Dona Reynolds, ST JOSEPH MO

Over the summer the pool saw thousands of visitors, even for a summer with not so many hot days!

Aquatic Park is a awesome place for an entire day or even just a few hours. Many families and companies also take advantage of the park and book their family reunion, birthday parties and company picnics at the pool. The park is so attractive and above all is an attraction that competes right up with the best water parks in the area. People love to go because it is close and inexpensive fun!

The plans for this state of the art facility began early in 2000. Many surrounding communities had facilities with features like water-slides, lazy rivers and tot play areas and citizens of St. Joseph frequently would travel great distances to use them. St. Joseph decided to design a water park that would serve the public with plans for this facility to not only be as good as the surrounding areas, but better!

After many hours of time and dedication the pool opened on June 3, 2005. The pool ‘wowed' people as they attended the grand opening. The pool was built to accommodate 1,300 people, but over 3,500 attended opening day. The park includes a play area, kiddie area, 203' open water-slide and a 265' enclosed water-slide, 300 foot lazy river, zero depth beach entry area combined with bubblers, waterfalls, and regular pool area including diving boards.

Swimming sessions are 11am to 7pm daily, and optional activities include private rentals, birthday party packages and American Red Cross Swim lessons. Over 100 employees and ½ million gallons of water provide service to over 53,000 swimmers per year. Best of all-the swimming pool is able to once again meet the needs of the citizens of St. Joseph!

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Pony Express Statue...Public Art...St Joseph MO

The Pony Express monument, is located on the corner of Tenth and Frederick streets in downtown St. Joseph, Missouri.

The bronze horse and rider is a heroic statue created by Hermon A. MacNeil, a famous sculptor, who also carved the murals for many state capitals, and the United States Supreme Court figurine in Washington, DC.

The Pony Express Statue was unveiled in St. Joseph on April 20, 1940 commemorating the 80^th anniversary of the Pony Express. The Pony Express was the fastest mail delivery between St. Joseph, MO and Sacramento, CA. The Pony Express continued to run until the telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861. The horse appears to be leaping ahead with the support of the rider, showing how the riders took pride in their journeys.

The statue was $16,000 and weighed two tons. It was a part of the $63,000 Civic Center bond issue that passed on August 5, 1938, with bonds providing 55% of the cost. Postmaster General James Farley was present for the unveiling.

Today the statue remains in good condition. Visitors like to stop and take their picture by the statue for their memory books, proof that they visited St. Joseph, the Home of the Pony Express!

In 2010 the Pony Express will celebrate its 150^th Anniversary. The St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pony Express Museum and Patee House Museum have many events planned to celebrate the anniversary, for more information on the sesquicentennial please visit stjomo.com.

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Throughout St. Joseph you can find many stunning sculptures, murals and mosaics as you visit our city, some of the pieces dating back to the early 1900's.

St. Joseph has always been a city rich in history and artistic development. Looking back on the original building and homes, shows how long art has been a part of the St. Joseph community. From visual to performing arts the citizens of our town support and embrace the arts culture.

"Planting America" is a statue that features a mother, father and daughter planting an apple tree, and it is dedicated to the immigrants of St. Joseph. This monument is a newly added addition to our community, located at Pryor Park just off of Alabama Street in South Side St. Joseph. This was a project of the South Side Progressive Association. The piece was created by a sculptor out of Utah, Claudia Packer who also created the statue of Chief White Cloud, another public art piece in St. Joseph five years ago.

Immigrants Herman and Julia Fisher settled in the South Side during the 20^th Century, moving to the area from Russia. The Catholic couple had six children who left money behind after their deaths, with $1.5 Million being left to the South Side Progressive Association for use to benefit the citizens of South St. Joseph. The Association decided that a public art piece fit the mission perfect. It would be a piece to reflect both the Fisher family and the immigrants of St. Joseph, beautifying the area which benefits the residents of the South End. The Fishers at one time tended an apple orchard on their property, which is the reasoning for the design of this art piece. The dedication to immigrants came in honor of the Fishers as well as other immigrants that came to St. Joseph to work in packing houses and the Stockyards. Landscaping and benches have been added to the viewing area as well.

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Walter Cronkite--St Joseph native--Remembered--St Joseph MO

As the nation mourns the passing of anchorman Walter Cronkite, local residents remember the St Joseph native.

Walter Cronkite was born in 1916, in St Joseph. His father Walter Cronkite Sr., and grandfather Frederick Cronkite were both dentists in St Joseph. When Mr. Cronkite was about 6 months old his dentist father joined the military and the family temporarily relocated to Oklahoma. At the time when Dr. Cronkite was sent overseas, young Walter and his mother moved to Kansas City where her parents lived.

Bob Slater, former managing editor of the News-Press and a retired vice president with St Joseph Light and Power, says he may have been the last St Joseph person to have an extended interview with the late Walter Cronkite about 6 years ago. During the interview Mr. Cronkite fondly recalled visits to his grandparents home in St Joseph, the long driveway leading up to the house and the apple trees adding to the scene.

Mr. Cronkite enjoyed getting back to St Joseph occasionally to renew his connections to the city and his family. Mr. Cronkite remembered family trips to St Joseph and taking a trolley from Downtown toward the family home on Frederick Avenue that he loved.

In 1973, he used the Robidoux Hotel to film a television article. When Twin Spires supporters need help in raising money in 1997 to save the church spires, Laurine McNeely called Mr. Cronkite. The distinguished journalist donated 100 copies of his biography, "A Reporter's Life," and agreed to do a book-signing-at the former Catholic church.

Thank you to Marshall White, News-Press reporter for contributing to "St Joseph-Remembering Walter Cronkite."

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