Thursday, July 4th: 
Firecracker 5K Run/1K Walk: Preregistration preferred at www.the-pack.org
7 am Registration; Parking lot south of Wooden Nickel
8 am Event Start- Sponsored by The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri 

Red White & Blue Parade- Rain or Shine! Preregistration required. Click here to print form!
9 am Downtown Kirksville

Splash Bash
1-4 pm Kirksville Aquatic Center; $2.50 admission and FREE strawberry floats- sponsored by Kirksville Parks and Rec Department

Fireworks (Rain date Friday, July 5th)
9:30 pm/Dusk Kirksville Country Club 
Parking available at Kirksville R-III Schools, YMCA, Health and Fitness Center, Orscheln’s, JC Penney, Goody’s and The Crossing Church. Tune your radio to 107.9 FM. Bott Radio Network will be providing patriotic music to accompany the fireworks display.

July 5th: 
Kirksville Community Band Performance and Veteran’s Tribute-Free
5-6 pm Courthouse Lawn

Pie Auction and Apple Pie Contest
6 pm Courthouse Lawn, Sponsored by North Central Missouri Red Cross 
Call 660-665-5686 for more information about pie contest

Apple Pie and Ice Cream Sales-$2
5-7 pm Courthouse Lawn; Sponsored by Kirksville Young Professionals, Colton’s Steakhouse, and Century 21 Whitney Agency 

Summer on the Square Concert- Mystery Train-Free
7 pm Courthouse Lawn, Sponsored by Chariton Valley Association

July 6th:
Joint Service Club Pancake Breakfast- $5
7-11 am Downtown Cinema 8 Parking Lot, Sponsored by Kirksville Kiwanis, Kirksville Rotary Club, Thousand Hills Rotary Club, Sojourners, Kirksville Women of Today, Quota International of Kirksville, and Kirksville Optimist Club 

Kirksville Kiwanis Farmers Market
7 am-Noon Elson Street Downtown

Hilliest FLATS Ride Ever - For more information visit www.kvflats.org
7:30 -11 am Parking lot south of Wooden Nickel; Sponsored by Forest Lake Area Trail System

Cemetery Theatre- $5 adults, $2 children, $12 for families of 4 or more
5:30-7:30 pm Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery, Sponsored by Curtain Call Theatre and Kirksville Tourism

Runners on a trail in Kirksville

Log 100 Miles… right in your own backyard!
By Amanda Moser

I have blogged about the great hiking opportunities in Kirksville before. Not surprisingly, I am not alone in my partiality toward the paths- this year Missouri was named the “Best Trails State” by American Trails. American Trails is a national nonprofit organization that promotes hiking, biking, and riding trails. You can read more about why American Trails recognized Missouri here:http://www.americantrails.org/awards/2013awards/state13.html

American Trails notes that Missouri’s State Parks have played an integral role in maintain and developing trails. We have seen that sentiment echoed locally as Forest Lake Area Trail System has worked closely with Thousand Hills State Park and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

In order to recognize and celebrate the honor, Governor Jay Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon have created a challenge to Missourian’s called the Governor’s 100 Mile Challenge. The goal is for folks to complete “100 Missouri Miles” of physical activity by the end of the year- biking, walking, running, hiking, horseback riding, and more! You and your whole family can sign up atwww.100MissouriMiles.com.

While you can always travel the state to get your miles in (Forest Park in St. Louis or Ozarks Greenway in Springfield have beautiful trails for example) don’t forget to take advantage of the rich resources available right here in Kirksville. Newly paved biking paths along Franklin, hiking trails at Rainbow Basin and Thousand Hills State Park, and horseback riding at Sugar Creek Conservation Area are all great options to take the family out and complete the challenge.

Take a dip… right in your own backyard!
By Amanda Moser

Rain in the forecast might have derailed your family picnic, but summer really is coming and with it, the heat promises to blaze. My favorite way to cool down is to go for a swim and in Kirksville, the world (or the pool, if you will) is your oyster.

You have probably read by now that the swim beach at Thousand Hills State Park is now free. But if you have not, good news- the swim beach is now free! The bad news is that visitors must now swim at their own risk, as a lifeguard will no longer be staffed. The beach is open 10 am to 7 pm every day until Labor Day weekend.

Another free swimming option for the summer is the Kirksville City wading pools. This is a great option if you have little ones who don’t yet have their “sea legs”! There are three city parks with pools to choose from and many of the parks have new playground equipment as well! Brashear Park (Cottage Grove and Normal) is open Monday through Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm. PC Mills Park (just off South Osteopathy on Baird Street,) is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2 pm to 6 pm. Jaycee Park (North Osteopathy) is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm.

The Aquatic Center has hours for the indoor and outdoor pools through the summer. There are lap swims in the morning. The indoor and outdoor pools are open Monday through Saturday from 1 pm to 7 pm and on Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Both the Kirksville Aquatic Center and the Wading Pools will be open until August 13th. (Stay tuned for information about the Doggy Luau that happens at Brashear Park at the end of every swim season!)

If all of this sounds terrifying because neither you nor your children could swim out of a paper bag, no worries! The Kirksville Parks and Recreation Department and the Adair County YMCA offer swim lessons for both children and adults in several sessions all summer long.

Summer is finally here! Grab a beach towel and your sunnies and relax pool (or lake!) side while the season is right.

A taste of Missouri history . . . right in your own backyard
By Debi Boughton

Did you know you can visit the Ruth W. Towne Museum right here in your own back yard?  The Ruth Towne Museum is located at the corner of Normal and Franklin Street, 100 E. Normal and shares the building with the Admissions office of Truman State University.  It is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and several Saturdays.  Visiting the museum is a great way to learn and appreciate Missouri history, Kirksville history and the history of Truman State University.

Dr. Ruth Warner Towne was a long time and dedicated member of the Truman State University faculty.  She was born in Kirksville in 1917 and attended Kirksville public schools where she graduated as valedictorian from Kirksville High School.   A 1939 graduate of Truman, Dr. Towne taught school, obtained her PHD in 1953 at University of Missouri in Columbia and began teaching at  what was then called  the Kirksville State Teacher’s College in 1951.  She served as a member of the history faculty for over 40 years, and was Dean of Graduate Studies from 1983-1988. She was an advisor to the Delta Zeta sorority for many years and was also an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Kirksville.

Dr. Towne loved the University and dedicated her life to teaching and guiding its students. In 1992 she presented the campus with a gift of four bronze bells and a carillon for the Pickler Memorial Library clock tower in memory of her parents. With her generous gift for this museum, Dr. Towne asked for a focus on American history and in particular, the history of northeast Missouri.

My favorite exhibit is  the parlor chair and marble topped table belonging to Dr. Towne’s grandparents.   The other exhibit that I like is the antique school desks. Each one contains a round hole for the ink well.  The desks exemplify the history of the University as a training place for teachers, which was the main focus of this University for over a century.

Next time your here the chimes ringing from the clock tower of Pickler Library on campus, think of the generous teacher and philanthropist, Dr. Ruth Warner Towne, right here in our own back yard.

A joy forever . . . right in your own backyard!
By Debi Boughton

Spring is really here with lilacs blooming and flowering pear and pink and white crab apple trees and red buds blossoming. Tulips and irises in many colors have opened their tight buds just recently.  All these flowers have inspired the Tourism Office to plant flowers too.  We have initiated a pilot program this year to do a little local beautification by planting pots of flowers around town.  We began with a pot of flowers in front of our own office and visitor’s center.

We plan to partner with at least a dozen local businesses, to have pots of flowers around town to welcome visitors.  We will begin by assisting the local hotels and B & Bs in planting flowers.  Then we hope to partner with several more businesses.  The tourism office will provide the planters and match the cost of flowers to each of a dozen businesses that will participate. Trumascape has generously provided potting soil and concrete bricks for our project.

We hope to inspire additional businesses all around town plant flowers or set out pretty pots of flowers that will welcome visitors to Kirksville this summer. Let us see how pretty we can make our own back yard.

Find a treasure… right in your own backyard!
By, Amanda Moser

My mom is a huge antique lover. While the bug has never bit me (too much dusting!) I have grown up around antiques and can certainly understand how a person can be charmed by collecting treasures from an era gone by. My mom’s collections were ceramic chickens, roosters, and hens and McCoy pottery.

Kirksville has a great selection of antique shops that routinely bring visitors to town. Our office has developed an entire itinerary around antiquing for travelers. Even if you are not shopping for an antique to take home, the stores in Kirksville are like miniature museums! Kirksville is certainly an antique destination!

Lawson Hill has over 30 dealers from Missouri and Iowa in a nice, large space.  Brown Bear Antiques is one of the newest dealers in town. Dee’s Good Old Days is an old favorite. The Princess Emporium is located in the beautifully restored historic Princess Theatre and features vendors with a wide variety of furniture, apparel, ceramics and more. Linen Lady Antiques has another historic location- The Grim Building. Their store has an original ceramic fireplace that is worth stopping to see.

We talked to Kathy Roberts of Lawson Hill Antiques and she had this to say about antique shoppers in Kirksville. “Antique lovers are die-hards. They like to find locations that offer several stores.  They have money to spend to eat and shop. Antique lovers tell their friends (unless they want the bargains to themselves!) Repeat customers who come back as often as they can. We have a couple from Albia, Iowa who come every 2 weeks. In the past few weeks, we’ve had visitors from all over Missouri, Iowa, Georgia, New Mexico, Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado and Illinois. “

Whether you collect pottery, kitchen ware, books or games, furniture, farm implements or whether you simply appreciate the history of the merchandise, spend some time browsing Kirksville’s antique treasures!

100 Years of History . . . right in your own backyard!
By Debi Boughton

The Round Barn, 2313 State highway P, in Kirksville,  the home of Round Barn Blues, is 100 years old this year. Dan and Judy Vogt own the barn and house and they have hosted Round Barn Blues each fall and spring for many years.

The round barn was built in 1913  by Orie J. Smith. Mr. Smith built the barn to hold livestock and hay.  He painted a large sign on the barn that said, “Orie J. Smith Black and White Stock Farm, Registered Aberdean and Angus Cattle. Instead of musicians that now fill the barn it was originally occupied with mules, horse, hogs and cattle.  The lower floor of the barn had seven oblong stalls  and  the upper floor functioned as a hay loft that made it easy to feed the livestock.  Gravity-fed running water  flowed into the barn from a pond consturcted 200 feet up hill. Carpenters were paid $2.00 per day to construct the pine wood barn that sets on an 8 foot wall of concrete blocks.  The blocks are large and weigh 75 pounds.  The barn is 64 feet in diameter and 64 feet high.   It took two years to build the barn at a cost of approximately $4000.

The Round Barn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.  It can be seen from the new highway 63 that runs just west of the barn.  On May 4th  Round Barn Blues will begin with the gates opening at 3 pm.  Performers will be Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, Harper and the Midwest Kind, and Hurricane Ruth.  On May 30-June2 the Curtain Call Theater Company will present Arsenic and Old Lace, as a dinner theater in the Round Barn.  Dinner shows begin at 6 pm Sunday, June 2nd is a non-meal matinee at 2 pm.  Contact the Wooden Nickel at 660-665-2760 for information and reservations.

What would Mr. Orie J. Smith think about his round barn still standing and in good repair for its 100th birthday?  He would probably be pleased and wish his name were still painted on the side!

Andrea, Pablo, Nilo, Andrea, and Junior- our guests from Brazil

World Travelers… right in your own backyard!
By, Amanda Moser

If you follow our Facebook page (and you should like us at facebook.com/VisitKirksville if you don’t!) then you have seen that this week Kirksville is playing host to 5 Brazilians who are in Missouri for the Rotary International General Studies Exchange.

There are 4 young professionals and a team leader and they will be in Kirksville until Friday. Each year Kirksville is lucky enough to enjoy the company of international travelers through this program and seeing our hometown through the eyes of our guests is a great way to appreciate and enjoy Kirksville!

The team leader’s name is Nilo Junior. He is 47, lives in Rio Grande do Sul State and works in manufacturing as a mechanical engineer. Nilo is married and has a ten year old daughter. He likes to read and listen to music and loves to ride his bike.

Junior Marczewski is 26 and is from Cerro Largo. Junior teaches Chemistry and French, and also speaks Spanish and Polish. He loves languages! Junior likes to camp and swim. Not surprisingly he’s a chocolate lover and likes to watch movies. Thrillers are his favorite.

Andrea Neves do Santos is 35 and is an English teacher. She is married with a 2 year old at home. She loves kids and animals and loves to read and watch movies. Andrea also practices yoga once a week. She spends lots of time with her parents who live nearby.

Pablo Schrammel is 26 and is from Tres de Maio. He’s a self-described nerd and works in IT. He is interested in technology and likes to see movies, read, and listen to music. He’s not a picky eater, but believe this- he doesn’t like bacon!

Andre Luis is 38 and lives in Horizontina (which is just about the size of Kirksville) with his wife.  Andre teaches Spanish and English, though he worked for many years in the hospitality industry. He loves food and likes to try new kinds of beer and wine. He likes to play sports and shop.

As you might have noticed, our Brazilian friends are not so different from us at all! They are eager to travel and learn more about the US. They are dedicated to service through Rotary and have open minds and open hearts. If you see our friends in Kirksville this week, give them a warm Kirksville welcome. We are so lucky to have them join us in our hometown.

Though they’ve been here only briefly, they are already impressed with Kirksville. Says Andre, “There is so much to do here! The town is beautiful and there are so many restaurants and entertainment!” I promise, we did not even ask him to say that!

Celebrate Earth Day. . . .  in your own back yard.

By Debi Boughton

On Saturday, April 20th community members and visitors will have opportunities to celebrate Earth Day in Kirksville. From 1-2 pm at the Adair County Public Library children from ages 2-12 can join Alpha Sigma Gamma for earth-friendly activites from seed planting to recycling relay games.

The Green Thumb Project will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration beginning noon at the Green Thumb Garden behind Ray Miller Elementary School, 2010 E. Normal. Lunch will be served at 12:30 pm ($7 suggested donation).  At 1 pm Live Music, Truman Steel.  At 2 pm is the Dedication ceremony and more live music will continue at 2:30.

Earth Day is celebrated all around the world and began at a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Conference in San Francisco in 1969 by an ecologist, peace maker and Christian named John McConnell.  Mr. McConnell,  proposed having a day to celebrate the Earth’s life and beauty and to advance peace.  The first Earth Day was celebrated in the spring of 1970.  This year marks the first year that Mr. McConnell, founder of Earth Day, who lived in Denver Colorado, will not here to celebrate.  He passed away October 20, 2012 at the age of 97.

In respect of our planet Earth and in honor of Mr. John McConnell, celebrate Earth Day at the Library, or at the Green Thumb Garden or literally, in your own back yard!

Horseback riding . . . right in your own back yard!

By Debi Boughton

Saddle Up!  Did you know we have a 10 mile long riding trail here in our own back yard?  The multi-use trail at Sugar Creek Conservation Area is just 4 miles south west of Kirksville.  Sugar Creek Conservation Area contains 2604 acres.  The area is primarily forested with a few open fields on ridges and along Sugar Creek.  Both Sugar Creek and Elm Creek run through the area.  Drive four miles west of town on Highway 11, and one quarter of a mile south on route N.  Parking is available.  Permits are required for groups of 10 or more riders.

Truman State University has an equestrian minor in the Ag Science Department.  Students can actually bring their horses to college with them. Truman also has an equestrain team with 80 members. Coach Emily Costello and 5 members of the show team just competed at a meet in Texas over the past weekend.  I recently visited the Truman Farm.  Jessica Issleib works  there while majoring in biology.  She introduced me to a horse named Gypsy and her new colt Lucy.   Mother and daughter are paints and there is quite a family ressemblence.

If, like me you are more of a spectator than a rider you can sit in the bleachers at the NEMO Fair Grounds soon to watch upcoming horse shows.  On June 22, the Adair County Horse show will occur.  On July 13th at 4 pm is the NEMO Fair Horse Show.  Both of these horse shows are free and open to the public.

Did you know you can even camp in Kirksville, with your horse, if you want to?  The NEMO Fair Ground has camping available for horses and their riders.  So climb into your saddle, or in my case, onto the bleachers, and enjoy horse back riding.