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| Mike Tsichlis, cadidate for Ward 4 alderman in the City of Crestwood, stands before a map of Crestwood on display at Crestwood City Hall. |
For those unfamiliar with our community, Crestwood is located in southwest St. Louis County with a population of nearly 12,000 residents living within the city's 3.6 square mile area. Incorporated in 1947, the area's roots go back over two centuries, when pioneering families established farms in the area. Among them were the Sappington family, whose patriarch John Sappington had served as a body guard to George Washington at Valley Forge and whose last name is given to the main north-south road through the city.
Crestwood quickly became a growing suburban bedroom community immediately following World War II. The famed Route 66 (Watson Road) went straight through town and was its chief connecting artery to the City of St. Louis seven miles to the east and the threshold of small town and rural Missouri another seven miles to the west.
For decades, long established business dotted the Watson Road/Route 66 corridor, including the 66 Drive-In (now demolished), Crestwood Bowl (still there), and the first McDonald's to open in the St. Louis region (still there but completely updated). The centerpiece of business life since the 1950s had been Crestwood Plaza, a mall that was a bustling regional shopping destination. Today it stands as a husk of its former self, having fell victim to shoppers choosing newer big-box style shopping centers in other nearby municipalities adjacent to major highways.
Due to the overwhelming prevalence of single-family homes in Crestwood, and certainly Ward 4, is a family-oriented community, one characterized by young and mid-age families as well as a significant number of empty-nesters and those who have even lived in their homes since they were built. Indeed, it wouldn't be surprising to run across people who grew up in Crestwood and are now raising children of their own here. With a public school district that consistently performs at or near the top in the state, as well as thriving churches with affiliated schools of their own, its no wonder Crestwood was Chosen by Businessweek magazine as the best place to raise kids in the state of Missouri in 2012.
Still, despite the great pluses of living in Crestwood, the city is facing new challenges, especially since the economic downturn several years ago, which affects how it ought to best manage its municipal budget and work with commercial development. These are among the issues that will be central to my campaign, and I look forward to visiting with voters to discuss them.
For more information on the wonderful, family-oriented city of Crestwood, please visit the following links:
City of Crestwood official website
Crestwood-Sunset Hills Area Chamber of Commerce website
Please come back soon for updates on my campaign to represent the voters of Ward 4. If you have any questions feel free to call (314-849-2309) or e-mail (ilikemikeforward4@yahoo.com). And remember to VOTE on Tuesday, April 2. Your community needs to hear your voice!
