Kirkwood Happenings
City of Kirkwood, Missouri
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Photo of the Week:  Interim Fire Chief Lawrence Bierman was sworn in by City Clerk Betty Montano on Friday, October 9, at City Hall.  Chief Bierman will serve in an interim capacity until a new fire chief has been hired. The City is conducting a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Chief Thomas Openlander who retired on October 9. The process is expected to take about six months.  Chief Bierman began his career with the City in 1977 and retired, as Assistant Chief, in 2011. We are very grateful to him for agreeing to once again serve the Kirkwood community. 

 
Senator Visits KPL
Kirkwood Public Library Welcomes Senator Claire McCaskill this Sunday!
 
Senator Claire McCaskill will visit the Kirkwood Public Library on Sunday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m., to discuss her new book, Plenty Ladylike. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books, the St. Louis area's preeminent independent bookstore.
News from MoDOT
Some Things Aren't Worth Chancing: Motorists Reminded to Drive Safely Around Big Trucks
 
Commercial motor vehicles (CMV) are an important part of our nation's economy. During Operation Safe Driver Week, Oct. 18-24, along with statewide educational efforts, law enforcement will actively pull passenger vehicles and trucks over for unsafe behavior, issuing citations for all manner of violations, from speeding to failure to obey a traffic device, to DUIs.

Crashes involving tractor trailers don't happen very often, but when they do, the disproportionate size of a truck versus a car means those crashes can often involve serious injuries or worse. There were 111 people killed in Missouri traffic crashes involving a CMV in 2014.

"We don't want you to take any chances when it comes to safely moving around big trucks," said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. "Please pay attention."
  • Don't cut off large trucks or buses. Make sure you can see the top of the truck or bus in your rearview mirror before moving back into your original lane.
  • Stay out of the "No Zone." Big trucks have large blind spots on either side and up to 200 feet behind a vehicle. Pass only on the left side. 
  • Watch your following distance. Keep a safety cushion around trucks.  Can you see the truck's side mirrors? If not, the driver cannot see you.
Coming Up In Kirkwood!
Halloween Walk!
 
The annual Downtown Kirkwood Halloween Walk will be held on Thursday, October 29, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 

CITY HALL TRICK-OR-TREATING:  Just prior to the Downtown Walk, be sure to stop by City Hall and pick up some treats for your dressed-up goblins and witches. We will be handing out treats from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the 29th. 

For a list of participating downtown merchants, click here. OR just head downtown on the 29th and follow the crowds! 
Fall Nature Hikes!
Rocks, Quarries, and Fossils: Saturday, October 17
 
Geologist Scott George will guide us through Kirkwood's intriguing Meramec Highlands Quarry at Dee Koestering Park. The site is a historic quarry listed on the National Historic Register, with large boulders and quarry spoils providing a view of the unique geology and fossils of the area.  Saturday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. Park is located at 1703 Marshall Road.  Meet at entry to parking lot.

Are Emmenegger Woods Haunted? On Halloween...
Many people have an innate fear of spiders, centipedes, snakes and other critters that call Emmenegger home. Do you really need to be afraid of them? Webster Groves Nature Study Society Vice-President Rich Thoma's nature hike is a chance to dispel fears and learn what these unique organisms actually do. Saturday, October 31, 10:00 a.m.  Emmenegger Nature Park is located at 11991 Stoneywood Dr., in Kirkwood. Meet at the trailhead kiosk by the creek. 
Chess at the Magic House!
Kings, Queens, and Castles!
 
The World Chess Hall of Fame will host Kings, Queens, & Castles, at the Magic House in Kirkwood, beginning Otober 31. This innovative, interactive family exhibit brings the game of chess to life and provides an engaging introduction to individual chess pieces and game strategy.

Designed for children ages 3 to 11, the exhibit features an array of hand-on elements, such as a drawbridge leading to a castle, a dress-up station, and life-sized chess pieces with cutouts for great photos.  

Gardening Tip
Water, Water, Water!
 
The soil is extremely dry!  Water your plants, trees, lawn, and shrubs to help them thrive through the rest of this season.  A bigger benefit of keeping things watered is the insulating effect going into winter.  Moist soil will insulate and hydrate the roots of your plants, providing protection from the harsh conditions we may experience.  Keep watering until the soil freezes.
As temperatures become cooler and more unpredictable, disconnect your hoses from outdoor faucets after each use.  This avoids a freeze that could damage the hose or the faucet.


The Kirkwood Garden Club writes a Gardening Tip for most editions of Happenings.  For more information about the club, check out their Website at KirkwoodGardenClub.org. New members and guests, both men and women, are welcome to attend their meetings and events.  Meetings are typically held on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Kirkwood Community Center.

The Finish Line
On the Run................
The retiring shoes.

All you runners will appreciate this one.  I broke down yesterday and bought new running shoes and was astonished (astonished!) that the only ones that really felt like they could do the job of protecting my feet and my joints cost $159 (plus tax!). I used to routinely refuse to pay more than $50 for a pair, but then that may be why my knees and feet and lower back are screaming in protest these days. Sigh...

All you runners (and walkers) may also be interested in these two items:
 
Gobble, gobble:  Registration is now open for the annual Kirkwood-Webster Turkey Day Run.  Course Description:   Three-mile and Six-mile courses through scenic Kirkwood and Webster Groves.  Course measurement, marking, and chip timing by BRE Race Consultants, a subsidiary of Big River Running.  Starting area and finish line located on Argonne Drive, just east of Kirkwood Road, in the heart of downtown Kirkwood (click here for PARKING map).  For full details and a link to the registration form, visit this page on the City Website.

Glendale Fire House Run: The 36th annual Glendale Firehouse Run will take place Sunday, October 5. Runners and walkers take off from Glendale City Hall, 424 N. Sappington. Parking wll be at North Glendale School, 765 N. Sappington. The cost is $25 per individual or $60 per family of 3 ($15 for additional runners).  For full details and online registration, visit www.glendalemo.org.

I will leave you with these photos and this little story. Have you seen the work going on at Walker Lake on the wooden fishing deck?  Kirkwood Rotary is rebuilding the wooden platform that extends into Walker Lake this week.  This labor-intensive activity will be completed entirely by Rotary volunteers over three days. Kirkwood Rotary built the original dock in 1993. This year, Kirkwood Rotary will replace everything above the floating dock, including the decking and hand railing. This project will be funded by the Rotary Club and a grant from the Department of Conservation.  Tom Riggs of Riggs Construction (top photo) worked on the original project and is spearheading the work on this one. 
Kirkwood Parks' Facility Technician Doug Eilermann is featured in the second photo.  Other Rotary volunteers working on the project include David Purcell, Gerry DeWulf, and Pete Broeder:  Thanks, gentlemen!