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STL Water Garden Society Looks for Hosts to Show Off Their Ponds at Pond-O-Rama

2 years 8 months ago
SAINT LOUIS - The 24th annual Water Garden Pond Tour, also known as Pond-O-Rama, is once again in the works, and the St. Louis Water Garden Society is looking for local hosts to showcase their ponds. The event invites attendees to tour water gardens in the Greater St. Louis area. St. Louis Water Garden Society members have volunteered to show their gardens over the weekend of June 22 and 23, 2024. Ginny Mueller, who chairs the event, hopes to find more hosts in the Riverbend region. “I’d love to have some hosts over in Alton. That would be fantastic,” she said. “It’s really a nice community event. You have people from all walks of life, and I think that’s what makes it so interesting. It’s for everybody, the young and the old as well as everybody in between.” Mueller explained that Pond-O-Rama invites hosts to display their hard work while educating people about how to build and sustain a water garden. She remembers a couple who

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Letter To The Editor: Executive Director Calls for Support, Not Violence, for Alton Youth

2 years 8 months ago
To Whom It May Concern: I write to you today with a heavy heart, echoing the sentiments of our entire community, as we mourn the tragic loss of a 13-year-old girl, Ra’Niya Steward, to a senseless act of gun violence. The recent drive-by shooting that claimed her innocent life has sent shockwaves throughout the City of Alton, leaving us grappling with grief, anger, and an urgent call to action. At the YWCA, our mission is deeply rooted in eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all persons. The devastating loss of this young girl underscores the pressing need for us to confront the pervasive issue of gun violence and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. What makes this tragedy even more alarming is the fact that the perpetrators of this heinous act were themselves mere teenagers—16 and 19 years old. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the root causes of violence and provide our youth

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Ex-NFL Player Advocates for Youth Overcoming Adversity in Free Webinar

2 years 8 months ago
Centerstone will co-host, along with Illinois First Judicial Circuit, Heritage Behavioral Health and Kane County System of Care, the no-cost “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” webinar on March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT featuring advocate, speaker and former NFL player Gaelin Elmore. CEUs will be available. “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and ACEs” is geared toward professional and person caregivers of youth, however everyone is welcome to attend. To register or for more information, visit bit.ly/032624belonging . The purpose of this webinar is to help caregivers of youth erase the belonging deficit by: Understanding the vital nature of belonging for human flourishing Discussing the correlation between belonging, development, and flourishing Utilizing the CARE model to meet the belonging needs of youth Belonging is a vital component of human flourishing. However,

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From Driveway Sales to Gallery Display: Milton Artist of the Month Talks Inspiration

2 years 8 months ago
ALTON - As a little kid, Madison Wells sold drawings at the end of her grandmother’s driveway. Today, her paintings are on display at Milton Schoolhouse. After a decade-long break in her art, Wells is the Artist of the Month at Milton for February and March. She said it’s been a long journey, but a great experience to rediscover her passion for art, reading, yoga and more after a divorce. She loves her son, she loves her job, and she is learning to love her art. “I guess that’s what my paintings are, just like a piece of me on paper,” she said. “When I was in that marriage, I kind of lost myself, lost my passions and things like that…It’s been very cathartic and just kind of surreal in a way because everything in my life has kind of led up to being able to rediscover it.” Her 8-year-old son Emmett has helped her to do this. Emmett also loves to draw and paint, and the two of them will often go up to Wells’s art studio

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