FEBRUARY 21 2008- Kirkwood City Clerk Betty Montano swears in Paul Ward, after he was nominated and voted in as the newest member of the Kirkwood City Council. (Laurie Skrivan/P-D)

Kirkwood -- The Kirkwood City Council meeting began tonight like it has dozens of times before, with the Pledge of Allegiance.

But there also was a moment of silence.

The meeting was anything but typical. Most notably, it marks the first time the council has met since the Feb. 7 shootings at Kirkwood City Hall. About 200 residents are in the audience.

"We'll never forget what happened, but we will carry on," said Timothy Griffin, who is acting mayor.

City leaders had hoped to have the meeting where it is usually held –- in the City Hall council chambers. But crews are still cleaning and rebuilding the room, where two council members, a police officer and the city's public works director were fatally shot. Mayor Mike Swoboda was critically wounded as well. The shooter, Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton was shot and killed at the scene. Thornton also killed a police officer just outside City Hall.

City leaders said tonight's meeting was an important step as the community tries to move on, and they were determined to hold the council meeting at its regularly scheduled time. But until all traces of violence are gone, the Robert G. Reim Theatre a half-mile away from City Hall was going to have to stand in as the place to conduct business.

Three members of the council –- Iggy Yuan, Griffin and Arthur McDonnell -- were on hand tonight. Councilman Joe Godi, who has missed months of meetings recovering from surgery, joined the meeting by telephone. The council's first act was to name Paul Ward as a temporary replacement for slain councilman Michael H.T. Lynch.

Ward was a council member from 2000 to 2004. He graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1975. He also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

With Ward now on the council, there are five active members, as Swoboda is still recovering from the shooting and unable to serve. The seven-member council, in some instances, must have at least five members for a quorum to conduct city business.

About 30 minutes before the meeting started, a group of residents, called "Kirkwood Coming Together for a Brighter Future," gathered Thursday evening at the Reim Theatre, demanding the council postpone the city’s election April 8 so that other mayoral candidates might be allowed to seek office.

With the death of Karr, Arthur McDonnell is the only remaining candidate for mayor on the ballot.

The group has proposed an "emergency ordinance" that would push the election back to June 3. It was not clear whether the ordinance would be formally presented to the council tonight for consideration.

Kirkwood officials hope to be back in the council chambers for the next meeting, scheduled for March 6.