My feelings are sad and remorseful as I watched the T.V. newscasts here. We're about 15 minutes away from the City of Kirkwood. This is a great city, tree lined, with modest homes to elegant homes. It's has a typical small town feel to it. Loaded with history. It's a place where you know your neighbors and actually do like them and visit back and forth. It has a wonderful old train station (still functioning ) and lots of unique shops to visit and make it a day doing that. It's not to be missed at Christmas time when all the city lights up including the train station and City Hall.

What a terrible night Thursday evening the 7Th of February was, for so many unsuspecting people. People who try to do what's right for the city and the people in it. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy about the decisions to be made. That's their right and they get to express it.

On that fateful night, 6 people died some injured. Their outcome unsure. They were fathers, mothers, grandparents, someones child; people that other people cared about. Still do.

The community has drawn close now, supporting one another. I feel their pain. My feeling is that the shooter, Charles "Cookie" Thornton was not in a good mental state. No one really knew how strongly he felt until he killed 5 other people. People he knew. Some people were friends to him. Not a clue of what was to come. In an instant, lives have changed forever.  If it can happen here, it can happen any where.

I pray for peace for each of the families. My heart goes out to them. Kirkwood is a strong community and it will come out of this stronger.

Ah, Kirkwood! A community of older stately homes and a mix of smaller homes, quickly being bought up strictly for the land & building of new homes. It's tough to find a first time home buyer home here as the prices are typically higher than average. Think LOCATION!A friendly older community that has lots of charm.  Kirkwood will be a destination that you won't want to pass up! It was established in 1853 and was the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi. Stop by to see the train station (still functioning!) and while there, get a custard at the ice cream stand. Great places to get a bite to eat, fun parks (over 300 acres of park land), ice rink, ball fields, tennis courts, and playground areas, Kirkwood has a lot to offer! I love to visit the charming shops that dot this area. Sunday past, I happened to visit a Sculpture park at Maryhurst's Rooster Gallery.

While I was taking photos, the artist happened by and we discussed his work. This is just a sampling of what you can see. After talking awhile, he informed me that my uncle was buried there in the adjoining park-like area. Sure enough, after he'd left, I went over to find my uncle's gravesite, which I located. I had attended the funeral in 1968, but we had not been allowed to go to the gravesite and I never knew where he had been buried. The cemetary is small and consists of Brothers and priests (my uncle had been Provincial at Chaminade) that had taken the vow of poverty and service to others.  Besides the exterior scuptures, there are two galleries that you can view (closed on Sundays).

On a clear day at Geyer and Big Bend, by the railroad tracks, you can see the Gateway Arch as you look down the tracks! How cool is that!

Kirkwood school district serves all or a part of 7 other nearby suburban communites. More than 62% of Kirkwood's high school graduates entered a four year college or university, compared to the state average of 38.7%.