, State:_____ ZIP___________

Contact phone no.(____)____________________

The Math Puzzlers
(July, 2004)

1. The 30 students in a class line up in a row. The largest number of consecutive boys in a row is 4. What is the maximum number of boys in the class?

Answer: _______________

 

2. For how many different two-digit numbers is the tens digit larger than the ones digit?

Answer: _____________

 

3. In how many different ways can you receive $20 from your bank if you ask for paper money only? (No $2 bills please.) (Mr. Math Puzzler suggests using a table.)

Answer: _____________

 

4. To make a 12-inch pizza, you need 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. You have only 1 1/4 cups of cheese. What diameter pizza, to the nearest inch, should you make so that the 1 1/4 cups of cheese will taste as “cheesy” as the 1 1/2 cups on the 12-inch pizza?

Answer: _____________

 

5. How many different kinds of pizza can be ordered if you can top them with any combination of sausage, pepperoni, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and olives? Each topping can be used once on a pizza. (Hint: This is a probability question.) (Note: Cheese isn’t listed because all pizza has cheese.)

Answer: _____________

 

6. A board game for 2 to 6 players has a deck of cards that always can be divided evenly among all the players. What is the smallest number of cards possible?

Answer: _____________

 

Rowland Han of Wydown Middle School was the only winner in the June Math Puzzler contest. Actually, the contest required 12 answers because a couple questions had multiple answers.

For instance, In Question 5, five different possible number combinations were correct.

And, Question 6 needed an answer for each of three different cubes.

Two other kids gave 11 correct answers. But, in Question 5, they included only four of the five possible combinations.

For July, Mr. Math Puzzler has taken into account that school is out. Therefore, next month’s Puzzlers deal with things more suited to vacation time. For instance, there are two questions concerning pizza and one each about card games and spending money.

Mr. Math Puzzler is Wayne Hesse of Green Park Lutheran School in south St. Louis County.

He suggests that competing in the Math Puzzler contest would be a good group activity for the summer. You and your friends could enter the July Math Puzzler competition while enjoying the outdoor weather.

Then, when the August edition comes, you’ll find out how you and your friends did. Maybe, if you get all six Puzzlers correct, you might even win one of the $10 Borders gift certificates that are awarded to winners.

Before trying, however, you ought to check answers to past questions. That way, you can find out how Mr. Math Puzzler’s mind works.

You can do that by clicking on Past Stories on the Home Page. Pick any month from September, 2001, on. Each month, there’s a story that gives the answers to the previous month’s questions.

Answers for June Math Puzzlers

1. What is the speed in miles per hour (rounded to the nearest mph) of a race car that travels the length of a football field (100 yards) in one second?

Answer: 205 mph

The explanation: There are 1,760 yards per mile. If the car goes 100 yards in one second, it would take 17.6 seconds per mile. There are 3,600 seconds per hour, so dividing 3,600 by 17.6 seconds translates into 204.54 miles per hour. Rounding that out brings you to 205 mph.

 

2. Segments AB and CD are diameters of the circle and their lengths are 2 inches each. Find the perimeter of the shaded region (see diagram).

Answer: 7 inches

The explanation: The circumference of a circle is Pi times the diameter. Or, in this case, 6.28 inches. Then, you divide that by 2 since the shaded areas are only half of the total circumference or 3.14 inches. Then, you add 4 inches to take into account the four radius lines that enclose the shaded area to make the perimeter. That’s 7.14 inches, rounded to 7 inches.

 

3. Find the measure of each interior angle of a stop sign.