Steve Scorfina, antique 'picker,' was once the lead guitarist for legendary rock band REO Speedwagon, and later, the iconic ‘70s St. Louis band, Pavlov’s Dog.

From trips to camps and days spent enjoying the sunshine, summer is the best time of year for kids. We asked the third-graders at Reed Elementary in Ladue what they’re doing this summer, and here are some of their responses. Good times ahead!

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.

MAY

When Annie Seal’s daughter was 15, she was diagnosed with an eating disorder. After intensive, comprehensive treatment, she has fully recovered, and is now a junior in college. But there is not always a happy ending for those with this complex illness. For 20 percent of them, it’s a fatal disease, Seal says.

Story: Chance and Money have been friends since childhood. They struggle to pay the bills in their Spin City neighborhood, but dream of having careers as hip-hop artists. When Money’s girlfriend Joi tells him that she is pregnant, Money sees joining the Army as the only way he can make a steady income to support his growing family. He departs for active duty, leaving Chance and their No Plan B hip-hop duo in mothballs.

Throw a full-time job on top of being a mother, and women these days are busy. We spotlighted three working moms who balance high-profile jobs and motherhood with ease and style.

It's getting closer…soon, St. Louis will be hosting the top senior professional golfers in the world.

Story: Two men converse on a nearly barren landscape. They appear to be in dire straits, although their now shabby clothes indicate they once held loftier places in society. They talk about a man named Godot, who has promised to visit them today, much like he has indicated numerous times in the 50 years they have waited. As of yet, though, they have never actually met this individual.

Eric Rhone didn’t start out to be in the ‘funny’ business. Growing up in Normandy and Pine Lawn as the son of a Bi-State bus driver and city school district employee, he probably did not see himself running an entertainment company, making multi-million-dollar decisions and living in a palatial home in Frontenac.

Depending on your age, this time of year can mean many different things. It can mean time to plant your garden or hose off the patio furniture. It can mean time to swimsuit shop or time to make your summer travel plans. However, if you are a high school junior or senior, this time of year means one thing and one thing only: prom. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Some of us spent prom night at home watching horror movies, eating Mint Milanos, and dreaming about how much Tom would regret not asking me after I make my first billion creating a social networking website…theoretically speaking. Nevertheless, most kids that age, whether in groups or on dates, go to their high school prom. It is the 'date' aspect that I now find interesting.

Grand Center Inc. will be presenting its annual Visionary Awards to six area women on May 13 at The Sheldon. Ranging from theater to music and every art form in-between, these women are making a difference in the St. Louis artistic community—and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

My oldest child is 11 years old. And I believe that if you do something every day for 11 years, experience alone should make one proficient. However, parenting is more of an art than a science. What works one day may not work the next, and there are many factors that contribute to the ebb and flow of family functioning.

April

He was on his way to sleep-away camp but was sent home upon arrival, says Janice Bailey, VP of St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) Foundation, of the boy who inspired one of the area’s most heartwarming summer camps. Bailey explains the youngster was sent home, gear in hand, because the facility was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of the boy's heart medication. This devastating rejection was crushing not only to the child, but also to his nurses, who felt inclined to create a solution for children in similar situations. These days, that solution is simply known as SLCH’s Camp Rhythm.

Eight-year-old Katelyn Vaser is proof of the difference the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Gateway Chapter (LLS) has made in St. Louis. Three years ago, when she was diagnosed with a typically adult form of cancer—B cell lymphoma—her parents were blindsided. “When we took her to the hospital, my wife and I had no idea she had cancer,” says Katelyn’s dad, Dan Vaser. “So we were scrambling for information.” That’s when they found LLS. “At the time Katelyn was diagnosed, it had spread to most of her major organs and her nervous system,” he explains. “We relied on the LLS website, where there was a lot of informational support. And the more information I had, the better I felt.” 

In the role of Peter Pan for 35 years, Cathy Rigby says kids have taught her to believe. Before you venture to Neverland with Rigby one last time when the magical new production of the 100-year-old classic flies across Peabody Opera House’s stage April 2 and 3, read her reflections on the iconic story, the show's memorable moments, and what it’s like to fly over an enchanted audience, during her final tour as the boy who never grew up. 

Although Wally and the Beaver might have rather been playing baseball, Ward and June insisted that their rambunctious sons come inside at dinnertime to share a meal and talk about the events of the day.

Salish Lodge and Spa is one of those places that the travel gods sometimes reward you with. Booked at the tail end of a driving tour of the Northwest, I wasn’t expecting much. Boy, was I surprised!