COMPLIMENTARY

stlamerican.comVol. 82 No. 47CAC Audited

FEB. 24 – MAR. 2, 2011

First Place#1 Black Weekly in U.S.

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‘Ruined’ preserved in St. LouisBlack Rep stays true to Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize-winning play.

INSIDE

Six NBA questions that are key to season

What can the New YorkKnicks accomplish rightaway with CarmeloAnthony in the fold?

BUSINESS

North City project helps MBE expand

BRK ElectricalContractors adds WilsonMcCaskill III as projectmanager on rec center.

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BLACK HISTORY

You’ve got mail fromThurgood Marshall

Reading the civil rightsattorney and SupremeCourt justice’s early letters reveals some surprises.

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NEWS

SLPS super’s contract extended

Kelvin R. Adams acceptscontract to lead St. LouisPublic Schools for threemore years.

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By Lango DeenFor The St. Louis American

Washington, D.C. –“It’s been 25 yearsof inspiration,” Ted Childs, a retired diver-sity executive at IBM Corporation, said

Saturday at the 25thannual BlackEngineer of the YearAwards in thenation’s capital.

The BlackEngineer of the YearAwards (BEYA),produced by CareerCommuni-cationsGroup, showcasesAfrican-Americantalent in science,technology, engi-neering and mathand provides stu-dents with pathwaysto lucrative techni-cal careers.

“It’s an opportu-nity to connect at ahigh level of intelli-gence and capitalwith business peo-ple who are inter-ested in science,mathematics andengineering andwho never get anopportunity to rec-ognize or connectwith one another,”said David Steward,founder and chair-man of St. Louis-

based Worldwide Technology, Inc., whoattended the event on Saturday.

In praiseof blackengineersBEYA is where corporate Americameets and encouragesblack talent

� “It showsthe intellectualcapital in the black communityand the leadership in the blackcommunityand the valuewe bring.”

– David Steward

By Rebecca S. RivasOf The St. Louis American

Drumming rang through the ball-room of the Kappa Alpha PsiFraternity House, 500 N.Vandeventer Ave.

A few of the mothers and relatives

of the drummers started to move.Fourteen pre-adolescent African-American boys lined up in the backof the room with their parents, amajority of them single mothers.

The boys were dressed in white-

Boys wakingup as menImani Rites of Passage offers Afrocentric mentoring

See BOYS, A7

Dave Holt made African masks with his children Denise and Daniel at a Black History Month pro-gram hosted recently at Cold Water Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District.

Black History with DadPhoto by Wiley Price

See BEYA, A8

By Sandra JordanOf The St. Louis American

The investigation continues intothe origin of stains on a sterilized traythat halted operations in the surgicalunit at the John Cochran Division ofthe St. Louis VA Medical Center.

While surgical operations remainsuspended, the VA held a surpriseshow-and-tell last week (Feb. 16) byopening up its surgical and dentalfacilities to select media.

Present was a team of experts,including Cochran’s Medical

Director Rima Ann Nelson;Surgery Chief, Dr. MichaelCrittenden; Chief Engineer

Keith Repko; regional and nationalVA representatives; and CharlesHancock, an independent sterilizationconsultant.

Two other independent consultinggroups have also been part of theinvestigation of processes involved in

VA PROBES STERILIZATION GLITCH‘I want to regain the trust of our veterans’

See VA, A6

By Rebecca S. RivasOf The St. Louis American

A song-filled celebration on Friday,Feb. 18 honored the life of PastorRobert Maurice Franklin Sr., founderand senior pastor of the GreaterFellowship Baptist Church, who died

Feb. 12, 2011. He was 77.The Friday morning homecoming

celebration at New Sunny MountMissionary Baptist Church broughttogether more than 20 pastors andmany community leaders, includingSt. Louis County Executive Charlie A.Dooley.

“We are at a celebration,” Dooleysaid. “We are living in the land of the

Celebrating Pastor FranklinPatriarch in a family of ministers remembered

� “We’ll resume when wetruly understand what this is.”

– Dr. Michael Crittenden,surgery chief

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Sports

U. City honors Coach Crenshaw andHasan Houston

School district will honorformer basketball coachEd Crenshaw and starplayer Hasan Houston.

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dying, and he is in the land of the liv-ing.”

Many family members, who arealso pastors, shared memories,prayers and songs, calling Robert the“patriarch.” Robert was the firstordained minister in the family, andhe used his influence to lead others toChrist, they said. Now the family hasmore than 10 ministers, includingbishops and pastors.

Their light-hearted stories ofRobert were typically followed by a

� “He loved fellowship somuch he named a churchafter it.”

– Larry Davis Jr.

See FRANKLIN, A6

Dr. Michael Crittenden, chief of surgery at St. Louis VA MedicalCenter, inspects a recovery area for patients with service line tech-nician Carbie Floyd.

Photo by Wiley Price

Cordell Barrett listens asBrother Phillip Berrymakes his welcomingspeech and proclamationduring Saturday's ceremony.

Photo by Wiley Price