Kirkwood Weekly Happenings
City of Kirkwood
April 4, 2013
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| Greetings! |
 PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Police Officer Cliff Kierstead (left) and Kirkwood Train Station Manager Bill Burckhalter worked the City's booth at the Kirkwood-Des Peres Chamber's annual Marketplace Expo on Tuesday. Their theme, in case you can't make it out, was Rail Safety. See the story below on the City's annual Rail Safety Day and 10th Anniversary Celebration, coming up this month!
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NEWS FROM MODOT
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BLASTING ON I-270 - MESSAGE FROM KIRKWOOD FIRE CHIEF TOM OPENLANDER:
We have met with MoDOT and been advised that the I-270 blasting will begin for the 2013 construction season on April 10th. The plan at this time is for one blast per day occurring at 1:00 pm for the entire month of April and possibly the first half of May. The contractor will begin blasting in the area by Big Bend (west side of highway adjacent to southbound traffic lanes).
SHUT DOWNS: They will shut down both the northbound and southbound traffic lanes on I-270, as well as eastbound and westbound Big Bend during the initial blasts. Please keep this in mind and try to avoid that area if at all possible during that time frame. The fire department will have a representative on site, usually Fire Marshal Leo Meyer, to monitor the blast each day. Our expectation is that it will be as uneventful as last summer's blasting.
NO-MORE-TRASH BASH:
Spring into action this April during the No MOre Trash! Bash, and help Missouri become a litter-free state. The No MOre Trash! Bash is an annual event sponsored by the Missouri Departments of Conservation and Transportation. During the entire month of April, efforts are aimed at getting people to clean up litter all across Missouri - from roadsides and parks to rivers and streams.
"It's time to get outside, get the litter picked up, and make our state beautiful this spring," said Stacy Armstrong, MoDOT roadside management specialist. "The trash bash is a great way to get organized and actually make a difference."
Last year's Bash had about 1,000 groups participating with more than 21,000 volunteers. Hundreds of educational efforts were held in schools, at rest areas, community events, during Earth Day celebrations, and more. Across the state, over 128,000 bags of litter were collected statewide.
"Littering isn't just ugly," said Joe Jerek, trash bash coordinator for the Department of Conservation. "It hurts wildlife, costs Missourians millions of tax dollars, and it's illegal." Birds, fish, turtles, and other animals can get tangled in litter, such as plastic six-pack holders and fishing line, and it can kill them. Litter poisons fish, birds, and other wildlife and can cost a litterer up to $1,000 in fines and one year in jail.
To take action and participate in this year's bash, consider scheduling a clean-up or educational activity and involve your friends, family, and coworkers. For more information or to sign up for activities, visit www.nomoretrash.org or call 888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636).
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TRAIN STATION NEWS!
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KIRKWOOD CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF STATION OWNERSHIP
The City will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the day we took ownership of the  Kirkwood Train Station at the annual Rail Safety Day on Saturday, April 20. Ten years ago, the station was about to be closed by Amtrak as part of its cost-cutting efforts. The City negotiated with Union Pacific Railroad to purchase the station and then established a volunteer corps to staff it. Today, the historic Train Station remains a vibrant and essential ingredient in the ambience of downtown Kirkwood.
The ten-year celebration will be a part of the Kirkwood Police Department's 7th Annual Kirkwood Rail Safety Day and Open House. The ceremony, featuring the Mayor of Kirkwood, Art McDonnell, and other City dignitaries, will start at 10:30 a.m. The Open House will run from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
EVENT DETAILS:
- Special display on the consequences of not following safety rules at railroad crossing and around railroad tracks
- Amtrak will host a drawing for free train tickets to Chicago or Kansas City
- Free food will be provided by the Kirkwood American Legion Post
- Live music will be performed by Robin Lopate from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
- An operating model train will be on display
- Organizations and exhibits on hand include: Kirkwood Fire Department, Kirkwood Police Department, Missouri Operation Lifesaver, National Museum of Transport, Amtrak, Kirkwood Historical Society, National Railroad Historical Society, Big Bend Model Railroad Club, Morse Telegraph Club, Union Pacific Railroad Police Special Agents
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BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!!
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ANNUAL BOOK FAIR RETURNS APRIL 24-28
The Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library will hold its annual Book Fair April 24 to 28. They will once again offer fiction and nonfiction books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books at bargain prices in a wide variety of categories. All proceeds benefit the Kirkwood Public Library. Cash or checks will be accepted, but no credit or debit cards.
New Location: The Book Fair will be held at 12145 Manchester Road in Des Peres, which is the former Michael's store, in the Olympic Oaks Shopping Center, on the following dates:
~ Wednesday, April 24, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. ($5 entry fee this day only)
~ Thursday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 8: p.m.
~ Friday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
~ Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
~ Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, you can buy a bag of books - all you can fit into a provided bag - for just $5.
Special thanks to A-Mrazek Moving Systems who provided storage and transportation services for this sale. For further information, call 314-821-5770, x1023.
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THIS WEEK'S SPRING NATURE HIKE (RAIN OR SHINE!)
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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.
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KIRKWOOD SCHOOLS
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PEER-2-PEER ALLIANCE HOSTS 2ND EVENT
Tuesday, April 16, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., at Kirkwood High School, McCallie Hall A, 801 W. Essex. Did you know that the Urban Dictionary describes teen angst as severe depression resulting from stress, anxiety or loss that parents fail to recognize or understand? Normal teenage emotions are different from depression and anxiety, but it can be difficult to see the difference and know when it's necessary to take action. Ken McManus, M.Ed., LPC, and Abigail Maixner, M.Ed., LPC, from Preferred Family Health, will speak at this FREE event for parents, students, and the community. Peer-2-Peer Alliance is a newly formed organization in Kirkwood whose mission is to empower youth and parents to live healthy lives by providing information and insight about today's challenges. For more information, visit their Facebook page @ Peer2Peer-A Community Alliance.
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ART AT THE STATION
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OPENING RECEPTION TONIGHT: Kirkwood High School's Advanced Placement Art Students will display their work in April. Please join us tonight, Thursday, April 4, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., for the opening reception to introduce the students. Their multi-media exhibit will run through April 29.
IN MAY AT THE STATION: Our May exhibit will feature transportation photography by local artists. If you have work you would like to submit for consideration please contact Linda Epp 821-2250 or lindaepp@peoplepc.com.
The Kirkwood Train Station is located at 110 W. Argonne at the corner of Kirkwood Road in Downtown Kirkwood. Art may be viewed when the station is open for passengers.
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FREE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING DRIVE
|  Celebrate Earth Day by recycling those old toasters and VHS recorders! This FREE electronics recycling drive 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 APRIL
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FOR TEENS:
~ MINECRAFT in the Library. Friday, April 5, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Come play Minecraft in the library. We have our server set up, and everyone will have a chance to play.
~ MONSTER PROM: April 26, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m., at the Library. A Dance of the Deadly. A Promenade of Monstrosities. Come to the Monster Prom at KPL for food, music, an author visit, and, of course, ghouls.
FOR ADULTS:
~ ENGLISH TEA, April 10: "Past, Present and Future: A History of The Muny with Pictures" will be presented at the annual Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library English Tea, Wednesday, April 10, at 1:00 p.m., at Kirkwood United Methodist Church's Epworth Hall. Lucie Springmeyer, Director of Development and Civic Affairs for The Muny Theater in St. Louis, will be the speaker for this popular annual event. Springmeyer's knowledge of Forest Park, her advocacy for theatrical and historical venues, and her wonderful talent as an actress guarantee an exceptional and exciting program. Admission is free to Friends' members and $5 for all others. The fee will be waived for non-members who join the Friends when registering for the event. Due to limited seating, reservations are requested and must be received by noon, April 8. Interested parties may register by signing the registration sheet located in Books & Beyond, or by calling 314-821-5770, ext. 1023, and leaving your name and phone number. FOR FAMILIES - STORY TIMES:
~ Weekly Story Times. Stories, songs and crafts, 10:00 a.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays
~ Books for Babies. For babies up to 24 months & their caregivers. Stories, songs and fingerplays. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.
~ First Steps Story Times. Stories, songs and crafts for young 2s. Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.
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.
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FROM OAK BEND LIBRARY
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FOR TEENS:
~ Saturday, April 13, 2:00 p.m. Art @ Your Library: Blues Songwriting Workshop
Learn about the blues and how to write and perform a blues song. Workshop presented by Freedom Arts and Education Center. Ages 10-15. Registration required.
~ Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. Teen DIY: Seed Balls. Make the world a little greener with seed balls. Create small bundles of seed and compost to throw in any spot that needs a bit of flower power. Grades 6-12. Registration requested.~ Wednesday, April 17, 8:00 p.m. Guys Read TWITTER CHAT: "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang. Join us on Twitter each month as we discuss a great book with guy appeal. April's selection is "American Born Chinese," a graphic novel that explores identity through three interconnected stories (and cartoonish Kung Fu action!). How do you join a Twitter chat? It's easy! - Log on to Twitter between 8:00 and 8:45 p.m.
- Search for the hashtag #guysreadstl
- Use this hashtag when tweeting to join the discussion
- Follow St. Louis County Library at twitter.com/SLCL for a recap of the discussion.
~ Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. TAG. Join the Oak Bend Teen Advisory Group and become involved in planning teen activities for the year. Lots of snacks will be provided! Grades 6-12.
FOR FAMILIES:~ Thursday, April 4, 10:30 a.m. Art @ Your Library: Alphabet Art. Learning the ABC's is one of the earliest steps in a child's journey toward reading and writing, so why not make the process fun? Join us for an alphabet extravaganza as we explore the letters through a variety of engaging sensory activities. Ages 3-6. Registration required.
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.
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FROM THE EDITOR: The Mini Blog
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WELCOME TO SPRING, Fer Shure...
You have only to look out your window to see that Spring may finally actually totally (possibly) be here. My Weather Channel phone app tells me it is 60 degrees outside right now, and it "...feels like...60." Tomorrow's high is predicted to be close to 70 in some parts.
Were you one of the 60 or so folks who made it to last weekend's spring hike at the Meramec Highlands Quarry/Dee Koestering park? Four of my friends and I showed up for what turned out to be a good workout (lots of hill walking). It was cloudy but not cold, and the quarry tells an amazing history of the area and of Kirkwood itself. If you didn't make it on Saturday, you should check it out on your own sometime. This week's hike is at Emmenegger (see story above) and the hikers will have a beautiful, sunny morning for it.
Today's TILT (Things I love on Thursday): Getting back into a fitness and running routine after four weeks battling a sinus infection, the Sun, TEN YEARS of the Kirkwood Train Station (see story above), wearing open-toed shoes again soon (hopefully), shopping for books at the KPL bookfair in a few weeks, reading those books, planning my upcoming birthday and a visit from my daughter, a busy spring in Kirkwood - there's so much going on, including:
OPENING DAY OF THE KIRKWOOD FARMERS' MARKET tomorrow, Friday, April 5!!
Have a great weekend, and see you next Thursday!
Beth von Behren
Happenings Editor/Public Information Officer
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City of Kirkwood
139 S. Kirkwood Road
Kirkwood, MO 63122
314-822-5894
www.kirkwoodmo.org
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