This coming weekend is chock-full of fun and exciting events for the entire family, but before I highlight several of them I want to call to your attention that the 8th Annual St. Louis Serves Day is this Saturday, April 16. Mayor Francis G. Slay and other City officials will join hundreds of St. Louisans who will participate in projects ranging from school and neighborhood beautification projects to exercising adoptable animals. I join Mayor Slay in encouraging all City residents to participate in this event. It's a great way to get involved and give back to the community. Volunteers may sign up for projects at: http://www.stl.unitedway.org/getinvolved/volunteercenter/volunteer/stlserves.aspx .
To give you an idea of the projects in the City, they include:
- Exercising the animals at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (2320 Pine St.)
- Helping prepare the International Institute incubator farm (4030 Folsom Ave.)
- Spring cleaning with St. Vincent de Paul Society (1408 S. 10th Street)
- Setting up for the Earth Day Celebration in Forest Park (Muny Grounds)
- Playing with children at Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club (2901 N. Grand Blvd.)
- General Spring cleaning at the GatewayGreening Bell Garden (3871 Bell Avenue)
Listed below are a few of the events scheduled to be held in St. Louis. I encourage you to stop by and take advantage of all that our great City neighborhoods have to offer. Also, if you haven't visited the City's new website (http://stlouis-mo.gov ( http://stlouis-mo.gov/ )), I encourage you to do so. On its home page you will find a link to the Calendar of Events. Please feel free to submit an event and to see what events are coming up. See you in the neighborhood!
U.S. Chess Championship Games
Let's talk a little chess. Defending U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky and defending U.S. Women's Champion Irina Krush will be playing in St. Louis during the next few weeks to retain their titles. For the first time, the U.S. Chess Championship will be held concurrently with the U.S. Women's Chess Championship. Opening ceremonies take place the evening of Thursday, April 14 at the Missouri History Museum and closing ceremonies will be held the evening of Thursday, April 28 at the Chase Park Plaza. For ticket information and schedules of all the match-ups, visit the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis website at: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/2011-us-championship-information .
Portion of Interstate 55 Will Be Closed This Weekend
Interstate 55 from Carondelet to Broadway will be closed in both directions this weekend as the Missouri Department of Transportation demolishes the Holly Hills Bridge. According to MoDOT officials, the bridge is about 40 years old and needs to be replaced. The new bridge structure will have sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, for pedestrians to access it. I-55 will reopen no later than 5 a.m. Monday. To read the MoDOT release, visit http://www.modot.org/stlouis/news_and_information/District6News.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=77299
Soldiers' Memorial Clean-Up
As part of National Volunteer Week, The Mission Continues has organized a Service Project: St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Winter Clean-Up. Starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, volunteers will be cutting back grasses, preparing flower beds for later planting, possibly installing two trees, sweeping and cleaning up the grounds at 1315 Chestnut in Downtown St. Louis. Volunteers are asked to bring their gardening tools, rakes, clippers, gloves, etc. For more information about the event and The Mission Continues, visit http://www.missioncontinues.org/ .
Clean Up of Carondelet Park
The Holly Hills Improvement Association will be cleaning up Carondelet Park this Saturday, April 16 starting at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers are welcome. Assemble at the big playground on the Loughborough side of the park. The association will have some bags, tools and gloves, but please feel free to bring your own gloves and tools if you have them.
Project Blitz 2011 Continues
Project Blitz, Operation Brightside's annual campaign to clean up city neighborhoods, continues this weekend in Region 3 North (bounded by W. Florissant on the north, Grand on the east, Natural Bridge on the south, & the city limits on the west) and Region 3 South (bounded by Hwy. 40 & Metrolink on the north, Grand on the east, Meramec & Chippewa on the south, & Macklind, Arsenal & Kingshighway on the west). Join your neighbors on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17 to clean up the streets, alleys and vacant lots in your neighborhood. The year 2011 marks the 30th year for this annual City-wide clean-up effort. For more information, visit http://www.operationbrightside.org ( http://www.operationbrightside.org/ ) or call (314) 772-4646.
Grand South Grand House & Garden Tour
One of the perennial favorite events of St. Louisans is the Grand South Grand House & Garden Tour. This year the tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. The tour will showcase the architectural and personal styles of grand living through five neighborhoods: Compton Heights, Compton Hill Reservoir Square, Shaw, Tower Grove East and Tower Grove Heights, linked by South Grand Boulevard.
The Grand South Grand House & Garden Tour starts at the South Grand entrance to Tower Grove Park at Pestalozzi, just across from Messiah Lutheran Church. Free parking is available in the park and free shuttles are available throughout the tour. Tickets are $18 the day of the tour, with discount rates for groups of 10 or more. For more information, call (314) 567-2030 or visit http://towergroveeast.org/17th-annual-grand-south-grand-house-and-garden-tour/2379/tower-grove-east-events
St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park
The 22nd Annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival will be held on Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Muny Grounds in majestic Forest Park. This year's theme is, "Be the Change." Activities include two stages of live music, cultural performances, local food, hands-on activities for every member of the family plus more than 200 artists, educational exhibitors, vendors and organizations that will share how they are "Being the Change" and how you can as well! For all the particulars, visit http://www.stlouisearthday.org/events/earth-day-festival/ .
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, you may email the information about it to me at brysonc@stlouiscity.com or to Cathy Smentkowski at smentkowskic@stlouiscity.com for consideration of noting it in the Spotlight or you may post it on the City's Calendar of Events.
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
GOV
