Soulard renaiSSance

THE
Soulard Renaissance
Volume xLI Issue 1
Mardi gras 2016
Living with History
MARDI GRAS: GAME ON
Family-friendly, dog-friendly, adult-friendly events leading up to Grand Parade Day, Feb. 6
By Mack Bradley
It’s Soulard Mardi Gras time, and we’re
not just talking about that one day of
the year when we celebrate by catching
the traditional beads and other surprise
throws from dozens of decorated floats
manned by costumed krewes cruising
through the neighborhood.
For St. Louis, and for Soulard especially, Mardi Gras has become weeks of
celebrated events, family-friendly, dogfriendly and of course, adult-friendly.
The 2016 Mardi Gras season is in full
swing and the activities leading up to
the Bud Light Grand Parade and the
“All Things Sports” theme will be sure
Photos by David W. Preston
to please. Visit STLMardiGras.org for
tickets and full information on all up- From 2015: The Lawn Chair Brigade helps to make Grand Parade Day festive,
as always.
coming events.
Missouri Lottery Run For Your
Beads 5K
9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30
Prizes will be awarded to first place
overall men and women, first place in
each age division and Best Costume.
Registration: $30; $35 on Race Day
Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard
Location: Soulard Neighborhood
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 30 & 31
Get your exercise, St. Louis Mardi
Gras style. Show up in your best purple,
gold, and green costume and race your
way through the historic Soulard neighborhood. In true Mardi Gras spirit, pit
stops along the race route will feature
complimentary beer and hurricanes (for
runners 21 and older). All registrants will
receive a limited edition 5K Run for Your
Beads T-shirt.
Participating establishments throughout
Soulard
Tickets: $25
This unique self-guided tasting and
pub crawl has become one of the most
popular events of the Mardi Gras season
because you get to choose your own adventure. Each Southern Comfort Taste
of Soulard ticket includes one Southern
Comfort drink voucher and six food
vouchers. You choose the six dishes you
wish to sample from a range of Cajuninspired options. Saturday attendees can
enjoy complimentary trolley rides from
one establishment to the next, guided
as always by the world famous Soulard
Trolley Tramps.
Tickets are available in advance and
can be redeemed the day of the event
at any participating establishment. On
Saturday, Jan. 30, advance tickets can
also be redeemed at the Bud Light Party
Centre in Soulard Market. Tickets will be
available for purchase at any participat-
ing establishment on Saturday, Jan. 30
and Sunday, Jan. 31.
Beggin’ Pet Parade
Sunday, Jan. 31
Registration: 10 a.m., S. 12th and Allen
Parade: 1 p.m. at S. 12th Street and
Allen Avenue
Tickets: $10 donation for entry;
free to watch
Grab your furry friends and join us for
the world’s largest costumed pet parade
— the 23rd Beggin’ Pet Parade. Watch or
join in Sunday, Jan. 31 as thousands of
festively costumed animal friends strut
their stuff through Soulard in style.
Registration
Register your pets in advance online
at mardigrasinc.com or on the day of the
event at 10 a.m. at South 12th Street and
Allen Avenue. We kindly ask for a $10
registration donation. All proceeds benefit the Open Door Animal Sanctuary.
Parade time and location
The parade steps off at 1 p.m. at
South 12th Street and Allen Avenue.
Crowning the King and Queen
of Barkus
Pets deemed best dressed are selected
as members of the Court of the Mystical
Krewe of Barkus. These lucky pets are
Continued on Page 10
Auto thefts on the rise in Soulard in 2015, other crimes down
By Bill Clendenin
Soulard experienced an increase in
auto thefts in 2015. There were 64 auto
thefts, up from 43 in 2014 and 41 in 2013.
This surge in auto thefts caused Soulard’s
overall crime index to increase in 2015.
Other crimes such as armed robberies and
larcenies decreased slightly or stayed the
same in 2015.
The 2015 total is still significantly less
than in prior years. Ten years ago in 2005,
there were 118 auto thefts, and in 2006,
there were 139. Still, the recent increase
in auto thefts is cause for concern.
Auto thefts are difficult crimes for the
A few words from Alderman
Jack Coatar
Page 3
Renaissance_MARDI_GRAS_16.indd 1
Winter is auto theft season in the City
of St. Louis due to the rise in “key-steal”
auto thefts. This occurs when a resident
leaves the keys in the ignition and then
leaves the car unattended, usually while
warming the car up on a winter morning.
Auto thieves drive through a neighborhood looking for cars that are running.
When they find one, they break the window and drive off. It’s a very easy crime.
For this reason, leaving an unattended car
running is illegal in the City of St. Louis.
Locking your car doors also helps reduce the risk of auto theft. There’s a school
of thought that leaving your car doors
unlocked prevents a thief from breaking
the car window when trying to steal items
from the car. This may or may not be true,
but there is little doubt that leaving the
car doors unlocked makes your car more
vulnerable to auto theft.
Finally, if you have a garage, use it.
Don’t use your garage as a storage locker.
Clean it out and park your car in it.
Scenes from Vices & Virtues
American Legion Update
I Love Soulard
Pages 6-7
Pages 8-9
Page 10
police to solve because there are often no
witnesses and the crime scene (the car)
has vanished. The best way to reduce auto
thefts in Soulard is to prevent them from
occurring in the first place.
There are several ways to reduce your
chance of being the victim of an auto theft.
First, use a theft prevention device such
as a car alarm. Steering wheel locking
devices such as The Club also can be effective and they are inexpensive. Stick shifts
are stolen less frequently than automatics
because many thieves do not know how
to drive a stick shift.
Bill Clendenin is president-elect of the
Soulard Restoration Group and a member
of the SRG Safety Committee.
1/24/16 3:30 PM