Historical November 1987 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Brrrrrr ring, brrrrrr ring, brrrrrr ring went the phone of the Kiosk as I struggled with my key trying to open the door.
It was 9:30 (showtime) and when I had negotiated the lock, I grabbed the phone and in my sweetest voice “Good-morning, Kingsbury Kiosk, may I help you.” A demanding voice answered “WHAT IS A KIOSK.” I said, “It is a small building.” “How small?” she answered. I could not resist saying “It is bigger than a breadbox and smaller than Union Station.” Then I quoted from an unabridged dictionary and said: “The word Kiosk is of Persian derivation.
It is: 1.
An open pavilion or gazebo; 2.
A small structure used as a news stand or refreshment booth; 3.
A cylindrical structure on which advertisements are posted.” I said this place is 14 by 16 feet with a tiny little bathroom, but also with very high cylindrical book shelves—each shelf rotating individually—housing over 3,000 books.
I was still talking on the phone when she came beating on the door and I let her in.
She said: “This is adorable.” She then spotted several of her favorite best sellers and checked them out.
She left saying she would be back soon. I wanted to tell her about some of the programs we have and that we have storytelling on the first Saturday of each month. Last month officer Bill Burnett of the 7th District visited and showed the children around his police car and turned on sirens and loud speakers and gave the kids a chance to sit inside the car and they squealed with delight. Rose Flynn will have fireman Micahel Rapp next month as a visitor at her storytelling.
As I began shelving books, a police patrol car drove up and officer Richard Tracy of the 7th district came in and returned his books.
He chose two more books by Joseph Warnbaugh, an author many police officers like since he deals with police stories.
As he was getting ready to leave, I told him I was writing an article on the Kiosk and wondered if he had any good Kiosk stories to tell.
He thought for a minute then said, “One cold rainy day in the late afternoon last winter, I was patrolling the neighborhood with a new partner from the 9th District.
We turned off Waterman where it was very dark onto Des Peres and my partner said “What is that bright light at the Four Corners” I said, “That is the KIOSK.”
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November 1987.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed “Micahel Rapp” and “Joseph Warnbaugh” retained as source spellings; identities not silently changed.
Original source: SD_Times1987_11.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
