Self-Appointed Town Crier Keeps Readers in Loop Through Email

A modern-day “town crier” has built up a following for his editorialized emails about Kirkwood issues.

“Kmail” goes out regularly to more than 1,700 addresses, keeping Keith Williams’ readers informed about city council decisions, zoning issues and other local dealings that affect them.

For Williams, the retired owner of a company that made tools for the mining industry, it’s a hobby that he enjoys -- even though keeping the address list up-to-date can be quite a headache for the 84-year-old Kirkwood man.

“I can’t help myself when I get stirred up, when I see something that I think is not good for Kirkwood and for homeowners and taxpayers,” Williams said.

Kmail got its start in 2005 when Williams gathered an email list of neighbors to keep them up-to-date on a proposed housing development near their homes.

The list kept growing as Williams began editorializing about other zoning issues as well as city and school news.

Through the years he has gotten positive feedback from readers who appreciate him keeping them informed, he said. But there are those who disagree with his musings and let him know it.

“It’s hard to believe but I’ve gotten hate mail,” Williams said.

“I try to make it clear that this is my opinion, and (I want to know) what’s yours? What do you think?”

Until recently, Kmail also sent out unofficial minutes from some city meetings. The notes were taken longhand by Alan Hopefl, the president of the Kirkwood city park board, who regularly forwarded them to Williams after typing them up.

“I would send those out, and occasionally, whenever the spirit moved me, I’d hop in with the editorial comment,” Williams said.

Last month, Hopefl decided he was ready for a break from the self-appointed duty.

“It takes a lot of time,” he said. “There were some weeks where I would attend a meeting every night.”

But Hopefl said people appreciated being kept in the loop. Even city officials, who may not always have agreed with Williams’ opinions, appreciated the efforts.

“People like having stuff emailed to them rather than having to go hunting for it,” Hopefl said. “A lot of people have told me they appreciate it.”

Now Williams is thinking about ways to keep Kmail moving forward, perhaps finding a high school student who wants to take on the task of covering meetings.

Either way, he expects to continue churning out Kmail with his opinions as well as his readers’ opinions.

It’s worth it whenever he feels like he’s made a difference – like the time he wrote about a business that placed its Dumpster below the bedroom window of a neighbor’s house, keeping her from getting a good night’s sleep.

Eventually the police and city council got involved and the problem was solved, he said.

“That was one of the most fun and enjoyable ones,” Williams said.

Other issues have not turned out the way he would like.

For example, Williams editorialized against the city’s “parking lot fiasco,” in which the to make way for more parking space. Judging from the mail he received, public sentiment was on his side, he said.

“Oh boy did we ever get a bundle of mail back on that one,” he said. “They’re still steamed.”

But never mind -- Williams knows another battle will soon come along.

“My favorite line is, 'If it ain't ants, it's spiders.'"

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