Public Safety Director's Spotlight - Neighborhood Events

Update on Ready STL Campaign

Thank you to all who have signed up to receive free emergency text messages from the Department of Public Safety City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) on your cell phone and/or your computer.  Please continue to help spread the word about the service to your family members, neighbors, friends and neighborhood businesses.  Again, to receive emergency text messages on your cell phone, simply text STLCEMA to 888777 from your cell phone.  For more service options, you may register through the web site www.Nixle.com.  Signing up for Nixle is one important piece of being prepared in the event of a major emergency.  I appreciate your consideration.

Upcoming Events

March 30 – Fish Fry Fridays

Lenten Fish Fry Fridays will soon be coming to an end.  Attending a neighborhood Friday Night Fish Fry is a great way to meet new neighbors and connect with people.  If you don’t have a favorite Fish Fry to stop by or want to try a new place, here are several to consider:

• St. Alphonsus    “Rock” Church Fish Fry, 1118 N. Grand Boulevard, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in    Grand Center.
• Holy Trinity    Serbian Church Fish Fry, 1910 Serbian Drive (McNair Ave.), 4:30 – 7:30     p.m., in the McKinley      Heights neighborhood.  For more information, call (314)    776-3262.
• St. Stephen    Protomartyr Church Fabulous Fish Fry, 3949 Wilmington Avenue, 4 – 7    p.m. in the Holly Hills neighborhood
• Epiphany Fish    Fry, 6596 Smiley Avenue,    4:30 – 7 p.m. in the Lindenwood      Park neighborhood.

March 31 – Bike to My Lou, Old Post Office Plaza

Decorate your bike, bring a lock, pack a water bottle, wear a helmet and plan to have fun on Saturday at Bike to My Lou, the Downtown Community Bike Ride and Festival at Old Post Office Plaza, on Locust  Street between 8^th and 9^th  St.  The festivities will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include live music, free bicycle safety checks, bike rodeo, bike games, guided tours of the Downtown Bike Station and two concurrent rides to accommodate bikers of all skill and confidence levels.  For more details, visit http://griffindelivery.com/biketomylou .

March 31 – Spring Craft and Vendor Fair, St. Louis Police Officer’s Assn. Hall

The Spring Craft and Vendor Fair this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit Our Lady’s Inn Emergency Shelter will feature more than 25 booths of shopping.  Find Easter sweets, gifts and table decorations as well as jewelry, dolls, candles, books, purses, paper products and more!  Admission is free, however, a donation of a toiletry item will get you a free raffle ticket.  The Hall is located at 3710  Hampton Avenue in the North Hampton neighborhood.

March 31 – Hunt for the Golden Egg, Ivory Perry Park

Middle Tree Church is sponsoring the Hunt for the Golden Egg this Saturday at Ivory Perry Park.  This free community event will feature two Easter Egg Hunts, games, crafts, face painting, and a raffle.  Bring your family out from 10:30 a.m. to Noon for this fun event.  Ivory Perry Park is located at 800  Belt Avenue in the Visitation Park neighborhood.

March 31 – Benton Park Free Easter Egg Hunt

The Cherokee Center at 3200 S. Jefferson will be having a free Easter Egg Hunt in Benton Park this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The event is for children ages 10 years old and under.  For more information, visit the Calendar of Events on the City’s web site at http://stlouis-mo.gov .

March 31 – Undy 5000, Forest Park

The Undy 5000 is not your typical 5K Run/Walk.  Participants are encouraged to wear crazy boxers or their favorite shorts to raise awareness about colon cancer.  The event is sponsored by the Siteman Cancer Center and the Color Cancer Alliance and will begin at 7:30 a.m. this Saturday at the Upper Muny Parking Lot in beautiful Forest  Park.  For more information and to register, go to http://www.undy5000.com . 

Through April 14 – Cbabi Bayoc:  Birds & Words

Shaw neighborhood resident and artist Cbabi Bayoc’s free art exhibit “Birds & Words” is currently on display every Saturday from Noon to 4 p.m. at Aisle 1 Gallery, located at 2627 Cherokee Street in the Benton Park West neighborhood.  Be sure to stop by and experience the exhibit before it closes on April 14.  For more details, visit http://www.aisle1gallery.com .

Save the Date

April 6 – Good Friday Fish Fry, St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral

April 7 – Community Easter Egg Hunt, Tower Grove Baptist Church

April 7 – Visit with the Easter Bunny, Soulard Market

April 8 – Concours d’Elegance Vintage Auto Show, Forest Park

Promoting Your Neighborhood Activities

Is there a neighborhood event on the schedule that you would like noted in the Spotlight? If so, you may email the information about it to me at rothe@stlouiscity.com or to Cathy Smentkowski at smentkowskic@stlouiscity.com for consideration. You may also post it on the City’s Calendar of Events on the City’s web site: http://stlouis-mo.gov . The link to submit an event is on the home page. The listing is free. I encourage you to take advantage of this free way to promote your event.

Personal Property Tax Forms Due

In closing, I want to pass along a reminder that the 2012 individual and business tangible personal property declaration forms for the City of St. Louis are due.  By state law the forms are normally due no later than April 1^st.  Since April 1^st falls on Sunday this year, any returns received in the Assessor’s Office by 5 p.m. on April 2, 2012 will be considered timely.  Under state law, individuals and firms not filing by this year’s April 2^nd deadline are subject to a mandatory 10% filing penalty.  For further information, contact the Assessor’s Office at (314) 622-4171 for individual accounts or (314) 622-4181 for business accounts.

 

Eddie Roth

Director of Public Safety

City of St.  Louis