It’s a fact that Don Corrigan of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, the South County Times, and probably more publications, is known to Traveler staff. After all, we carry his nature books: Show Me Natural Wonders and Show Me Nature’s Wrath. We’re entirely separate publications, but in these days, newsprint people need to stick together.

In that vein, we are posting a link to Don’s editorial on the St. Louis County Parks situation. Not only does he kayak with Emery, but Jo ran into him one night on his bicycle one night as she walked the Valley Park section of the Meramec Greenway trail. We use these parks and trails. That’s why we’re so passionate about this issue.

We need to save these parks and guarantee them a future responsive to the people, but free from political wrangling. MDC saw the wisdom of that seventy five years ago, and the people of Missouri concurred with their vote of the 1/8 cent sales tax in 1976. When state parks were underfunded by the legislature, the people again took matters into their own hands, and allocated 1/20 (one-half) of a parks and soils tax for their support in 1984. State parks still have some political strings, but for the most part, the parks are managed for the good of the people and the resource.

We’re hopeful that St. Louis County will see the light on this, and not dismantle this exquisite system, but find a way for it to serve the St. Louis metropolitan region for years to come.