Keaveny: Urban League Promotes Economic Development, Women's Safe House, Eads Bridge Project

Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis - Promoting Economic Empowerment

Urban League has worked to better the St. Louis community for more than 90 years.

Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis was created to empower African Americans and others throughout the St. Louis area to secure economic self-reliance, social equality, and civil rights. Through advocacy, coalition building, program services, and promoting communication and understanding among different races and cultures, the organization continues to serve as a catalyst for change.

I am proud to support this organization that continues to provide African Americans and others in the St. Louis region with the chance to create economically self-sufficient lives within our community that have boundless growth and opportunity. Several programs have been designed by the Urban League to address issues facing citizens in our area, including:

• Economic empowerment
• Education quality and equality
• Meeting families' basic needs
• Civic engagement and social justice

To learn more about these and other priorities found within the organization, please contact their communications office at (314) 615-3600 or visit www.ulstl.org.

Providing Shelter and Hope for St. Louis Women

In the St. Louis area, more than 20,000 children are affected by domestic violence, more than 3,600 women and children are turned away each year at shelters because they are at capacity, and 27 percent of residents in homeless shelters statewide are victims of domestic violence.

Fortunately, there's an organization in the St. Louis area designed to provide victims of domestic violence with the shelter and hope they need to help women make a better future for themselves and their families. The Women's Safe House (TWSH), founded in 1977, was the first domestic violence shelter established in our area. Now, since moving to a larger facility in 1999, this organization has provided more than 150,000 worry-free nights at no cost for nearly 6,000 abused women and children.

Attorney General Chris Koster recently proposed efforts to revise Missouri's domestic violence laws. These revisions will include input from shelter professionals and women's advocates from across Missouri.

Domestic violence should not be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is a victim of this terrible crime, please contact TWSH's crisis hotline at (314) 772-4535. This line is staffed 24-hours a day with compassionate and caring individuals who want to assist those who are seeking help.

You can also learn more about TWSH's services, including:

• Residential and children's programs
• Outreach and aftercare
• Community education
• Volunteer opportunities

For more information about how to participate in the organization's volunteer program, visit www.twsh.org.

100 Recovery Act Projects Changing America — St. Louis's Historic Eads Bridge

The Eads Bridge, built in 1874, is a registered National Historic Landmark that spans the Mississippi River between Missouri and Illinois.

Thanks to the Federal Recovery Act that was passed in 2009, projects are underway to put American citizens back to work and build the economy back up for both the present and the future. The Recovery Act has taken on thousands of new projects, from restoring historic landmarks and expanding highways, to investing in clean energy. An estimated three million people are now back to work because of the Recovery Act, and citizens are taking more pride in their renovated communities. One such project established in our great city is the restoration of the historic Eads Bridge.

With construction beginning in the spring of 2011, the $25 million restoration of this landmark will bring an estimated 875 construction-related jobs over the two-year projected production, which will greatly benefit out-of-work Missouri citizens.

Once the restoration is finished, the bridge will be in excellent standing for decades to come, and St. Louis will be even grander than before.  For more information on this and other projects in Missouri, please visit www.transform.mo.gov.

Roosevelt and Gateway Schools Receive Smaller Learning Communities Grant

I am proud to say that two of our district's largest schools, Roosevelt and Gateway High Schools, will share a five-year grant amounting to almost $4 million. The grant will achieve the establishment of Smaller Learning Communities within the two schools.

This grant will benefit both students and teachers, allowing students to receive supplementary tutoring and learn in a smaller, hands-on environment, and teachers will be granted more common planning time. More specifically, the grant will support the high schools' College Resource Centers and will provide more help for students who are struggling with reading and math.

The grant has been provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Smaller Learning Communities program, whose mission is to advance the academic achievement of pupils and to help prepare them for success in postsecondary instruction.

For more information on St. Louis Public Schools, please visit www.slps.org or call (314) 231-3720.

The I Am Foundation Football Challenge

Football players' good grades and hard work provided their high schools with new grants to purchase equipment.

The St. Louis Ram's safety Oshiomogho Atogwe presented a challenge encouraging a number of area high school football players to get studying. The challenge provided financial grants from Atogwe's I Am Foundation, and the grants were given to two schools based on the football players' grade point averages. Another grant was awarded to a high school based on the players' grade-point-average improvement.

Three high school principals, two of whom represent the St. Louis Public School District, happily accepted their grants on behalf of their studious football players on Aug. 23 at the Russell Training Center.

The Oshiomogho Atogwe I Am Foundationwas founded to support education of children in need. The grants awarded for the challenge were to be used for non-salary associated costs, including the purchase of football equipment.

Congratulations to our hard-working football players — keep up the great work!

For more information on the Oshiomogho Atogwe I Am Foundation, please call (314) 291-1880 or visit www.ifsh.org.

SciFest at the St. Louis Science Center

SciFest, the St. Louis Science Center's International Science Festival, was held Oct. 12 ­– 17, entertaining and educating thousands. The event hosted nearly 100 activities, from film festivals in the OMNIMAX Theater, family fun nights and musical performances by the Strings of Arda of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Several of the most popular activities were designed for the enjoyment of young students. A few of those activities included topics on agriculture, states of matter, and astronomy.

I recently attended a forum held at the St. Louis Science Center to discuss the importance of educating our youth in the fields of science and technology in order to compete globally. To view the forum, visit www.scifeststl.org.

The St. Louis Science Center has many more upcoming events, including World Usability Day, Home School Days, HealthFest, and Family Med School Day.

Admission to the St. Louis Science Center is FREE. For more information about the St. Louis Science Center, please visit www.slsc.org or call (314) 289-4400.

Missouri Child Care and Early Education

Quality early education is a top priority for me. To ensure that students are adequately prepared for their education, I sponsored SB 969 during the 2010 legislative session, which requires children to attend kindergarten at age five.

I will focus on early childhood education for the 2011 legislative session by supporting quality early childhood education programs, funding options, and universal pre-Kindergarten.

Child Care Aware of Missouri (formerly Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network) strives to prepare children for early education. This organization ensures parents that their children are provided with excellent daycare.

Child Care Aware of Missouri provides data reports on:

• Child care supply and demand
• Community needs assessments
• Family and work consulting
• Funding for scholarships that help families pay for child care

With our children safe and well-educated, Missouri will have a bright future with brilliant leaders. To learn more regarding Child Care Aware of Missouri, visit www.mo.childcareaware.org or call 1-800-424-2246.

Capitol Dialogue Appearance: Missouri Fair Tax

The fair tax would replace all state income taxes with a single broad state consumption tax on retail sales.

Recently, two of my fellow lawmakers and I met to discuss the issue of fair tax and how it affects Missouri citizens. I don't believe the answer to creating more jobs in Missouri is changing our state to a right-to-work or a fair tax state. We have a delicate balance between Missouri's state sales tax and our state's income tax. To be totally dependant on one form of funding I think would be a big mistake.

To watch this 30-minute episode online, visit the Missouri Senate Newsroom website at www.senate.mo.gov/newsroom and click on the Capitol Dialogue link on the right hand side of the page.

Mississippi River Barge Trip

This past October, St. Louis Earth Day, a non-profit organization promoting the education of protecting our environment, hosted its 11th annual Earth Day Symposium, Planning for Clean Water and Healthy Communities.

Festivities started with a barge trip along the Mississippi River. Local leaders had the opportunity to discuss channel maintenance, levee and flood protection, river industry, environmental mitigation projects, and efforts to protect and improve natural habitats and the environment along the navigation route.

I would like to thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and St. Louis Earth Day workers and volunteers for all their dedication and hard work toward this symposium.

I was happy to write a letter of support for this organization so that they can continue protecting our natural resource.

Announcements

Voting

• Need to know where you're going to vote this November? Visit www.sos.mo.gov.

Tax Credits

• To see if your business or organization is eligible for a Department of Economic Development (DED) tax credit, loan, or grant, please visit www.missouridevelopment.org.
• Please e-mail to inquire about a written support letter for your organization. I am happy to support organizations that support our community.

Unclaimed Property

• Missourians can now sign up to be notified through e-mail whenever the state is holding unclaimed property in their names. Click here to enroll, or visit www.treasurer.mo.gov.

School and Organization Tours

• Please e-mail if you would like Sen. Keaveny to tour your school or facility to understand your needs.

Organization Announcements

• If you have an upcoming event in your ward, neighborhood or organization, or if you would like your organization featured in this publication, please e-mail or call my office at (573) 751-3599.

October Keaveny Connection Correction

• Each year, the Missouri Bar recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to legislation affecting the administration of justice and the integrity of the judiciary. Senator Keaveny, who proposed SB 920 to modify provisions of law relating to wills and trusts, was one of several lawmakers who received the Missouri Bar's legislative award