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Getting married isn’t rocket science, and that is probably a bad thing for brides and other partiers who have scheduled events at the St. Louis Science Center. Regular readers will remember an item here last year that mentioned that the Science Center had booked, cancelled, and (after an uproar) rebooked a year or so worth of private events as it tried to more narrowly define its mission. That matter was handily resolved, say some affected partiers, by the quick and professional reaction of Science Center sales manager Brooke Emshoff, who ably wrangled special events on Oakland Avenue – until this week, when she was one of nearly two dozen Science Center employees who received pink slips. Yesterday, nervous nupters have been getting calls from a different Science Center facilities staffer asking them for a meeting.  Topic uncertain. Brides ballistic.

Dr. Gordon Lamb only served for about a year as interim president of the University of Missouri System. But he was no caretaker. Lamb, a music educator by training, a chorale member by natural gift of song, looked like a university president out of Central Casting: Tall, silver-haired, dignified, he could have also played the part of a British lord, a U.S. senator, a Supreme Court Justice or a Navy admiral. But it would always be the good guy.Mostly he was a leader, standing up for academic freedom when right-wing appointees of then-Governor Matt Blunt balked at publicly supporting university research. Lamb angered but then shamed the right-wingers on the University of Missouri Board of Curators to approve a statement backing up research commitments. Still, Lamb caught private hell from the Republicans carrying water for anti-life sciences forces. He didn’t care. Comfortable in his academic consulting business after retiring as a university president in Illinois, Lamb was tapped as interim leader of the four campuses in St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City and Rolla. He didn’t need the job. He was so valuable, the man hired as president asked him to stay on for a year as his right-hand man. Gordon finally retired, only to be tapped once again as an interim president at the University of Central Missouri. A robust fisherman, Gordon Lamb had been in ill health in recent months. He died Monday in Columbia. Teachers lost an advocate. Students lost a friend.

Two national chains are poised to open in the sweeping space vacated by Provisions Gourmet Market in the 11000 block of Olive Boulevard in Creve Coeur. The space will be divided to accommodate both The Potbelly Sandwich Shop and The Vitamin Shoppe, vendor of vitamins and nutritional supplements.

For the first time in memory, Thom, Jane and Liam Sehnert’s Annie Gunn’s Restaurant in Chesterfield Valley will open on a Monday night. Due to a sell-out on Valentine’s Day, hospitality manager and sommelier John Cain will open the doors on Monday to serve those who cannot get reservations for Tuesday. So, for regulars it will be an opportunity to congratulate affable and vivacious manager and event planner Lesley Davis on her 19th year there. And, perhaps, order a house specialty from mixologist Ed Canavan - chef Lou Rook’s Irish old-fashioned.

His mom spilled the beans on New York Archbishop Dolan’s favorite birthday cake: “a St. Louis specialty called a split chocolate cake,” reports the N.Y. Daily News. Said Dolan, “I’m going to bless this backwards – there’s no calories that way. . .I’m trying to have a body like Eli Manning by my next birthday.”

Muny production chief Mike Isaacson, who was mentored by SLU prez the Rev. Larry Biondi, will undoubtedly be raking in royalties from two upcoming musicals in our town. He was exec producer of “Bring It On: The Musical,” heading to his alma mater, the Fox, and co-producer of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which will be presented at the Muny this season. The columnist attended the Los Angeles engagement of “Bring It On” and somewhat agreed with the L.A. Times’ critic, who agonized over the show. “Boisterous, obvious, stylistically confused and not ready for Broadway,” penned the critic. “The creators always seem to be in entertainment arrears. . .the way the show drags on may have some spectators muttering less child-play words under their breath.” As for “Modern Millie,” esteemed N.Y. Times critic Ben Brantley, wrote, “You’ll leave either grinning like an idiot or with a migraine the size of Alaska.”

Distinguished boniface and chef Jim Fiala has gotten the nod to cook on March 20 at Gotham’s famed James Beard House, where he’ll prepare a multi-course dinner for 50 design professionals. At the event, True Refrigeration of O’Fallon, Mo., will intro newest home refrigeration units. Manhattan is nothing new to Fiala, having worked at the 4-star Daniel Restaurant there in the 1990s. Fiala is chef/owner of The Crossing in Clayton, Liluma in the CWE and Acero in Maplewood.

“Back9,” the Clint Eastwood new golf network, is about to launch, while the actor has given broadcaster Rush Limbaugh new material to blast the controversial Eastwood “It’s Halftime in America” ad during the Super Bowl. The commercial includes a thinly-veiled Barack Obama. . .The premiere of “Smash” on NBC struck a whopping chord with 11.3 million viewers. . .George Stephanopoulos must be crying in his health drink. He publicly predicted the Patriots would win.