Public Safety Director's Spotlight - Celebrate Black History Month

Plenty of exciting and fun events are on tap for this weekend in St.  Louis.  Before I highlight a few of those activities, however, I want to pass along to you that Mayor Francis G. Slay is sponsoring the 2012 St. Louis Education Expo this coming Wednesday, Feb. 29.  The Expo will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the City Hall Rotunda, 1200  Market Street.  At the Expo you will be able to learn about a large number of high-quality kindergarten through 12^th grade options in St. Louis.  You will be able to meet with education professionals and learn about the different curriculum and school choices available to parents who live and work in St.  Louis.  2012-13 enrollment applications for Magnet, Charter, Parochial and Private schools will be available.  Choose what is best for you and your family.  For more information, contact the Mayor’s Office at (314) 622-4043.

Also, The Academy of Science – St.  Louis is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Science Teacher of the Year Awards.  Two science teachers will be awarded $2,000 for professional development and $500 for classroom supplies.  Take a moment between now and Friday, March 9 to nominate a colleague or favorite science teacher.  For details, visit http://academyofsciencestl.org/ .

Listed below are just a few of the terrific events that are coming up in St. Louis. I encourage you to take advantage of all that our great City neighborhoods have to offer. Also, if you haven't visited the City's website http://stlouis-mo.gov/ , I encourage you to do so. On our home page you will find a link to the Calendar of Events. Please feel free to see what activities are coming up and to submit an event that your organization will be holding. The listing is free. See you in the neighborhood!

 

St. Louis Builders Home & Garden Show

Five shows in one, the St. Louis Builders Home & Garden Show will feature the latest in lawn and garden, kitchen and bath, interior design, pool and spas, and building projects.  The show will run 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Thursday, Feb. 23 through Saturday, Feb. 25 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at America’s Center in Downtown St. Louis.  For ticket information and more details, visit http://www.stlhomeshow.com or call (314) 342-5000.

Metropolis St.  Louis Board Game Night

Calling all Board Game lovers!  Metropolis St.  Louis is teaming up with the Board Gamers of St. Louis for one big evening of friendly competition at the Gramophone in the Grove neighborhood.  Any and all games are welcome so bring along what you would like to play and bring a friend.  Board Game Night will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23.  The Gramophone is located at 4243 Manchester.  To learn more, visit http://www.mstl.org/ or http://www.BoardGamersSTL.com/ .

 

Downtown Idiotarod

The Downtown Idiotarod will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.  Idiotarod is a fun and whimsical event that will pay homage to the Alaskan Iditarod, except here we will replace the dogs with people, the sleds with shopping carts, and compete at various stops, all for a good cause, Operation Food Search. To participate, you must register your team before Friday, Feb. 24.  For more information, visit http://www.downtownstl.org/idiotarod or call Lindsay Van Quaethem at (314) 436-6500 ext. 237.

 

27^th Annual Paula J. Carter Wine & Roses Reception

The 27^th Annual Paula J. Carter Wine & Roses Reception will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Bishop Willie Ellis Conference Center, 5939 Goodfellow in the North Point neighborhood.  For the past 27 years the proceeds from the Wine & Roses event has gone to assist neighbors during tragic and trying times and to support various programs and activities in the community.  For more information, visit http://www.aldgregorycarter.com/ .

 

3^rd Annual St. Louis Community Garden Summit

Gateway Greening will hold its 3^rd AnnualSt. LouisCommunityGardenSummit on Saturday, Feb. 25 at St. Patrick Center, 800 North Tucker Blvd.  Registration and light breakfast will begin at 8 a.m., followed by a keynote address from Seed Savers Exchange President and Executive Director John Torgrimson.  The morning session will include topics on civic advocacy, community gardening, horticulture and sustainable practices.  The afternoon will consist of various breakout sessions, ending at 4 p.m.  To register, visit http://www.gatewaygreening.org/ .

 

Black History Month at JeffersonNational Expansion Memorial

Stop by the Historic Old Courthouse on Saturday, Feb. 25 from Noon to 4 p.m. for an afternoon of programming in celebration of Black History Month.  Segments will include Dr. Joe Johnson speaking on the history of St. Louis Black Music, Prof. Dave Uhler speaking on 19^th century judicial activism and Lynn Jackson sharing insights on Dred & Harriet Scott’s understanding of their court case.  For more details, call (314) 655-1724.

 

38^th Annual Yes I Can Black History Awards

To celebrate Black History Month, the St. Louis Metro Sentinel Journal will hold its 38^th Annual Yes I Can Black History Awards to honor Blacks who broke the color line in the St. Louis radio industry and Black DJs.  The ceremony will take place starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Polish Heritage Center, 1413 N. 20^th Street in the Carr Square neighborhood.  Enjoy dancing, hors d’oeuvres and celebrate Black pioneers in the radio industry.  Tickets are $40 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to a scholarship for a deserving student interested in journalism or broadcasting. For more information, call (314) 531-2101 or email metrosentinel@sbcglobal.net .

 

Griot Storytelling Festival

The TEACH Griot Festival will be held from 3 – 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Sabayet’s Center, 4000 Maffitt in The Greater Ville neighborhood.  This lively family-oriented festival features music, masquerade, inspired renditions of popular folktales and epic stories by practitioners of the oral tradition, African drumming and much more.  The event is free.  For more information, visit http://www.teachsociety.org/ or call (314) 583-3745.

 

Trivia Nights

The Annual Arch Rival Roller Girls Trivia Night will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 at the German Cultural Society Hall, located at 3652 S. Jefferson in the Marine Villa neighborhood.  Doors will open at 6 p.m. and trivia will begin at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $20 per person, tables of 10, and teams may register at the door, first come, first served.  For all the particulars, visit http://www.archrivalrollergirls.com/ .

 

Habitat for Humanity St. Louis will hold its annual Trivia Night on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the IBEW Union Hall, 5850  Elizabeth Avenue on The Hill.  Doors will open at 6:20 p.m. and trivia will start at 7 p.m.  The cost of a regular table of 8 is $160 and the price includes beer, soda, water and table snacks.  To register, email anna@habitatstl.org .

 

Enjoy trivia and help the Five Star Senior Center help seniors in our neighborhoods.  Trivia will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Center located at 2832 Arsenal (just two blocks east of Arsenal and Gravois).  Admission is $20 per person, tables of 8.  If you don’t have enough in your party for a full table, they will hook you up with others to make a table.  The price includes beer, soda, water and light snacks.  If you have questions or have donations, you can call the center at (314) 664-1008 or email fstrivia@yahoo.com. 

 

Whether you’re a trivia buff, always wanted to try your hand at the game or just want to have a good time for a great cause, Young Variety Trivia Night is for you.  Buy a table, get seven of your smartest (or most fun) friends together and come on out to raise money for Variety kids.  The price of a Know-It-All Table of 8 is $200.  Trivia will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at St.  Louis University High School, 4970 Oakland Avenue in the lovely Kings Oak neighborhood.  To reserve your table, visit http://www.varietystl.org/ .

 

DevonAlexander Faces Marcos Maidana

St. Louisan Devon Alexander will be home headlining another big professional boxing card on Saturday, Feb.25 at Scottrade Center, and HBO will carry the bout between Alexander and Marco Maidana live nationally on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.  For ticket information, visit http://www.scottradecenter.com/ .

 

Angela Davis

The St. Louis Public Library is proud to cap off its celebration of Black History Month 2012 with a keynote address by author and social equity activist Angela Davis.  After her speech on “Black Women in American Culture and History,” Davis will sign her books, which will be for sale courtesy of Amber Books.  The free event will take place from 2 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Christ Church Cathedral-Episcopal, 1210  Locust Street in Downtown St. Louis.

 

African American History Event

Compton Hill M.B. Church will host a special African American History event on Sunday, Feb. 26 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Church located at 3141  LaSalle Street in The Gate District.  The event theme will be:  Mountains that were spoken to.  Special guests will include the Pontoon Beach Baptist Choir, Pontoon Beach, IL, and Ms. Fane from Hazelwood East Middle  School.  A Free Will offering will be taken up.  Want more information?  Call (314) 355-1528.

 

“Underground” Screening

The film “Underground,” which follows the life of a field slave who plans to escape from his oppressive plantation life, will be shown at the Historic Old Courthouse in Downtown St. Louis on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.  Following the presentation, visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a Dred Scott Trial reenactment portraying trial characters reading scripts, arguing facts, and deciding a verdict in an historic courtroom.  The screening event is free.  For more information, call (314) 655-1700. 

 

Family Sundays: Crazy About Color

Everyone is invited to stop by the St. Louis Art Museum on Sunday afternoons in February from 1 – 4 p.m. for hands-on art activities and a lively 30-minute family tour through the galleries. The Family Tour will leave at 2:30 p.m. Examine how and why artists use color and learn about mixing and matching.  Then create your own colorful work of art.  Questions?  Call (314) 721-0072.

 

Save the Date

Feb. 29 – March 2 – National Frame Building Expo, America’s Center

March 1 – 4 – “Arch Madness” time, Missouri Valley Conference, Scottrade Center

March 2 – The Unfish Fry, First Unitarian Church of St. Louis

 

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 emails 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