St. Pat's kicks off spring festivities in Ozark highlands

Every year it is my honor and privilege to meet with the leadership at Missouri University of Science and Technology to welcome St. Pat and the St. Pat Court at the downtown bandshell as they arrive in the downtown area along Pine Street where the iconic green shamrocks have been painted by enthusiastic Missouri S&T students.

The St. Pat’s Day Parade, which was attended by record numbers on Saturday, March 17 in downtown Rolla, is one of the oldest and most celebrated St. Pat’s Parades in the state of Missouri. The tradition of St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Rolla for over a century. St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers, marked his first Rolla celebration in 1908 on what was then the Missouri School of Mines campus. Engineers rallied around St. Pat and began what is now one of the most noted and oldest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the nation.

Looking ahead toward April, please note on your calendars the Rolla Municipal General Election on Tuesday, April 3 (polls open at 6 a.m.), and the City-wide Spring clean up on Saturday, April 7. If you wish to participate, we ask that you please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m. Common acceptable items include furniture, beds, toys, microwaves, and televisions, boxed or bagged trash. Unacceptable items include major appliances, construction or demolition debris, and loose trash. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled.

We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at 364-6693.

Have a safe week!