MARCH IS A BUSY MONTH:

• "How to Get a Job and Keep It" Kirkwood Public Library, Friday, February 28, 3:30 p.m. An after-school program for teenagers, covering how to prepare a resume, how to dress, what to do after you're hired, and more. Free and open to all teens. Presented by Lynda Higbee, from Higbee & Associates, and Georgia Ragland, Kirkwood's assistant chief administrative officer.  
• Artists' Boutique. Fine Arts & Crafts Show, Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, March 1 and 2, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Art at the Station: The photography of Brian Nedwek and Fritz Schaeffer will be on display in March at the Kirkwood Train Station, 110 W. Argonne Avenue. Opening reception is Thursday, March 6, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Art may be viewed when the Station is open for passengers. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.
• Stargazing in Kirkwood Park. Saturday, March 8, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., all ages.       Members from the St. Louis Astronomical Society will set up their telescopes and find an array of stellar objects for participants to view. This is an outdoor event so dress for the weather. If clouds or rain is forecast, it will be canceled. Free and open to the public. Meet in the parking lot by the playground, off Adams.
• Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. March 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16. Reim Theatre, Kirkwood Community Center. For times and ticket information, call 314-821-9956.
• Kirkwood Historical Society's Quarterly Meeting: Tuesday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., Mudd's Grove, 302 W. Argonne Avenue. Marie Andel will present a video of the 1993 archaeological dig at Mudd's Grove. Refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public.
• CERT Training Class Starts March 3.  It's not too late to register for this spring's session of the Community Emergency Response Team training class. Call 822-5868 for details.
• Due Date for Rainscape Rebates - Last Round:  Friday, March 21, 2014 (original due date was February 12. Project notifications will be distributed on April 18. For complete information, visit their Website at DeerCreekAlliance.org.  
• Save the Date in April:  Electronics Recycling Drive, Saturday, April 19, 9:00 a.m. to Noon, Kirkwood Public Works Building, 345 S. Fillmore.  More details to follow. 

The life of Edgar W. Denison (1904-1993) will be celebrated in Kirkwood this spring with several events and programs. Denison was a resident of Kirkwood, an amateur naturalist and botanist, an artist and an early environmental and conservation leader. An exhibition of his art work will open at Powder Valley Nature Center April 5 and run through the end of the month.

Other events include:

~ A panel discussion, "Edgar Denison: A Modern Johnny Appleseed," at First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, 100 E. Adams Ave., April 14, 7:00 p.m. Panelists: George Yatskievych, Tom Ott, Lesley Schoedinger, Bill Ruppert. Moderator: Scott Woodbury, Shaw Nature Reserve.

~ In conjunction with the art exhibit: Nature Drawing Class, April 12, 10:00 a.m. to noon; Gallery Talk, April 22, 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. 

~ Edgar Denison Nature Education Series at Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson.  All presentations begin at 7 pm: March 31: Missouri Natural Communities and Natural Areas, Mike Leahy, Natural Areas Coordinator, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC); April 9: Naturescaping - Landscaping for Life, Mitch Leachman, Executive Director, St. Louis Audubon Society; April 15: Natives, Beyond Beauty, Plants that Really Work, Bill Ruppert, Missouri Prairie Foundation; April 21: Show Me the Monarch - Adventures in Butterfly Gardening, Jennifer Loyet-Schamber and Tammy Behm, Greenscape Gardens; April 29: The Best Missouri Trees for Native Landscaping, Mark Gruber, DMC.

~ Also at Kirkwood Public Library, an exhibit of nature watercolors by Kirkwood artist Elizabeth Holm Cole, April through May.  Artist's reception, April 9, 6:00 p.m.

~ Edgar Denison Spring Wildflower Walk, led by George Yatskievych, PhD, Missouri Botanical Gardens, at Emmenegger Nature Park in Kirkwood, Saturday, April 19, 1:30 pm.

~ Edgar Denison Day:  Saturday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kirkwood Farmers' Market, in conjunction with Kirkwood Living Green's Earth Day celebration, including exhibitors and native plant sellers, kids' activities, and dedication of an Edgar Denison Memorial Garden

~ Emmenegger Nature Park BioBlitz:  Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17: Twenty-four hours of nature hikes and educational inventory of on-site flora and fauna, sponsored by Webster Groves Nature Study Society and St. Louis Academy of Science.

Thank you to the generous sponsors for these events: Kirkwood-DesPeres Area Chamber, Kirkwood Living Green, Cornucopia, Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, PNC Bank

KIRKWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY OPENS ART GALLERY

Thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library, the library opened its art gallery in February with paintings by Kirkwood resident Mary Hanson.  An artist reception is planned for Friday, February 21, 5:30-6:30pm.  Ms. Hanson's art will be on display until March 31.  

The library's goal is to share new art forms and ideas, to foster creativity and inspire curiosity, and to provide exhibition opportunities for the artistic community.  Submissions to display are currently being accepted.  A visit to the library prior to exhibiting is encouraged, to view the space and the hanging system.  Look for more information on the library's Website at KirkwoodPublicLibrary.org, or contact Library Director Sarah Erwin at serwin@kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org or 821-5770.

"A Salute to Mike Brown," marking the retirement and celebrating the career of long-time Kirkwood Chief Administrative Officer Mike Brown, will be held Friday, March 7, 2014, at Greenbriar Hills Country Club, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.  You're Invited!

Tickets are $45 per person. For more information, please call 314-822-5801. To RSVP, visit the City Website here to download an invitation, and then either mail it with your check or bring it to City Hall, 139 S. Kirkwood Road. 

SEED STARTING INDOORS!   

Get a head start on spring by starting some seeds indoors.  This requires grow lights that can be adjusted in height.  Use potting mix to start the seeds in a clean six pack, or an egg carton.  Any small, shallow container with a drainage hole will work.  Plant the seed half the depth of the soil, then mist with water.  Place directly under the grow light.  Keep the seeds moist and warm.  As they begin to sprout, raise the grow light to allow for their growth.  Transplant to larger containers as the plants grow.