So to find out what the gaps are, city staff last year compiled this list of activities that currently happen in town that would be of interest to seniors. I asked a couple folks in RSVP to help fill in the gaps by asking, “Could you please look over this list and tell me what is missing”

Here was the response:

• Fishing Group – fishing events, socializing etc.

• Senior Dances – at least every quarter.

• Bunco Fundays – could be included in the card & game sessions that need to be facilitated so that when newbies to the community drop by they are welcomed.

• Water Walking – Led by some one where each individual works at their own pace while walking, arching, lunging, and side stepping through the pool.  Excellent for those who have had joint replacement procedures.

• Fitness Programs for Seniors – Muscular Strength and Range Movement where you move to music through excersises designed to increase musculare strength and range of movement.  A class for more active souls for muscular endurance conditioning. A Cardio Fit class for those who are fit and active as well as those who are sedentary or unfamiliar with excercise

• Wii Play   Learning to play and competitions.  Golf, bowling, tennis etc.  Other communities have this and the game was donated by a local business.

• Slim and Trim after 60:  work with trainer and dietician to set realistic goals, safe workouts, and nutrition advice all geared specifically toward those 60+

• Weekly Senior Living Programs – have professionals come in and give programs – ie, Common Foot Ailments, Add energy to your 1st Aid Kit, Afternoon Delight:  Latest research to better care for yourself as you age, Beat the Cold or Flue: Common remedies/myths, Beat the Holiday Blues, Shopping Healthy, Eye Care, Cross Train Your Brain, Ask the Attorney, Meet your State Senator, etc.

• Learn a new skill Programs – have instructors to come in and do a basic class.  Perhap the person would want to pursue and join a club or continue with lessons at a business after attending these.  ie. Harmonica lessons, painting lessons, woodcarving lessons, tap dancing lessons, needlework lessons, gardening lessons, Line Dancing, scrapbooking and card making lessons, etc.

• Kirksville Restaurant Group – Dine out with other seniors once every month at a restaurant.  Meet at the restaurant and order from the menu with seperate checks.  RSVP to Parks and Rec and so reservations can be made.

• Zumba Dance Exercise

I think this is a pretty reasonable and pointed list. Some of these would have a cost associated, but others would be relatively easy to put together. What do you think? Is there anything else you would add?

I plan to bring this issue up in a future meeting of the LPRC, so I would love to have as much input as possible. You can comment by clicking the “Comments” link at the top of the article.

Apparently, because activities like hiking and biking are cheap, fun recreation, many of the cafes, shops, restaurants and wineries along the trail have seen a dramatic increase in business this year. Count me and Bich among the happy customers, as we rode a short portion of the trail (starting in Rocheport) earlier this summer and had a blast.

Although Kirksville will probably never be a stop along a trail to rival the KATY Trail, it does remind me that we do have so many natural resources in and around town to attract tourists looking to get away from their troubles for an inexpensive weekend or two.

This is one reason why I’m super-pumped about the FLATS initiative, spearheaded by Royce Kallerud. FLATS stands for “Forest Lake Area Trail System”, and it seems this is a project the whole community can get behind: a doable trail from the downtown to the 1000 Hills area. He has been presenting the idea around town and it has been met with universal enthusiasm. The first fundraiser at Ponderosa on Tuesday night was a success.

There is a long-range trail plan posted on the city website that has been in the works for a while. LPRC is going to spend some time talking about it next month. Melanie Smith said the most sensible goal is to focus on marked bike paths, creating a few east-west and north-south corridors through town that bike riders can easily follow. The other item is to educate cyclists and motorists on how to share the road safely along these routes. Royce has tapped into a tremendous amount of research on this subject, so there are some proven techniques we can follow.

We also cut the ribbon on the newest amenities at Spur Pond – ADA compliant access walkways and fishing dock. The next new amenity to go in is a fish cleaning station, thanks to a grant that was just awarded this week to DNR for the project.

Thank you to all who are making these things happen! We’re fortunate to have such great destinations in our own backyard.

The purpose and benefit of these policies is to expand the potential usage of a few of our public facilities by allowing a the opportunity for certain special events  that customarily have alcoholic beverages available. A good example would be a wedding reception with a champagne toast.

Please read, in full, the policies we voted in here:  Agenda for 1-5-08 meeting (click the appropriate links in the agenda)

It’s important to understand that these policies do not allow just anyone to wander into a city park and start drinking. These policies are for one-time special use permits only. They require considerable advance planning and do not apply to all city parks.

The first policy establishes a procedure for a private citizen to apply for a one-time permit to consume alcohol at a special event at the Rotary Park Amphitheater ONLY. The permit must be applied for 60 days  in advance, be reviewed by law enforcement, etc.

The second policy is similar, only it applies to municipal and non-profit organizations, and is restricted to the Amphitheater, North Park and the Airport. It adds additional requirements, such as insurance, security, a roped-off area, etc. All expenses must be paid for by the organization submitting the permit.

Once the applicant has jumped through those hoops, the permits must be approved by the city council and expires when the event is over.

We began discussing this last summer. In our research, we surveyed other Missouri cities. 11 responded, and 8 of those said they have similar policies on the books. All 8 reported no problems since their policy was enacted. Our policy is among the most restrictive.

It’s also important to remember that Kirksville has already had a similar policy in place for the downtown streets for many years. This has allowed some fun special events in the past, such as Il Spazio’s Octoberfest and Too Tall’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

At the meeting, I voiced my concern about the adult league situation at North Park. I have spoken to a number of players and umpires who have said that the authority of the umpires has not been enforced, leading to poor sportsmanship and behavior from the participants. Although the policies we voted in give us the option to approve alcohol consumption permits for North Park, I stated that I WILL NOT SUPPORT any special use permit for alcohol at North Park adult ballgames until these issues are satisfactorily addressed and corrected. We need to see good, responsible behavior and have an effective system in place for enforcement before introducing alcohol into the mix.

A few citizens spoke out at the meeting about the overall dangers of alcohol, and I completely understand their concerns. Just like motor vehicles, sports, and many other activities, alcohol can have deadly consequences in the presence of irresponsible behavior.

However, I believe the vast majority of Kirksville citizens drink safely and responsibly. Based on our own experience with our current policy, along with the reported experiences of other cities and the restrictiveness of our policies, I do not believe we will have major problems resulting from this action. On the contrary, I’m confident this will enhance, and not detract from, our enjoyment of a few of our public spaces in Kirksville.

There is some misinformation going around, so I need to clarify a few points so you understand exactly what is being proposed:

1) The policy would only allow consumption in three public areas: Rotary Park, North Park and the airport.

2) Permits would be awarded on a case-by-case basis. A person or group would have to submit a proposal for a specific event for council review and approval.

3) A number of restrictions and guidelines are built into the ordinance – a roped off section for consumption, designated entrances/exits and appropriate security, and ID checks, among other things.

The genesis of this ordinance was a series of requests from three different entities, based on events they wanted to hold. The organizers of the airshow this year wanted to host a dinner function with drinks for the contributors to the airshow in the then city-owned hangar. Some representatives from the Kirksville Rotary Club wanted to see greater usage of the new amphitheater in the park – for wedding receptions to be able to do a champagne toast, for example. And Steve Bell asked to be able to have beer sales available for out-of-town adult tournament games, like they do at other cities, citing a lack of alcohol as the reason why we cannot host these events now.

I have received relatively little feedback regarding these policies, and little of that has been negative. A few residents have spoken with me who are completely against it. But the majority of the others are either for it or take a more balanced view. Many have told me that they would not like to see unrestricted alcohol consumption in the park, but that these restrictions seem appropriate and acceptable.

I’ll let you judge for yourself. Below is a document with more information, including the complete text of the proposed ordinance. Please read it and let me know what you think. I really need your feedback on this!

alcohol-policy-info (PDF)