‘Save Our Parks’ Online Petition Hits 2,000 Signatures

Kristen Weber hit her goal: 2,000 people have signed the online petition she posted asking St. Louis County not to close parks to cut the budget.

"When I wanted to gain a couple hundred signatures, I had faith that people would rise to the task," Weber said. "To see the 2,000th signature come in is just a reminder of what a great community we live in."

on her lunch break after reading the news about potential park closers. She’d been inspired by a woman whose Change.org petition led Bank of America to cancel its plan to charge debit card users a $5 monthly fee, so she logged on and started a petition of her own.

A petition was the best way to gauge community interest, the Fenton resident said. She knew she wanted to take action to protect county parks, but she didn’t know if anyone else cared the way she did.

“I need to see what solid ground I have first,” she said last week. “People read and watch, but will they go on and click?”

She hoped to see a few hundred signatures over a few weeks, naming 2,000 as an eventual goal. After a week, she’s already past the 2,000 mark.

Her new goal is 5,000 signatures.

Two online petitions launched after Weber’s, both with more than 1,100 signatures. Maryland Heights residents also have a paper petition.