Thirty shows. Five venues. Five days. Em Piro, founder of the St. Lou Fringe Festival, has upped the ante for the second annual extravaganza in midtown St. Louis, which will occur from Thursday, June 20 through Monday, June 24.

“We serve some of the most frail and fragile people in the whole world,” says Sue Hockensmith, co-founder of Pony Bird Inc., a care provider for non-ambulatory individuals with profound mental and physical disabilities.

The Baldwin Report

Chef Pierre Chambrin has had a storied culinary career. Trained at Ecole des Metiers de L'Alimentation in Paris, he came up through the ranks the old-school way. He worked in some of the best restaurants in the country, in positions from apprentice to executive chef, ultimately running the kitchen at the White House under two presidents.

If experience matters in the real estate market, then the Ryans have it covered. More than two decades ago, when John Ryan teamed up with his mother, Anne, he brought about 15 years of prior experience in commercial real estate. “We both brought a lot of diverse talents to the table,” John Ryan says. Today, the team focuses its efforts on upper-end residential properties, with an average sale price of about $1.6 million. “There are no other agents with that kind of an average,” he says. “We know the properties and the clientele. We approach it in a very businesslike way and our clients like that.”

An Old World charm with a pinch of modern ambiance is now greeting guests at Charlie Gitto’s on The Hill.

THROUGH 6/16 TWELFTH NIGHT Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents its 13th annual play, Twelfth Night—an intimate, romantic performance set to live music—at Forest Park. Free. 8 p.m. nightly, except Tuesdays. 531-9800 or sfstl.com.

When Chris Grimmig fell for Meredith Rull at her field hockey matches, he conspired with her teammates to take her on a date. “I got her number from her teammate and asked her to go to dinner,” he recalls. Luckily for Chris, Meredith said yes right away.

Although Yolf has only been on the market for a couple of months, you’re not imagining things if it sounds familiar to you. Pete Gubany invented the game, and if it wasn’t for the sales help of his friend Terry Pullaro, it might never have made it to market. With several thousand games sold, the game was wildly popular, says Bob Ament, the company’s ‘caddy.’

Cupcakes make it easier than ever to satisfy a sweet tooth. Perfectly sized for one--or two, if you're feeling generous--each cupcake bite is an experience to be savored. Lucky for us, there seems to be a never-ending supply--and selection--thanks to cupcake connoisseurs who have elevated the formerly ho-hum children's birthday party staple to a whole new level.   

It’s difficult to explain why, but national studies have shown that emotional and social health translate into improved physical health. And that’s exactly what St. Louis NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) sets out to achieve with its many programs and services, says program manager Karen Berry-Elbert.