Let me tell you about my hometown… The City of Jennings is a diverse community of 15,000 residents, located ten minutes from downtown St. Louis and ten minutes from Lambert Airport. Incorporated as a city in 1946, the Jennings community has a history dating back to 1839, when James Jennings moved here from Virginia, purchased a large tract of land and began farming. The community began to grow in the 1800's as the railroad made the area more accessible to residents of St. Louis City. Linda Schmerber, President of the Jennings Historical Society, is researching the history of Jennings for a book she is writing. She also keeps in touch with members of the original Jennings family and anyone else, anywhere they might be, who can contribute to the files or collection of artifacts kept by the Historical Society. The future is also very much on the minds of Jennings residents and elected officials. In the past few years, the city has developed a Park Master Plan and updated the Comprehensive Plan. City officials are working with St. Louis County and private developers to bring about the improvements residents have said they want to see. Mayor Ben Sutphin says that this is an exciting time for Jennings, as we see things begin to happen that will benefit the community for years to come. Koeneman Park has been redeveloped in the last few years, and now features a six acre fishing lake, a walking trail over a waterfall, and a large playground and picnic area. Also in Koeneman Park are a softball and baseball field. The baseball field is named "Stan Musial Field" and was built by the St. Louis Cardinals "Cardinal Care Foundation." Northland Shopping Center, built in 1955 as the first major shopping center in Missouri, has been completely redeveloped with new stores and offices, and is now known as "Buzz Westfall Plaza on the Boulevard". River Roads Shopping Center, built in 1961 as the first enclosed mall in Missouri, is being torn down and a residential community will take its place, featuring new homes and townhomes along with a neighborhood commercial area. State improvements to Highway 70 and county improvements to Jennings Station Road have sparked redevelopment plans in the southern part of Jennings, to include several new restaurants and other businesses. On the northeastern side of the city, improvements are planned to Highway 367. The former North Drive-In Theater, the last remaining drive-in in St. Louis County, is now the site of Alexandria Place, a community of single family homes, townhomes and condominiums. The Jennings School District was established in 1871, and is a growing school district with over 3,000 students. There are five elementary schools, two of which opened in 2000 and 2002; one junior high school and one high school, both of which have several new facilities. The Jennings School District has won two national awards for its effective use of instructional technology and has been recognized statewide as a leader in computers in the classroom. The Jennings School District is also recognized statewide for its strong staff development program for teachers and is one of the highest paying school districts for teachers' salaries in the state. The Jennings Beautification Committee sponsors an award-winning community garden. The Jennings Recreation Department holds community events such as Concerts in the Park, often co-sponsored by the Jennings Neighborhood Watch. Senior Citizens in Jennings go to the grocery store, the doctor's office and on recreational trips using the two buses provided by the city. Teens enjoy a variety of sports and cultural events because of programs offered jointly by the Jennings Recreation Department, the Jennings School District, and the St. Louis County Housing Authority. Young children enjoy holiday activities throughout the year, and summer day camp is held for eight weeks each summer in Lions Park. If it gets too hot, the Jennings Fire Department can be depended on to provide a spray of cooling relief. If you like toasted ravioli or ice cream, chances are you've sampled a product made in Jennings. Louisa Foods makes 100,000 pounds of Italian food every week, distributed to local grocery stores and restaurants. Velvet Freeze Ice Cream, a St. Louis favorite that once boasted 50 locations, now has its only store in Jennings. All of the Velvet Freeze ice cream sold anywhere is made in Jennings at the Velvet Freeze store on West Florissant Avenue. Sun Auto on West Florissant is a recent winner of the Car Quest "Top Repair Shop In The U.S." award. Knodels Bakery, known for their wedding and decorated cakes, has been in Jennings for 67 years. Jennings is also proud to be the home of Norwood Hills Country Club, founded in 1923 and included on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Over the years, Norwood has hosted many national events including the National PGA Championship, the PGA St. Louis Classic, and the USGA Senior Amateur. These are just a few reasons why Jennings residents are proud to call Jennings "home"!