COMPLIMENTARY

stlamerican.comVol. 82 No. 52CAC Audited

MAR. 31 – APR. 6, 2011

HEALTH SALUTE

First Place#1 Black Weekly in U.S.

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Vote Tuesday, April 5Broad community support for Hattie Jackson for trustee

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‘An open set of arms to the public’Chalana Oliver reaches out to community for Jake ZimmermanBy Rebecca S. RivasOf The St. Louis American

Chalana Oliver will never forget theday she learned she would be sworn intothe Missouri Bar.

Oliver, the political director for stateRep. Jake Zimmerman’s campaign for St.Louis County Assessor, recalls readingher name from an online list on April 31,2010.

“I collapsed on the floor and startedbawling,” she said. “Everything I foughtfor. Folks who said I couldn’t do it alongthe way. My grandparents telling me Icould do anything. All of that culminated.

My mom picked me up and said she wasproud of me.”

Oliver, a proud graduate of HazelwoodCentral High School in North St. Louis

American staff

There was much talk aboutan American sesquicentennial– the 150th anniversary of theCivil War – but 2011 brings

anothersesquicen-tennial evencloser tohome: the150thanniversaryof thefounding ofEast St.Louis.

AndEast Boogieis throwingitself a

birthday party from 11 a.m. to1 p.m. on Friday, April 1 atEast St. Louis City HallBuilding, 301 River Park Dr.

“The City will observe its150th birthday by celebratingits past, present and brightfuture,” promised organizersfrom the City of East St. Louis

NSBE overtakes St. LouisBy Andrew FowlerFor the St. Louis American

This past week and weekend, St.Louis was the center of the world forAfrican-American engineers.

The 37th annual National Societyof Black Engineers Conventionbrought 8,000 NSBE members totown, including professionals from awide range of fields and students of allages.

The convention, held Wednesday,March 23 through Sunday in down-town St. Louis at America’s Center,set out to “engineer the gateway to

success.” By all accounts, they succeeded.One of many great moments at the

convention came from NSBE’sExecutive Director Carl Mack. Hemade very plain the convention’svalue to its many Pre-CollegeInitiative student participants.

National Society of Black Engineers convenes in STL

Birthdayparty forEastBoogieEast St. Louisturns 150 withcelebration on Friday

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

See OLIVER, A6

See ESL, A7

See NSBE, A6 See AWARDEES, A7

“For the pre-college students, thisevent gives them the reason why youshould take your education seriously,”Mack said.

“You have recruiters looking foryoung, educated people. These youngpeople are getting jobs here becausethey are selling their minds.”

� “For the pre-college students, this event gives them thereason why you should take your education seriously,”

– NSBE’s Executive Director Carl Mack

� Zimmerman has the supportof U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay,County Executive Charlie A.Dooley and many other African-American elected officials.

Chalana Oliver is the political director for Jake Zimmerman’scampaign for St. Louis County Assessor. The election isTuesday, April 5.

He then made a remarkable gestureon behalf of Brian Scott Allis, a stu-dent at Youngstown State Universitywho attended the convention.

“Because Brian carried his weight,I’m going to help him the rest of theway,” Mack said.

Mack then personally handed Allis’resume to Irene Kendall, the diversityofficer for Apple Inc. – one of manyrecruiters in attendance – and intro-duced student and recruiter to talkabout job opportunities.

Ronald Moore headed the conven-

By Sandra JordanOf The St. Louis American

The St. Louis AmericanFoundation will recognizeeight local professionals withits 2011 Excellence in HealthCare award at the 11th AnnualSalute to Excellence in HealthCare Awards Luncheon at theRitz-Carlton on April 29.

Christal L. Adams, RN,BSN has been a registerednurse at Barnes-JewishHospital for nine years and iscurrently studying to be anadult nurse practitioner atGoldfarb School of Nursing atBarnes-Jewish College. Thecompassion and concern forothers displayed by her motheras a nurse’s aide, Adams said,

2011HealthCareawardeesCelebration luncheon April 29 at Ritz Carlton

� “The Citywill observeits 150thbirthday bycelebratingits past,present and brightfuture.”

“Being herehas been veryinspirational,”

Northwest HighSchool senior

MichaelWashington

said of the 37thannual National

Society ofBlack

EngineersConvention

heldWednesday,

March 23through

Sunday in St.Louis. “It’s

showing methe basics of

being success-ful and how I

want my futureto look.”