Often thought of as a game for the privileged, PGA REACH flips that generalization of golf on its head. PGA REACH serves underprivileged youth by working to increase their academic—and ‘Beyond 18’ life—success.

Love to report new places opening up: The Sweet Divine's new Soulard location at 1801 S. Ninth St. is now open for business. Likewise, Piccione Pastry at 6197 Delmar Blvd. in the U-City Loop is now up and running.

MAY

When speaking with an allergist, there’s a chance you may briefly forget you’re talking with a doctor and imagine you’re chatting with a botanist. These medical specialists can reel off plant names, expected dates of pollination and various pollen attributes.

March

Through Thursday 14

I have five grandchildren, one as much fun and as charming as the next. Two of them are allergic to foods: One has allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds and melons; the other is allergic to milk, soy and eggs. When I was a kid—in what my children refer to as ‘the olden days’—I can’t remember any of my friends having food allergies. And when I began practicing pediatrics in 1980, food allergies were quite rare. In recent years, food allergies seem to be more common. I asked my colleague and Mercy Clinic pediatric allergist Dr. Laura Esswein, who cares for both of my allergic grandchildren, about this. Here are some of her thoughts:

If cold weather is your excuse for avoiding exercise, a slew of local experts has news for you: There are many ways to circumvent the challenges posed by winter exercise and create a great workout strategy even at this time of year. A few of their best tips: 

November

Saturday 3

Asthma is one of the most common childhood ailments. Children who suffer from this pulmonary condition may find themselves wheezing, coughing and struggling for breath while their friends play and participate in sports.

If there’s one modern malady that everyone seems to share, it’s stress. The demands of everyday life—working, parenting, fulfilling social obligations—can make even the most organized person feel overwhelmed. 

It’s a little before two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon when I get to the new Sweetie Pie’s Upper Crust restaurant on Delmar Boulevard in Grand Center. I figured the lunch rush would be over so it’d be a good time to have a taste of Robbie Montgomery’s now-famous soul food. I walk in and hear Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, and there’s a TV crew from the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) setting up. The place is full of people, and the line is soon out the door.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 million American children have asthma. That’s almost one in 10 kids who suffer the wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing associated with an asthma attack.

Whether it was started seven or 106 years ago, each of these health clinics has a strong reputation of providing critical care at low or no cost for area residents who couldn’t afford it otherwise.

Spring has sprung and that means one thing—misery. The warm winter and record-setting start to spring have left millions of us who suffer from allergies wondering who we wronged in another life to deserve this. What good is an 80-degree day in March if I can’t stop my nose from running, my eyes from watering and my lungs from burning? I thought trees and plants were here to help make our air cleaner, not set my chest on fire with their pollen. As a guy whose job requires him to be outside in the elements in the spring, summer and fall, I’ll take the coldest November day with a wicked wind chill over a cloudless spring day with my allergies raging. You ever try to interview someone after a big game with swollen eyes and a runny nose while sneezing? It’s, well, quite miserable.

Whether you call it eczema or dermatitis, you’ll know if you have it from the red, swollen, itchy skin that characterizes this common dermatological problem.

Do you feel it yet? The runny nose. The itchy eyes. The sneezing. It’s allergy season!

If there is anything like a magic cure, over-thecounter pain relievers come close. Headaches, joint and muscle aches, fevers and other minor discomforts subside as these popular remedies take effect. They’re cheap, easy to tolerate and have few side effects. Yet they should not be taken for granted.

Academy of Science

It’s no easy task for a nonprofit to make it 10 years, let alone 100! We salute these local organizations, and all those that have stood the test of time with the goal of making our region a better place to live.

Open your hearts this holiday season by helping families in need. Ladue News is partnering with CATHOLIC CHARITIES to help needy children and their families experience the joys of the season. From now until Tuesday, Dec. 20, LN is accepting children’s toys and books, as well as non-perishable food items. All will be donated to Catholic Charities, an organization that touches the lives of 157,000 every year. Items may be dropped off during normal business hours at Ladue News, 8811 Ladue Road, Ste. D, 63124 (near 170 and Ladue Road).