Letter to the Editor: Rep. Rick Stream, a Neighborly Politician

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 house was a convenient cut-through from Lockett Lane to my home on Lockett Road. As a kid, I’d frequently run through his backyard with my friends, playing games of tag or capture the flag. Whenever it snowed, we’d stomp around behind his house, dragging our tired bodies back from sledding.

We may have knocked over his woodpile a couple of times, but Rick didn’t mind. If he was outside, he’d always laugh and wave.

In grade school and for part of high school, I was active in Boy Scout Troop 685 out of St. Gerard Majella. Rick consistently made appearances and handed awards at Eagle Scout ceremonies. He’d always stick around afterwards for cake and share stories with the scouts.

If you’ve been to an Eagle Scout ceremony, you know the program can be quite long. But Rick was there for each one and stayed late. He always had a smile and really enjoyed it.

Over the years, I have admired Rick and his dedication to my troop and my community in Kirkwood.

I would recommend everyone to vote for Rick this November. He’s a great man and Kirkwood will definitely benefit from him in office.

-Jack Witthaus

Submit letters to the editor to owen.skoler@patch.com.