Classical music has officially made its return to the St. Louis airwaves. The station's opening week also unveiled the debut of the Ladue News Minute, which can be heard on RAF-STL.

WEBSTER UNIVERSITY’s Chess Team, ranked No. 1 in the nation, will be competing as the top seed in the Final Four of Collegiate Chess this weekend. The team, coached by renowned chess grandmaster SUSAN POLGAR, will do battle against students from University of Maryland-Baltimore County, University of Texas-Dallas and University of Illinois. The six grandmasters who make up the Webster team include: WESLEY SO (also ranked No. 1 in the Philippines), RAY ROBSON (also ranked No. 8 in the U.S.), FIDEL JIMENEZ (also ranked No. 3 in Cuba), GEORG MEIER (also ranked No. 4 in Germany), MANUEL HOYOS (also ranked No. 1 in Mexico and is the reigning U.S. Open Champion), and ANATOLY BYHKOVSKY (also ranked No. 21 in Israel). Bring home a winner, Webster!

The Baldwin Report

Get a load of you! You’ve found the perfect dress, veil and shoes. But there is one more accessory you need to choose: a magnificent bridal bouquet.

Spring is coming, a perfect time for a party to celebrate a holiday, special occasion or simply the arrival of warmer weather! These local party planners share ideas and tips for the perfect spring soiree.

On April 27, the Peabody Opera House will be filled with hundreds of guests dressed in their finest gowns and tuxes. They will enjoy cocktails and a decadent dinner before being charmed by master of ceremonies Joe Buck and blown away by the legendary guitar stylings of Carlos Santana. Dinner with the Stars, one of the biggest local nonprofit fundraisers, offers a chance for the community to support the important work of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, says CEO Jan Albus. “Through the generosity of the community and the great strides in technology, I’ve seen what Variety has been able to do for children with disabilities. I’ve seen children living better, longer lives, reaching their full potential.”

Across

While it may seem obvious to showcase red items for the month of February, I have not completely abandoned featuring an actual trend. Red was big for fall and is continuing to be a strong color for spring (yes, spring is slowly arriving into stores).

St. Louis will say its final goodbye this weekend to hometown hero and Cardinals Hall-of-Famer STAN MUSIAL, who passed away at his Ladue home Saturday, Jan. 19, at the age of 92.

Surprise! That was the word of the day at Clay Elementary School in North St. Louis, the site of KIDSMART’s 11th birthday party. The organization, which equips underserved students and their classrooms with basic school items, surprised 200 students last week with backpacks filled with supplies, balloons, cupcakes, and appearances by Rampage the Ram and Louie of the St. Louis Blues.

Cristina Grace Wetterau and Andrew John Orchulli

Everyone I talk to—or every site I visit online—predicts one word when it comes to wedding dresses for spring 2013: lace.

Mimi Fonseca was presented at the Fleur de Lis Ball in 1980, and what she remembers more than anything is the family atmosphere. “My whole family was there: my grandparents, aunts and uncles, sister and brother.”

Through a flourishing 52-year history, some 1,300 young women have been honored by the Fleur de Lis organization at its signature Charity Ball.

Unreliable and second-hand gossip from around the world*

Even though it was more than 50 years ago, Janice Hawk remembers her first night as a 6-year-old page at the Veiled Prophet Ball like it was yesterday.

Some details have changed through the years, including the attire—yesteryear’s conservative gowns with lengthy trains to today’s strapless, dresses with shorter trains—but the Veiled Prophet Ball still is a longstanding tradition for prominent local families. 

Albarre Jewelry