Department of Public Safety

There will be no shortage of exciting events this weekend in St. Louis. No matter what your tastes are, you should be able to find any number of fun activities to enjoy with your family and friends. Below are my suggestions. I encourage you to stop by and take advantage of all that our great City neighborhoods have to offer. See you in the neighborhood!

Arch Madness

This year's Arch Madness Tournament is special for two reasons. First, it is occurring during Mardi Gras in St. Louis and second, the tournament expects to welcome its millionth fan at Scottrade Center. Opening Round will be the evening of Thursday, March 3; Quarterfinals will take place on Friday, March 4; Semifinals will be held on Saturday, March 5; and the Championship Game will tip off at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, March 6. For ticket information, visit http://www.mvc.org/archmadnes/ .

Home and Garden Show

One indicator that Spring is almost here is when the Annual Builders Home & Garden Show takes place in St. Louis. This favorite show for many St. Louisans is currently at America's Center and the Edward Jones Dome through Sunday, March 6. The show starts each day at 10 a.m. For all the particulars, visit http://www.stlhomeshow.com .

Missouri Congressional Redistricting Public Hearing

As you have probably read in the newspaper or heard on the news, the latest Census numbers have been released and that means the Missouri Congressional Districts will have to be redrawn. A public hearing has been planned for 10 a.m. Friday, March 4 at Harris-Stowe State University, Emerson Performing Center, 3026 Laclede. Please consider attending.

Developmental Disability Awareness Month

In honor of Developmental Disability Awareness Month, the 11^th Annual Developmental Disability Awareness Art Fair will take place from 5 – 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4 at the Regional Arts Commission Building located at 6128 Delmar. Students from several St. Louis Public Schools will have their art work on display. The event is free.

BellGarden Opens for the Season

Gateway Greening's Bell Garden at 3871 Bell will open for the season on Saturday, March 5. Volunteers are encouraged to attend a volunteer orientation session at 10 a.m. at the garden. Volunteers must commit to a minimum of one shift per month and sign up for specific days in advance. Interested? E-mail Hannah@gatewaygreening.org .

Mardi Gras Festivities

The Mayor's Mardi Gras Ball will be held the evening of Friday, March 4 at City Hall. The net proceeds from the event will go to a dedicated fund supporting projects within the greater Soulard and downtown communities, including enhancements to the public space of historic City Hall as well as neighborhood initiatives. For more information, visit the link below.

The River City Casino Grand Parade will step off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 5 from Busch Stadium and will end at South Broadway & Lynch in the Soulard neighborhood.

Lumiere Place Light Up the Night Fat Tuesday Parade will step off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8 from Broadway and Washington in Downtown St. Louis.

For more information on all the St. Louis Mardi Gras events, visit http://www.stlmardigras.org/ .

Music From the Era of Henry Shaw

The second of the 2011 Friends of Tower Grove Park Lectures will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 6 at the Stupp Center in Tower Grove Park. The center is located in the Park near Grand and Arsenal. The Arianna String Quartet from the University of Missouri-St. Louis will blend performance with discussion to explore the musical world that Henry Shaw inhabited and enjoyed in St. Louis and during his lengthy residence in Europe in the 1840s. The Experiencing and Understanding Music from the Era of Henry Shaw Lecture is free and open to the public. For more information call (314) 771-4424 or visit http://www.towergrovepark.org/.  

Celebrating Youth Strength Over Violence

The Dutchtown Youth Council will present "We Are Stronger Than Your Violence" a community event on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at Roosevelt High School, located at 3230 Hartford Street. The evening will feature Hip Hop, poetry, theater, and visual art performed by young people from St. Louis City. Admission is free and young people are enthusiastically invited to attend. For more information, call (314) 536-0566 or e-mail Marjorie@dutchtownsouth.org .

Staff Needed for Summer Youth Program

Dutchtown South Community Corporation is seeking two Program Leaders for Youth CHANGE, its 25^th Ward Summer Youth Employment Program. The Program Leaders will implement the 8-week curriculum of Youth CHANGE, functioning as the point-person for the overall program and assisting the outside trainers in the facilitation of any outside components. The temporary positions will run from June 7 through August 16. Deadline to submit resumes and cover letters is March 21. If you are interested, you may e-mail your resume to Marjorie@dutchtownsouth.org, or fax it to (314) 352-9086 or mail it to 4204 Virginia Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63111.

YouthGarden Grants Available

Gateway Greening's 2011 Youth Garden Grants are available to schools or youth oriented programs for new youth gardens and expansions of existing youth gardens. New youth gardens must be within Gateway Greening's service area to be eligible. Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on May 20. A mandatory orientation is planned for April 23 at the Bell Garden's Carriage House. For more information, contact Steve Eigsti at steve@gatewaygreening.org .

NIXLE

The Department of Public Safety's City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) provides free emergency alert service through Nixle (http://www.Nixle.com/) . When you register for the service, you will receive our informative and timely text messages on your cell phone and/or as e-mails on your computer. Visit the Nixle website and sign up for the free service today. If you have any comments about the service, please let me know.

Will you be having an event in your neighborhood that we can support? If so, either e-mail the information about it to me at brysonc@stlouiscity.com or to Cathy Smentkowski at smentkowskic@stlouiscity.com .

And remember, if you see something in the neighborhood that just doesn't look right, REPORT IT!

Charles Bryson

Director of Public Safety

City of St. Louis