GRIFFIN March 2025

March 2025 • CWEA GRIFFIN • 13 What do keyboards and Uganda have in common? CWE company Jackson Pianos last month shipped 20 pianos to a seminary in East Africa. A Catholic priest and doc- toral student at St. Louis University, Thomas Sserwadda, approached the company about shipping the instru- ments to Bukulasa Seminary . The priest said pianos are hard to come by in Uganda and they’re in high de- mand at the school, which has 500- plus students aged 11 to 18. Jackson Pianos partnered with Sserwadda, acquired the pianos, and raised $25,000 for cost of shipping (with help from the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education and UNESCO ). Speaking of music, don’t miss upcoming concerts as part of the World Chess Hall of Fame Mu- sic Series at 4652 Maryland Ave. March 26: An Evening with Hed- rick Mitchell (jazz/soul); March 27 Beethoven Violin Sonatas Con- cert 3 (classical); April 23 Soul in My Country with Brian Owens & Friends (soul/country); April 24 Opera Theatre of St. Louis (opera); May 22 Beethoven Violin Sonatas Finale (classical); May 28 Aida Ade (pop/doul). The WCHOF Music Series explores the similarities be- tween chess and music — such as notes, pattern, poetry and tempo — which create beautiful compositions on the chessboard and the key- board. The WCHOF Music Series connects communities with music from St. Louis and beyond, includ- ing works by classical composers, R&B performances and every- thing in between. All concerts in- clude complimentary refreshments and an artist talk at 6 p.m. Visit worldchesshof.org for more info. Speaking of saving buildings (were we?), it was good to hear that the Frisco Hospital building at 4960 Laclede Ave. was saved from the wrecking ball. Built in 1905 as a hos- pital serving Frisco Railroad employ- ees, it was most recently a retirement home and slated for demolition but was denied by the city’s Preservation Board last November. Now hopefully someone will come up with a plan for restoration. A proposal to erect a new seven- story apartment building at the site of the former Boy Scouts build- ing, 4568 West Pine Blvd., has been withdrawn, said Ninth Ward Alder- man Michael Browning in February. Browning said developer Keeley Properties determined the demoli- tion of the building required pre- development costs in excess of $1 million, so the company terminated their offer for the property. In early 2024, the local chapter of the Boy Scouts of America announced it planned to sell its headquarters. The St. Louis Area Council has been at that location since the 1960s. It’s just like ping pong, right? But with bigger paddles? The pickleball craze sweeping the nation (and gob- bling up tennis courts) has come to Second Presbyterian Church in the CWE at 4501 Westminster Place. The church is offering its fourth floor gym on Tuesday eve- Aida Ade Frisco Hospital nings, 6:30 to 9 p.m., for open pick- leball games. Call 314-367-0366. Hard to believe, but Mardi Gras is over and St. Patrick’s Day is close on its (jig) heels. Evangeline’s Bis- tro , 521 N. Euclid Ave., is hosting a special St. Patrick’s show 7 to 10 p.m. March 13 featuring Mississippi Crossing. It will feature a mix of tra- ditional Irish Celtic and American Irish songs. Find more information at evangelinesstl.com. Griffin News & Notes