Kirkwood Weekly HappeningsCity Logo B-W
City of Kirkwood
March 14, 2013

In This Issue
Nature Hikes
MoDOT News
From Parks & Rec
Electronics Recycling
Kirkwood Public Library
Oakbend Library
Last Thoughts
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
 Greetings!
Jason Valvero Award

PHOTO OF THE WEEK:  
Kirkwood's Aquatics Director / Superintendent of Recreation Jason Valvero was honored in February with the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association's  Aquatics Section Distinguished Service Award. He is pictured here with Bert Forde, from Midwest Pool Management, who nominated him for the award.
SPRING 2013 NATURE HIKES

FROM PARKS AND RECREATION:  All hikes are FREE, open to ALL AGES, and will be held rain or shine.

 

Saturday March 30, 10:00 a.m. Geology Hike. Meramec Highlands Quarry at Dee Koestering Park, 1703 Marshall Road.  Spend an hour or more learning about the local geology of Missouri at Meramec Highlands Quarry at Dee Koestering Park. The historic Quarry is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its geological discoveries. Many of the large quarry stones and spoils are still on site and provide a view of the unique geology and fossils of the area. An experienced geologist will guide us. Bring weather-appropriate gear, a magnifying glass, and a notebook, if desired.     Meet in the Parking Lot.

 

Saturday April 6, 10:00 a.m. Spring Wildflower Hike. Emmenegger Nature Park, 11991 Stoneywood Drive. Enjoy the first blooms of spring as Emmenegger Nature Park comes alive with an abundance of extraordinary "spring ephemeral" wildflowers. An experienced naturalist from the Missouri Native Plant Society will guide us and identify these natural beauties as they come into bloom. Bring weather appropriate gear, camera, notebook, or field guide.   Meet at the trailhead kiosk.

 

Saturday April 13, 10:00 a.m. Mushroom Hike. Emmenegger Nature Park, 11991 Stoneywood Drive. Join a member of the Missouri Mycological Society and discover a whole new world hiding in plain site along the trails of Emmenegger Nature Park. Our guide will lead us on a delightful and educational mushroom hike. Both edible and inedible fungi will be identified along with an introduction to their odd and fascinating characteristics. Bring weather-appropriate gear, camera, and notebook. Meet at the trailhead kiosk.

 

Saturday April 20, 10:00 a.m. Bird and Butterfly Hike, Emmenegger Nature Park, 11991 Stoneywood Drive.  Join a member of the North American Butterfly Association and American Audubon Society on a hike in Emmenegger Nature Park to discover the birds who are migrating through the St. Louis area and those who are permanent residents. In addition, we will learn to identify butterflies by using field marks such as color, size, shape, and wing patterns. We will also learn the relationship between butterflies and their larva with native plants. Bring weather-appropriate gear, cameras, and binoculars, if you have them. Meet at the trailhead kiosk.

 

NEWS FROM MODOT

MISSOURI WILL DESIGNATE INTERSTATES 70 AND 44 AS PURPLE HEART TRAILS 

Highway signs will soon be going up along Interstates 70 and 44 designating the routes as the Purple Heart Trail in Missouri.  A ceremony unveiling one of 16 memorial highway signs to be erected along the length of the two interstates was held March 6 at the State Capitol.  The Purple Heart Trail is a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, and other monuments that pay tribute to the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal. 

 

The Missouri General Assembly passed Senate Bill 480 in the last session designating the two Missouri interstates as the Purple Heart Trail. The legislative sponsors were former Rep. Charlie Denison, Springfield, and former Rep. Jerry Nolte, Gladstone. "It's my hope that the people who travel through the state of Missouri will recognize that we want to honor our veterans," Denison said.

 

Carl Dietrich, a retired U.S. Navy electrician from Springfield and a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, had the idea of bringing the Purple Heart Trail to Missouri.  He approached then-Rep. Denison with the proposal, and Denison agreed to sponsor the required legislation.  In addition, Dietrich set up a planning committee to garner support for the initiative and raise the funds needed to pay for the signs.  "I am pleased with the support we received to honor those wounded or killed while serving their country," Dietrich said.   

 

When all of the signs are erected, Missouri will join 45 other states, along with Guam, to honor Purple Heart Medal recipients.  A map showing the Purple Heart Trail sign locations can be found on the Missouri Department of Transportation's website at www.modot.org. The Purple Heart Trail was established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The trail originates at a monument in Mount Vernon, Va., George Washington's burial place

FROM PARKS & RECREATION

~ Family Night Bingo!  Friday, March 15, 7:00 p.m., $3 (must pre-register).  Call 314-822-5855 for additional information, or register online at:  www.kirkwoodmo.org/recreation.

 

~ Adult Egg Hunt.   Friday, March 22, 8:00 p.m. $5 if you pre-register; $10 at the door. Hunt will be held at Wehner Park in Shrewsbury.  Call 314-822-5855 for additional information, or register online at: kirkwoodmo.org/recreation. TROPICAL MOOSE WILL BE SELLING WAFFLES!! 


REGISTER FOR CAMP KIRKWOOD ONLINE THIS YEAR! 

You can set up an online account on your own, or call the Community Center office to get started: Call 822-5855 for assistance in setting up your account.  Make your life a little easier - start using the online registration portal this month! You can access it one of three ways: Go directly to  www.kirkwoodmo.org/recreation; or access it from the home page of the City Website (kirkwoodmo.org) on the right-hand, gold sub-navigation bar; or access it from the Parks & Recreation page (under "Departments"). 
FREE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT
Recycling Symbol
Celebrate Earth Day by recycling those old toasters and VHS recorders! This FREE electronics recycling event is hosted by Kirkwood Sanitation at the Public Works Building, 345 S. Fillmore, on Saturday, April 20, 2013, 8:00 a.m., until noon. The drop-off will be in the front parking lot area. The event is co-sponsored by RNA WORLDWIDE. They will accept the following equipment: Computers, network, medical/lab, telecommunications, audio-visual, electronic-operated, battery-operated, and accessories. They will also accept:  LCD displays (no fee), LCD display-laptops, hard drives, disk drives, zip drives, CD drives, CDRW and DVD Drives, Scanners, Printers, speakers, battery back-ups, adding & answering machines, phones (Cell, Cord, Cordless), pagers, pocket PCs, cartridges, PC and digital cameras, batteries, power cords, cables and wire, appliances, and all scrap metal. For additional information, contact RNA at 314-338-6048 or visit their Website at www.rnaworld.com.
KIRKWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY HAPPENINGS IN MARCH
FOR ADULTS:
~ Saturday, March 16, 1 pm.  Thrive Series.  Seeds and Soil.  
~ Tuesday, March 26, 1:30 pm.  Cinema KPL is showing The Sting.
~ Wednesday, March 27, 2 pm.  Wednesday Mystery Readers.  We will discuss

Mr. Churchill's Secretary: A Novel

by Susan Ella MacNeal. 

 

FOR CHILDREN  

~ Monday, March 18, 6:30 pm.  Family Bingo Night.  

~ Saturday, March 23, 10 am.  Family Kite Making.  

~ Wednesday, March 27, 4 pm.  Make & Take Craft - chalk board frame.

 

FOR TEENS

~ Friday, March 15, 5 pm.  Box Fort Wars 2.  The Boxening.  Come build a fort out of boxes and engage in combat.

STORY TIMES:

~ Weekly Story Times.  Stories, songs and crafts, 10:00 a.m., Tuesdays (3/19 & 3/26) and Wednesdays (3/20 & 3/27) 

~ Books for Babies.  For babies up to 24 months & their caregivers.  Stories, songs and fingerplays.  Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., 3/14, 3/21 and 3/28  

~ First Steps Story Times. Stories, songs and crafts for young 2s.  Thursdays, 10:00 a.m., 3/14, 3/21 and 3/28.  

 

Kirkwood Public Library is located at 140 E. Jefferson in Downtown Kirkwood.  For more information or to register for an event or program, please call 314-921-5770.

FROM OAK BEND LIBRARY
TEEN TECH MONTH - MARCH 2013: "CREATE A MEME" CONTEST!
Show off your comic genius by creating your own meme for Teen Tech Month. Submit a meme about your favorite hero or heroine to:  [email protected], between March 1 and March 23.  You will be entered to win a $20 gift card to thinkgeek.com.  Entries will be displayed in the Teen Alley, where teens will vote for the funniest meme. Please include your name, email address, and phone number with your entry. Participant must be in grades 6 to 12.

FOR TEENS:
 
~ Saturday, March 16, 2:00 p.m.Art @ Your Library:  When Poetry Paints. Discover the synergy between the visual arts and poetry. Working with one of St. Louis' leading poetry instructors and recognized poets, Susan Grigsby, you'll discover new ways to express your creativity. Ages 16 and up. Registration required.
~
Friday, March 29, 6:00 p.m. Laser Tag @ Your Library.  Don't miss your chance to team up with other teens and play laser tag among the library stacks. Space is limited, so reserve your spot soon. Grades 6-12. Registration required.

FOR FAMILIES:
~ Thursday, March 28, 6:00 p.m.  Tech Talks: Language and Multicultural Databases. Join us on the last Thursday of every month as we discuss and explore new and interesting topics in computers and technology. Adults. Registration requested. 

 

The library will be closed on Sunday, March 31 in observance of Easter.

Oak Bend Library is part of the St. Louis County Library system and is located at 842 S. Holmes Avenue. For more information or to register for a program, call 314-994-3300.  Note:  The City provides the Oak Bend Library listings in Friday Happenings for the benefit of Kirkwood residents who live near Oak Bend Library. Not all Kirkwood residents live within the Kirkwood Public Library (KPL) District. However, ALL Kirkwood residents are encouraged to obtain a FREE Kirkwood library card, check out materials from KPL, and attend KPL programs and events.  

FROM THE EDITOR: The Mini Blog
HAPPY THURSDAY!   Do you like geology?  Or maybe you would just like to FINALLY spend some time outdoors after so many cold weeks spent indoors?  Be sure to check out the list of nature hikes (first article above) planned by Parks & Recreation for this spring.  They all sound good to me, but I am particularly interested in the first one, at the Meramec Highlands Quarry, with its emphasis on geology and fossils (being a fossil and dinosaur nerd).

It looks likely to be a rainy St. Patrick's weekend.  So stay warm and dry out there - and see you next Thursday!

Beth von Behren 
Happenings Editor/Public Information Officer 
City of Kirkwood
139 S. Kirkwood Road
Kirkwood, MO  63122
314-822-5894
www.kirkwoodmo.org