E-Newsletter for City of Kirkwood: February 18, 2016
News and Information from Your Boards and Commissions
URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSION:
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small beetle that probably hitchhiked to the U.S. from Asia. The EAB eats only ash trees, but it is deadly, killing the trees by tunneling under the bark.  You will find lots of additional details in our "Tree Talk" newsletter, which will go out with utility bills beginning March 1.  Here are a few tips to hold you over: 1) Identify ash trees in your yard. 2) Assess the health and value of your ash trees. 3) Consult a certified arborist for treatment options.  Visit their page on the City Website here.

LANDMARKS COMMISSION:
Did you know historic preservation is sustainable development? 1) It reuses existing buildings and materials, which produce fewer environmental impacts than demolition or new construction.
2) Demolition ships waste material to landfills. 3) The manufacturing of materials for new construction uses higher energy output than preservation of existing structures. The greenest building is one already built.  For more information from the Landmarks Commission, look for their newsletter in March utility bills.  Visit their page on the City Website here.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The Kirkwood Human Rights Commission (HRC) enjoyed another active and productive year in 2015.  Some accomplishments include:  1) Another successful essay contest for 11th grade students. 2) Their first-ever art contest for grade school children. 3) Conducting a "Disabilities Survey" in an effort to better understand the needs of the community and learn more effective ways to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.  For more information about HRC, check out their flyer in this month's February utility bill insert.  Visit their page on the City Website here. 

KIRKWOOD ARTS COMMISSION
The Kirkwood Arts Commission is hard at work on several projects.  A Public Art Subcommittee is working on developing a public art policy, based on the results of the survey they conducted last year. The Making Music Subcommittee has the Summer 2016 Concert Series schedule all ready to go (see below).  Many thanks to our new sponsor: Commerce Bank. The Commission will have a booth at Mayfest (sponsored by the Downtown Business District) on May 7 in Station Plaza.  AND: Don't forget to sign up for the Arts Calendar, produced by the Commission and published each month with upcoming arts programming and events. To sign up, send an email to: Arts@KirkwoodMO.org.  For more information about the Arts Commission, visit their page on the City Website here. 

Making Music Concert Series 2016:
  • June 11:  Gateway City Big Band
  • June 25: Farshid Etniko World Music Group
  • July 9: Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats
  • July 23:  Gene Dobbs Bradford Blues Experience
  • August 13:  The Lucky Old Sons
  • August 27:  Kim Massie
The Making Music concerts are held on Saturday evenings on the dates listed, in the Lions' Amphitheatre in Kirkwood Park, starting at 7:00 p.m. 
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If you receive your utility bill by email and would like to read all the flyers that get inserted into bills that are mailed, visit this page of the City's Website (click here).
News and Information from the City and Our News Partners
Kirkwood Fire Department Joins STARS Program
KFD firefighter/paramedics met with a STARS family in January who were visiting relatives in Kirkwood. L to R: JT Wiley, Judy Bryant, Nate Higginbotham, Dale Straatmann, and Rich and Nathanial.
The Kirkwood Fire Department will joined the Special Needs Tracking and Awareness Response System (STARS) to help identify and better treat pediatric patients with special needs in the Kirkwood/Oakland areas.

STARS was developed in conjunction with Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital to give emergency responders a management plan for children with a significant developmental delay, seizure disorders, cardiac history, cerebral shunts, tracheostomies, or any other atypical diseases or syndromes.  These children are at higher risk for emergency care, and having vital information before the need arises gives responders a head start with patient care.

Patients and responders have opportunities to meet and become familiar with each other before an emergency.  This helps the patient feel more secure when he or she personally knows the paramedics who respond when needed.  The parents and the paramedics will develop a plan for each specific child in the program based on the child's history and needs.  That information will be a valuable resource when Kirkwood paramedics are dispatched to that STARS' patient's home. 

Parents or guardians are encouraged to contact the Kirkwood Fire Department to enroll their child in the STARS program if their child lives in the Kirkwood/Oakland area.
MoDOT Will Shift Traffic on I-64 at Maryville Center Drive
Drivers on eastbound I-64 between I-270 and Route 141 need to be aware of new traffic patterns on I-64, starting Friday morning, February 19.  Weather permitting, crews will narrow and shift lanes on eastbound I-64, starting at 8:00 p.m., on Thursday night, February 18, and on Friday, February 19. This will require up to two lanes being closed overnight. All lanes will reopen by 5:00 a.m. the following morning. When the work is complete, drivers will have three 11-foot lanes between 141 and 270.

Crews will also close the left lane on the I-64 South Outer Road from 141 to Mason Road. This will include a permanent ramp closure from the outer road to I-64 between Maryville Center Drive and Mason Road. Drivers will still be able to get onto eastbound I-64 from the outer road at Route 141 and past Mason.  Next week, crews will close two lanes on weeknights between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., to place a barrier wall on the right shoulder of eastbound I-64 between 141 and 270. This work is part of the continuing widening project on I-64.
Gardening Tip of the Day from the Kirkwood Garden Club
From single digit temperatures to 60 or higher in one week, oh my.  The impact to gardens, trees, and shrubs may be foliage beginning to pop.  If there is a swing back to very cold weather, the leaves may burn on the tips.  There is no action that can prevent this from happening.  A greater impact may be seen as we get further into spring.  A spring freeze could damage flower buds.  This would reduce the number of maple squirts, acorns, and sweet gum balls.  Not  a bad thing.  But it could also reduce the flowers on azaleas, hydrangeas and similar shrubs.  Only time will tell.  It is looking like another unusual gardening season for our area.

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.
Farmers' Market Gets New Restrooms
If you have noticed some activity going on at the otherwise-closed-at-this-time-of-year Kirkwood Farmers' Market, you are not mistaken.  A project to upgrade the solitary unisex public restroom is underway. The design is for separate men's and women's restrooms that are fully ADA compliant and will be heated and cooled. An improved prep area will gain new shelving and a table for vendors. We anticipate the work being finished by the Market's Opening Day on April 1. 
City Completes Second Phase of Tree Inventory with Help of TRIM Grant from Missouri Dept of Conservation
The City of Kirkwood has completed the second year of a multi-year Tree Inventory it started in 2014, after receiving a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).  The City received a second grant in 2015.  The MDC grant awarded up to $10,000 to be used towards the City's work on an inventory of public trees. The City completed this phase of the inventory in December 2015, and the results are now posted on the City's Website as an interactive map.
 
The Tree Inventory is a useful management tool for the City's thousands of publicly owned trees but is especially effective in light of the Emerald Ash Borer as it has moved into the St. Louis area. The inventory identified the number and location of ash trees the City owns and their condition.  The second phase of the inventory covered the part of Kirkwood that is west of Geyer Road and north of Ballas, to the northernmost edge of the City, and then they went back and picked up a few areas south of Big Bend and west of Geyer. This part of the work uncovered a higher concentration of ash trees than the first phase, which covered the southwest portion of the City and the downtown area.
 
The City will apply in 2016 for another TRIM grant and hopes to complete the inventory for the remainder of the City at that time.
 
The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle accidentally introduced into North America more than a dozen years ago. The beetle has now been detected in St. Louis and St. Louis County.  Its larvae feed on and kill ash trees. Learn more about the Emerald Ash Borer at the MDC website at http://mdc.mo.gov.
 
The City contracted with Arbor Pro to conduct the inventory, which compiled information on public trees in Kirkwood and included information such as common and botanical name, diameter, height, condition, and location. The inventory appears as a GIS map and can be found on the City's Website at www.kirkwoodmo.org/CityMap.
What's Coming Up In Kirkwood?
Annual PD Pancake Supper Coming Up on February 25
Pancakes
The Annual Kirkwood Police Department Pancake Supper, to benefit the Benevolent fund, will be held on Thursday, February 25, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., at Kirkwood High School, 801 W. Essex Avenue.  "All the pancakes you can eat" - pancakes, sausages, eggs, coffee, milk, and applesauce will be served (no carry-outs, please). Donation:  $4.00.  Purchase your tickets from any Police Department Employee, at City Hall, or at the door. Questions? Call 314-822-5867. [Please note corrected date, which was incorrectly printed in the January utility inserts.]
Friends of Kirkwood Public Library Hold Book Sale
Books
The Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library will hold a History Book Sale on February 26 and 27 at the Library, 140 E. Jefferson Avenue, in downtown Kirkwood. The sale will feature history, biography, and military and war books, as well as books on Missouri and St. Louis.  The hours of the sale are Friday, February 26, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, February 27, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  There is no entry fee. Book prices are generally in the $.50 to $4.00 range, with payment by cash or check. No credit or debit cards.

If you are a fiction lover, watch for details of our next sale coming up April 29 and 30.  All proceeds benefit the Kirkwood Public Library. For further information, call 314-821-5770, x1023, or email KPLFriends@kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.
Candidate Forums Will Be Held Feb 25 and March 1
Kwood Public Library, Keep Kirkwood Green, Kirkwood in Bloom, and the Kirkwood School District will partner to sponsor two candidate forums prior to the April election.  Both forums will be conducted by the League of Women Voters.
  • For City Council Candidates:  The forum will be held on Thursday, February 25, at 7:00 p.m.
  • For Mayoral Candidates:  The forum will be held on Tuesday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m.
  • Both forums will be held at Robinson Elementary School, 803 Couch Avenue.
The following names have been listed on the certified ballot filed with the Board of Election on January 22:  For Mayor:  Timothy E. Griffin, Scott Stream, Gina Jaksetic. For Council Member: Mark Zimmer, Maggie Duwe, Ellen Z. Edman, Nancy Luetzow, Kevin E. O'Brien. The election will be held Tuesday, April 5.
Upcoming Programming from Kirkwood OASIS
OASIS Logo
Judy Garland: Child Star: Explore the legendary Judy Garland's life spanning her early career with Mickey Rooney up to television's "The Judy Garland Show." See memorable song and dance scenes from "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Easter Parade," and  more. Kirkwood OASIS 314. Monday, February 29, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Fee: $10.

Better Balance. Chris Rubenacker, Certified Fitness Instructor. The mind, senses, and body will be progressively challenged to maintain and improve your balance, strength and flexibility. Kirkwood OASIS 310. Mondays, March 7-April 18, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Fee: $38. Sessions: 7. OR Kirkwood OASIS 351. Mondays, April 25 through May 23, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Fee: $30. Sessions: 5.
Upcoming Programming from Kirkwood Public Library
ADULT PROGRAMS

Special Events:
  • The Inspiring History of the Irish in St. Louis. Presented by Bev Schuetz. Follow the moving account of St. Louis' Irish immigrants in their struggle to survive bigotry and discrimination. You'll learn that the average life span in the ghetto was 14, how violent gangs ruled and fought for turf in the impoverished area known as the Kerry Patch, and how men were met with signs of "No Irish Need Apply" in their search for decent jobs. See how the Irish survived, flourished and became a vital part of St. Louis history. Tuesday, March 15, 2:00 p.m.
  • Famous Women series, in honor of Women's History Month: Abigail Adams and Her Sisters. Discover the warm relationship shared by Abigail Adams and her sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, through their letters and diaries. Wednesday, March 2, 1:30 p.m.
  • Launch of KPL's Digital Collection.  In partnership with Kirkwood Parks and Recreation. Wednesday, March 2, 7:00 p.m. 
  • The Women in Thomas Jefferson's Life. A mother, sisters, wife, daughters, and lovers impacted the life of America's third president. Monday, March 14, 1:30 p.m.
     
Book Clubs:
  • Books on Tap.  Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes, at Mike Duffy's Pub and Grill. Wednesday, March 9, 7:00 p.m. 
  • Saturday Morning Perks. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. Saturday, March 12, 10:00 a.m. 
  • The Book Club at the End of the Universe. The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. Monday, March 14, 7:00 p.m. 
  • Mystery Readers. Deadly Intent, by Anna Sweeney. Wednesday, March 16, 2:00 p.m.
Music in the Library:  The Wee Heavies is a mostly a Capella quartet dedicated to music in the Anglo-Celtic tradition. The Heavies sing mainly their own arrangements in an eclectic mix from traditional to modern. Sunday, March 20, 2:00 p.m. 

CrAfter Work: We will decorate small flower pots to get ready for gardening season. Wednesday, March 23, 7:00 p.m. 

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Story Times (January 12 thru April 28):
  • Story Times: Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. Stories, songs, crafts.
  • Preschool Story Times: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. Stories, songs, and crafts.
  • Books for Babies: For babies 6 to 24 months and their caregivers. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.
  • First Steps Story Times. For our youngest 2s, 10:30 a.m.
  • Champ Reading Dogs. First Sunday of the month, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Come read with a furry friend.
First Art:  Enjoy the tactile wonders of paint, glitter, glue, and more. Dress to be messy. Recommended for 18 months to age 4. First Thursday of each month. March 3, 10:30 a.m.

Book Clubs (Books Available for Check-Out at the Library):
  • Family Book Club, Mondays, 7:00 p.m.  For children in grades 6 o 8 and their parents. March 28: Jefferson's Sons, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 
  • Family Book Club Junior, Mondays, 6:30 p.m. For children in grade 4 and 5 and their parents. March 14: The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd.
Wednesday After-School Special (Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m., for elementary-school-age children):
  • Lego Club: March 2.
  • Science Fun:  March 9.
  • Make and Take Craft: March 23
Count On Books.  March 4, 11, 25, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Join us for this series exploring early math skills through stories. Each week focuses on a different math concept through books and activities. For children entering kindergarten in the fall. Please register in advance.

Special Events:
  • Charlie Brown Comics Day. Good grief, join us for some fun activities featuring Snoopy, Lucy, and Charlie Brown. March 5, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
  • STEM Discovery Day at the Library. Take a break from spring break and play with some of our science toys. March 14, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Design Your Own Alien. Build your own alien, using our stuff plus your imagination. March 17, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Teen Regular Programs:
  • Anime Afternoon. Fridays, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.  March 4: Like anime? Join your friends to watch anime and discuss Japanese pop culture and your favorite manga.
  • Tween Scene Thursdays:  March 10, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
  • Anime Afternoon Part II: Graphic Novel Book Club, Fridays, 3:00 to 5:0 p.m.  March 18: Beautiful Darkness. Join us for a different kind of book club. We'll dive into a new graphic novel each month, while enjoying some snacks. Books available for check out. 
  • Teen Craft Afternoons. Tuesday, March 22, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.: Nailed It!  Nail art decorating.

Teen Special Events:

  • Teen Tech Week, Hour of Code:  Come to the teen room any day throughout Teen Tech Week to learn a free hour of code using code.org.  March 6 thru 12. 
    • Featuring:  Teen Tech Week Program, Saturday, March 12, 2:00 p.m.  Come and celebrate Teen/Tech Week 2016 and play and learn more about some cool tech gadgets at the Library.
  • Keepsake Box for Tiny Treasures. Come make a tiny treasure box out of an Altoid tin to keep your special things inside. Monday, March 7, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The Finish Line...
Your Kirkwood Fire Department has been kicking it up lately.  They have joined the STARS program (see story above) and were featured last month in a story about STARS on KSDK Channel 5. They have some new equipment (a UV disinfecting lamp) that will help them keep staff and patients safe and healthy - see the story next week in Eye on Kirkwood (inside the Webster-Kirkwood Times).  It should also appear soon on KFD's Facebook page (Kirkwood Fire / Rescue).  And over the last month they have been coming to City offices to train staff on the use of fire extinguishers. That's Deputy City Clerk Laurie Asche on the left in the photo above with Fire Captain Steve Knapp (middle) and Engineer Justin Janes.

It's February!  It's Heart Health Month, Low Vision Awareness Month, Black History Month, and Adopt-a-Rescued-Rabbit Month (you can't make this stuff up).  Plus it's a LEAP YEAR! So the month is going to drag on much longer than it usually does...well, okay, a day longer.  Coming up in March: National Nutrition Month, Women's History Month, National Irish Month, St. Patrick's Day, the Ides of March, and National Pig Day (March 1).  PLUS: Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 13. I am just a fount of knowledge and useless information (or "font" for those who prefer the Oxford English spelling).  But the best part about March?  First day of spring:  March 20.

To tide us over, we may get a little taste of spring this weekend.  Enjoy.

Our next edition:  March 3.  See you then!

Beth von Behren
Editor/PIO
Quick Links to Website Pages and Information
City Website:  www.kirkwoodmo.org

City Council Minutes:  www.kirkwoodmo.org/CouncilMinutes

City Calendar and Meeting Agendas:  www.kirkwoodmo.org/Calendar.aspx 

Board and Commission Minutes:  www.kirkwoodmo.org/CommissionMinutes

Kirkwood Public Library:  www.kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org