Dear school officials, staff: A couple of concerns about the pay increase recently approved: Why was this decided before the county's property valuations were released?  Wouldn't it make sense to get a handle on potential revenue before locking into a half-million dollar added expense?  Clayton, other districts are waiting until next month.  The Kirkwood decision appears reckless and self-indulgent.   Why isn't the pay increase on the home page of the district's web site?   Personnel, after all, is the district's biggest expense, and this pay hike is a significant increase, also affecting …

To the Editor: On October 25, police in Belleville arrested a student for bringing a gun on campus of Southwestern Illinois College. Rick Stream voted to allow concealed weapons to be brought on college campuses in the state of Missouri. At the time, I was chair of the board of trustees for St. Louis Community College. When I learned the Missouri House had passed that measure, I called every college president in our state. They collectively lobbied the state senate; the measure was stopped. Stream endorsed Todd Akin. He voted against women having health care choices. He voted against teachers…

Patch: Several years ago I became active in local politics to help make Kirkwood indoor public places smoke-free. We sought support from “the powers that be,” but ONLY ONE elected official or candidate would help us: Deb Lavender. She knew that children’s health and saving lives was our priority. Deb walked Kirkwood streets with us, talked to voters, and helped assure business owners they would continue to thrive with a no-smoking law in place. Since that 2009 vote overwhelmingly in favor of a smoke-free Kirkwood, I've learned more about Deb and her sensible positions on state and local …

To the editor, It’s kind of strange for me to think of Rick Stream as a man running for State Representative for the 90th District this November. For the past 12 years, Rick has been my neighbor. He was “Mr. Stream” when I was younger and later was just “Rick.” Growing up, Rick was a tall, friendly man. Whenever he’d walk past my house, he’d always say hello to me if I was outside. Even though he probably had better things to do than talk to a 12 year old, he never showed it. Sometimes we’d have quite lengthy conversations ranging from the Cardinals to the biases in history textbooks. His …

Dear Editor, In this election year, it is critical that we support legislators who have consistently championed all of our citizens.  Representative Rick Stream has given his attention to crafting and supporting legislation that assists those with developmental disabilities.  This is the mark of a caring legislator who understands that his jurisdiction is to help all within his district. Rick’s son, Eric, has Downs Syndrome. Eric graduated from Kirkwood High School and is gainfully employed, earning a paycheck and contributing to our community.  With support and training, it is possible for …

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by a resident of Fairwood Lane in Kirkwood. The Area of Woodlawn Estates including the Streets of Fairwood Lane, Longview Blvd, Essex Ave, East Bodley, Claybrook and so forth are facing speeding cars and cars not stopping at the stop signs. Presently on Fairwood Lane there are 18 children between the ages of 2 and 17. Most of them being on the younger side. I believe that with cars going over the limit that a young child will get hurt riding a bike or playing football and Lacrosse in the median of Longview Blvd. Currently the limit is 25 mph on…

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Lisa Jenning’s letter. I am 18 years old, a recent graduate from Kirkwood High School, and I have been pulled over once by the Kirkwood Police. I made an illegal right turn on Essex.  I knew what I did was wrong, and I can say today that I have never made that mistake again. The police officer was extremely kind in the way he conducted the stop, and only issued a warning. My only other interaction I have had with the Police happened over the past week. I lost my wallet and headed to the Kirkwood Police Station in order to report my lost item. I was …

To the editor, I’m writing in response to Lisa Jenning’s letter. It’s true. I think everyone in Kirkwood shares a strange cop story. After Christmas in sixth grade, I was joyfully riding my brand new baby blue motor scooter around my cul-de-sac off Lockett Road. A Kirkwood police officer “pulled me over” and told me I couldn’t ride the scooter. Since it was motor-powered, I needed a license to operate the vehicle. I marched into my room and cried for over an hour. Your letter includes incidents where cops may have gone too far. But let’s be clear here: our Kirkwood cops are incredible …

Dear City of Kirkwood; No matter how many times I try to write this letter, it will never be eloquent enough, thankful enough, or heart felt enough. No matter what I write, it just won’t possibly be enough. Just over two short weeks ago, a member of your community was lost. As most all of you know, 14-year-old Cameron Herrin Vennard was in a tragic accident that ended his life on earth. Cameron was the son of two loving and amazing parents and the brother of two wonderful young men. All of which are fellow residents of Kirkwood. I am fortunate to call this family my very close friends, and to…

On all the news sites, when you see articles about Cam's death, all the comments talk about lessons to be learned, and how kids should pay more attention, and that parents need to teach their kids to be smarter about electronics and common sense. Do you really think this is what we want to be hearing right now? Our community of peers and friends has lost someone extremely dear to our hearts, and instead of sharing in our grief, adults around us use this as a time to scold teenagers. No one is to blame for what happened. It was a tragic accident. Could it have been prevented? Possibly, but not…

We The People, The struggle between preservation of our neighborhoods and historic buildings vs. allowing business ventures for city tax revenue is a persistent problem in Kirkwood. Many residents did not want a larger Mobil adjacent to their neighborhoods nor tax payer dollars to be used to level downtown buildings in favor of more parking. Mayor McDonnell has taken a strong position in favor of these pro-business decisions, while Candidate Godi questions these rush to judgements. Residents of Kirkwood are cognizant that these decisions are not easy ones to make. Yet compromise which favors …

Sorry, MoDOT is not going far enough. (Read: MoDOT Reveals More on Its Plan to Attack Potholes) In Germany, they repair potholes permanently and seal them properly in 24 hours, and they reimburse drivers for damage to your auto including front end alignment, tire replacement, towing, etc. The thought process is that as citizens we pay taxes to maintain roads, and should not pay for repairs that are not our problem. The current system is like being taxed twice. We already pay license tax, fuel tax, sales tax, and I do not know what else. Then, we get hit by repair bills and aggravation for a …

The Kirkwood-Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1946 by local business persons with the mission to do what's right for business and the community. These local men and women strategized in partnership with City of Kirkwood leaders, the Kirkwood School District, local community groups and organizations and churches to bring improvements to the community that would have a positive impact on revenues used to keep the city running. One roadblock to success was an agenda item at the first meeting of the newly established business organization: PARKING. Not much has changed. Many …