Andrew Blaydes makes dean's list at Midway University

One student from Midway landed a spot on Midway University’s dean’s list for the spring semester.

Andrew Blaydes met the two requirements of obtaining a semester grade-point average of a 3.6 or above and maintaining full-time status at the university.

The list includes 302 students, including five from Versailles: Miriam Gonzalez, Noel Montgomery, Sandy Pecina, Juan Perez and Kali Ratcliff.

Scott County had two from Stamping Ground, Elizabeth Hazlett and Cynthia Sexton, and 14 from Georgetown: Gracie Bowling, Brittany Brockman, Sydney Coffey, Rachel Cooper, Hayden Gregory, Jordan Hopkins, Allyson Ison, Kimberly Jager, Nyckoletta Martin, Kaitlyn Robinson, Jillian Saylor, Madeline Wasson, Terri Wilkerson and Natasha Williams.

Twenty students from Frankfort and 30 from Lexington made the list. It also included many students from out of state: 10 each from Indiana and Tennessee, five from Ohio, six from Texas, three from California and Colorado, two from Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and one each from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Nine international students made the list. Those students included two from Colombia and one each from Sweden, Zambia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Peru, France and the Dominican Republic.

Via video, Midway University honors students, faculty and campus organizations for achievements

Midway University has recognized several students, faculty members and campus organizations for their achievements in the classroom and extra-curricular activities, in a video presentation. “Although we couldn’t gather on campus to celebrate this together, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge our students' achievements,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Elizabeth Stivers said in a news release.

Dr. Becky Briley, outstanding teacher

The award recipients were:

• Dr. Becky Briley, Outstanding Teacher Award
• Juan Perez, Versailles, Associate Degree Nursing Award for Professional Excellence
• Jamie May Mullins, Richmond, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Professional Excellence Award
• April Steward, Paris, Health Care Administration Award
• Larissa Cussins, Cheyenne, Wyo., Outstanding Biology Student Award
• Kendall Godwin, Ooltewah, Tenn,, Outstanding Biology Research Student Award
• Laura Minton, Wilmore, Outstanding English Student Award
• Joseph Enzweiler, Erlanger, Outstanding Psychology Student Award
• Joy Johnson, London, Outstanding Teacher Education Student Award
• Laura Minton, Wilmore, Theatre Award
• Christen Roberson, Inez, Outstanding Masters in Teacher Leadership Award
• Cynthia Sexton, Stamping Ground, Outstanding Business Student Award
• Kendra Legters, Bloomfield, N.Y., Outstanding Student in Equine Management
• Lesley DuPlessis, Pretoria, South Africa, Outstanding Student in Equine Rehabilitation
• Rashea Smith, Corbin, Outstanding Student in Equine Science
• Maxime Noel, Les Contamines-Montjoie, France, Sport Management Student Award
• Women’s Volleyball Team, Athletic Team Impact Award
• Psychology Club, Student Organization Impact Award
• Elizabeth Danielle "Libby" Morgan, Georgetown, Community Service Award
• Luke Logan, Elizabethtown, Midway University Freshman Leadership Award
• Hannah Waroway, Ann Arbor, Mich., Midway University Eagle Leadership Award
• Hannah Welte, Augusta, Ruth Slack Roach Junior Scholar
• Brynn Bradley, Nicholasville, Student Alumni Award

The honors event is named for the late Joy Edwards Hembree, a long-time Midway University trustee who advocated for women and children. A video of it is on the university's YouTube channel.

Chip Guillot is honored as he leaves Southern Equine

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift has declared today Chip Guillot Day, in honor of the former manager of Southern Equine Farm, who left that position recently.

"Some citizens requested we honor his time there," Vandegrift said in an email. "He and the farm gave back a whole lot during his tenure."

Vandegrift's proclamation said Guillot managed the former Parrish Hill farm, adjacent to the city limits, "in away that allowed it to greatly service Midway and its citizens." It mentioned donations to Walter Bradley Park and citizens who needed help with utility bills, expanded parking for the Fall Festival, locations for the "Midway to Love" movie, produce for community dinners "and much more."

Vandegrift's proclamation also named Guillot an honorary citizen of Midway. It said he "has become a well known fixture in Midway, and will remain so."

Chip Guillot was also known for his chili, which won the 2018 Chili Cook-Off. Here he is pictured with his 2019 concoction.

A tale of two awards for Ouita Michel; the one you've never heard of touched her in a way the other couldn't

Michel and her award (Photo by Hayley Burris)

By Al Cross and Hayley Burris
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The big news for Midway chef Ouita Michel this week was that she received her second semifinalist nomination for national restaurateur of the year in the James Beard Foundation Awards. But earlier in the week, she got another surprise award that in some ways meant more to her.

Girl Scout Troop 2261 of Midway gave Michel its “Women Who Change the World Award” at Monday night's troop meeting in the basement of the Midway Christian Church. Michel had been helping host the monthly community dinner, and was invited to come down and hear the scouts give examples of women who they thought were empowering throughout history.

As Michel watched, not knowing she was about to serve as an example, each scout presented a poster and read a speech about the person, and provided a food item to go along with it. Women presented included Hellen Keller, Cleopatra and Amelia Earhart.

"There was no way I was capable of that at eight years old," Michel, who was a national-champion debater at the University of Kentucky, said afterward.

Michel listens to the scouts. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

Then each scout made brief remarks saying what they liked about Michel, and "I started crying," she recalled.

Michel told the scouts, “I think this is the nicest award anyone has ever given to me, girls. After listening to your presentations and seeing how well all of you did and all the work you put in, I am really honored.”

The troop said it chose Michel due to her involvement within the Midway community, her skills in building her brand throughout her career, and her overall way of showing how empowering women can be.

"It was the sweetest damn thing I’ve ever been a part of, it was so amazing," Michel said Thursday. "That totally just set the stage" for Wednesday's news that she was one of 20 semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateur.

She was also a semifinalist in 2016, "but to be honest, I didn’t understand the award when I received it, and I was so busy with Honeywood, I didn't stop to fully appreciate all that it meant," she said. "I didn’t think I would ever get nominated in that category again."

But it may have been the opening of Honeywood, in the Summit at Fritz Farm in Lexington, that got her another nomination. The restaurant is named for Honeywood Parrish Rouse, whose family owned Midway's Holly Hill Inn, which Michel and her husband Chris bought 20 years ago.

The inn was the start of the Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants, which also includes the nearby Midway Bakery & Cafe and Wallace Station Deli, and these Lexington operations: Windy Corner Market and Smithtown Seafood; Zim’s Cafe and Thirsty Fox in the old Fayette County Courthouse; and Holly Hill Events, based at Fasig-Tipton Co. on Newtown Pike. The company also operates Glenn’s Creek Café at Woodford Reserve Distillery, where Michel is chef-in-residence.

Michel's business success and her leadership in the local-food movement led to five nominations for Best Chef in America (Southeast) in the James Beard Foundation awards.

Nominees for Outstanding Restaurateur are recognized for "high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship," a company news release said. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Finalists will be announced in March; winners will be announced at the foundation’s annual gala in Chicago in May.

"I really think a lot of the James Beard Foundation," said Michel, who is a member. "They have done so much to reach out to chefs all across the country," educating them about "food waste, ocean sustainabilty, food access, hunger" and other issues, "trying to make advocates of chefs."

Michel said it was at a JBF anniversary boot camp in Vermont four years ago that she met some of the female chefs who will be part of the fourth Food Equity and Access Sustains Tomorrow event March 10 at Fasig-Tipton, to benefit FoodChain, a Lexington nonprofit that educates the public about urban indoor agricultural food production and processing through demonstration and hands-on training, including teaching children how to cook.

"That’s how FEAST came about," she said. "After the 2016 presidential election we all felt so dispirited that I felt like I needed to do something." The last FEAST event raised $60,000, she said, and "I think we'll raise a little more this year . . . for their kitchen, for their grocery store, for their vision of food access and reducing food waste."

Afterward, Michel posed with Girl Scout Troop 2261. (Photo by Hayley Burris; for a larger version, click on it.)

Music star Sturgill Simpson returns to Woodford Co.

Miles Miller gives Sturgill Simpson a thumbs-up as Judge-Executive James Kay and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift applaud. 

This story, first posted before the event, has been reposted and updated to include news at the event.

Woodford County High School alumnus John Sturgill Simpson now goes by his middle name, and it's a name that has become globally famous for his singing and songwriting. He came to Versailles for a public welcome-home ceremony and a special honor Thursday morning.

At the fire station on Big Sink Road, the road received the additional name of Sturgill Simpson Way, from Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott and Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay.

Simpson said the honor was ironic: "I can't tell you how many mailboxes I smashed on Big Sink Pike in high school."

Miles Miller, a Woodford native who is the drummer in Simpson's band, was also recognized.

“Woodford County is excited to welcome home and recognize Sturgill Simpson and Miles Miller before their Good Lookin’ Tour show at Rupp Arena,” Kay said in a press release. “We are so proud of their success and accomplishments, representing Kentucky and Woodford County.”

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift took part in the event. He wrote afterward, "I was talking about how music has such an ability to move people and used my friend as an example: My friend said he saw Sturgill play in a Lexington bar a few years back and was apparently having too much fun because he was approached by Mr. Simpson’s security who said to 'please stop dancing'."

Simpson, a native of Jackson, Ky., won a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Country Album for A Sailor's Guide to Earth, which was also nominated for Album of the Year. It won Album of the Year in the Americana Music Awards, where he was also nominated for Artist of the Year and his "All Around You" was nominated for Song of the Year. In 2015 his song "Turtles All the Way Down" won Americana Song of the Year and his Metamodern Sounds in Country Music received a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. His 2019 album Sound and Fury made Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 50 Albums list.

Ashley Fowler's talk on horses wins Toastmasters award

Ashley Fowler with her contest master, Cynthia Lanham

Ashley Fowler of Midway placed first in Midway Toastmasters’ International Speech contest with her speech, "Straight From the Horse's Mouth,” and now she advances to the area contest in Lexington Feb. 22.

Fowler is a researcher at the University of Kentucky, where she earned her Ph.D. in equine nutrition. She is a post-doctoral scholar in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

In her speech, Fowler shared three lessons she has learned from working with horses since she was 10 years old.

First, horses respond more positively to someone who is confident. Second, different horses have different personalities, a communication style that works for one horse may not work for another.

Third, it's important to be empathetic and try to understand why a horse is pinning its ears back (a sore back?) or refusing to step in a puddle (fear that the puddle is too deep?). Fowler said she's found that these principles also apply to interactions with humans.

Council endorses $59-per-lot fee to fund 9-1-1; mayor says he will try 6 months without late fees on water bills

Jeremy Emerson, Doris Leigh, Sharon Turner and Jimmie Murphy received "certificates of excellence" from the city Monday night for their service on the Veterans Memorial Committee. Turner and Leigh are former members of the City Council.

To pay for Woodford County's 9-1-1 dispatch service, a $59 fee would be tacked onto the tax bill of each residential property in the county, under a plan endorsed by the Midway City Council tonight.

The council also approved a new contract with John Soper, chair of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority; honored members of the Veterans Memorial Committee, which is turning its functions over to the city; set terms for the new Code Enforcement Board; and approved appointment of a new city attorney. Before the meeting, Vandegrift announced a trial policy of doing away with late fees on water bills.

Dispatch funding: The nonbinding vote on funding the dispatch center came after police and other first responders said they preferred the tract-fee idea to the other finalist, a fee on water meters. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the water fee would have to be higher, perhaps $70, to cover the cost, due to the inefficiency of collecting the fee through the county's eight separate water suppliers.

He said commercial and industrial property owners would pay higher rates, yet to be determined, if the three local governments adopt the proposal. The Versailles City Council is scheduled to hear about the issue Tuesday night.

"We've gone through every possible way of funding this," Vandegrift said, adding later that the tract fee appeared to have unanimous support among first responders. "It's not something anybody wants to do, but it's something we have to do."

The dispatch service is now funded by a $3.50 monthly fee on telephone landlines, which are fading out. About 80 percent of the service's calls come from wireless phones, Assistant Versailles Police Chief Mike Murray told the council. He said eight or nine Kentucky counties have shifted to a tract fee to finance dispatch.

Vandegrift said Midway hasn't participated in the funding, but "With our rising standing in this county, we need to step up to the plate. If we want to be included at all tables, we've got to sit at every table."

Water policy: Over the weekend, Vandegrift told the council in an email that he would "try a six month trial run with no late fees on water/sewer bills." His decision follows a council discussion last month about water policies.

"If this becomes permanent, it will cost the water fund approximately $9,600 per year, but with the Higgins Street water line replacement debt retired, we’re still in a cost-saving situation compared to where we were a year ago when still paying the debt," he wrote. "Plus, $9,600 is a fraction of our overall water fund budget and even if we did rely on that income, it’s an unsavory thing to rely on."

Vandegrift said water bills will still be due on the 10th of each month, "but people who don’t pay on time won’t be penalized a fee. They will, however, still end up on the cut-off list if they continue to be late, and the cut-offs will remain on or around the 26th of each month. If too many customers are ending up on the cut off list, or unforeseen ramifications cause an administrative strain, I may end the trial run within the next six months. But, if after 6 months, things go as I hope and expect they will, this will become new permanent policy. After reviewing the council’s comments from our water policy meeting, speaking with city hall staff, and thinking through it over and over, I think this is a worthy effort to help lift some financial burden for those who struggle the most to afford the most basic of necessities."

EDA contract: Soper is both chairman of the EDA and an independent contractor for the three local governments. His new contract is for six months, and gives him a raise. He has been paid $5,720 per month, and will now get $6,002 a month for recruiting and retaining jobs and selling property in the Midway Station industrial and commercial park.

Midway has been the main beneficiary of Soper's recent work, and it will pay a greater share of his compensation: $1,333 per month, up from $858 a month. Vandegrift said that reflects performance, justified by the great increases in the city's occupational tax on wages and net profits, and is "still a good deal" for the city. Midway's share will be 22.2 percent, or two-ninths, of the total. The county will pay four-ninths and Versailles one-third. The contract is in the council meeting packet, here.

Logan Nance, the only council member who voted against industrial zoning of 138 acres between Midway Station and the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses (which have a conditional-use permit in an agricultural zone) told Soper that they differ on development, "but you're doing a good job at Midway Station." The property's debt is now being paid entirely by EDA, not the city and county.

Soper reported that EDA may be able to develop public access to South Elkhorn Creek through negotiations with AT&T, which needs a construction easement to replace a fiber-optic line that runs along Midway Station's fence with Interstate 64.

Veterans Committee: Vandegrift presented "certificates of excellence" to four members of the Midway Veterans Committee who were present. The committee was formed several years ago to build a memorial in the Midway Cemetery, raised $40,000 for the project, and worked for years to add names to the monument and hold an annual Memorial Day service. The committee's membership has evolved over the years, and it has turned its funds over to the city, which is assuming its functions.

"You can learn a lot about a town by the way it honors its veterans," said Nance, an Army vet who served in Afghanistan. "Those veterans gave so much to ensure that this country, the values that we value, freedom and democracy, are built in stone. And I think it's only fitting that because of your work, their names will forever be etched in granite. So, thank you all very much."

Code enforcement: The ordinance the council passed last month to create a new Code Enforcement Board, to hear appeals of citations for building-code violations, calls for the terms of the first appointees to be staggered so one appointment comes up each year hence. But when Vandegrift and the council filled the board, they didn't specify the terms. Tonight they decided that Jim Starks would serve three years, Jo Blease two years and Dan Roller one year.

Code violations will be cited by an enforcement officer, whom the city has yet to hire. Vandegrift said he is talking with a Scott County building inspector about doing the part-time work and hopes to have his appointment ready for the council's confirmation at its next meeting, Feb. 17.

In response to a question from Council Member John Holloway, the mayor said that the officer would respond to complaints, not cite violations on his own, but that the complaints can be anonymous.

Other business: Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the cemetery committee, said the foundation for the pavilion at the cemetery is in place, and stakes have been placed for a road to it. She invited members to check it out. Vandegrift said an architect is doing blueprints for the pavilion, based on a design by Holloway.

The council approved three event permits for the Midway Business Association:a St. Patrick's Day celebration Saturday, March 14; a summer-kickoff block party from 5 to 10 p.m. May 23, the Saturday before Memorial Day; and the Fall Festival Sept. 18-20, with Friday needed for setup.

Also approved was Vandegrift's choice of Sharon Gold as the new attorney for the city. She was not present at the meeting. Neither was Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher.

Vandegrift said after the meeting that Gold will be paid $283 per hour and her associates at the Lexington office of Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs will get $185 an hour. Her predecessor, Phil Moloney, got $225 and his associates $145. "Phil’s office hadn’t raised their rates in five years, so that was probably due," Vandegrift said in an email. He added that new City Clerk Cindy Foster's "ability to write ordinances (she’s written two of our most recent) will save us a lot on billable hours."

Another large Chili Cookoff turnout crowns Alex Woodruff as three-time consecutive champion

Woodruff has nearly become a pro.

By Madison Dyment
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway Christian Church bustled Monday night with the smell of chili — and community — in the air.

Woodruff wasn't present Monday night;
this photo is from her first win, in 2018.

The 13th annual Chili Cookoff boasted more than a dozen entries, with Alex Woodruff’s “Super Fantastic, World Famous ‘Meat Me in Midway’” entry being crowned champion for the third consecutive year.

Second place was a tie between Ray Papka’s “World’s Best Chili,” a moderately spicy beef entry, and a mild turkey chili by Gloria Batts.

Despite the chance to win prizes, the main draw for attendees seemed to be the chance to connect with their fellow community members.

“Aside from the great food, it’s a wonderful chance to really meet your neighbors. You can talk and find out what’s going on in your community,” said Midway resident Scott Holmes.

Sisters Ouita Michel and Paige Walker mugged for the camera and their
 father, Ray Papka, whose chili tied for second. (Madison Dyment photo)

Church member, Papka daughter and Holly Hill Inn restaurant owner and chef, Ouita Michel, further substantiated the powerful community-building the event facilitates.

“It’s such a wonderful way to bring the community together,” Michel said. “You see so many members and people from town, and I think we all need to build some togetherness right now.”

That sentiment was echoed by many, including the Rev. Heather McColl, Midway Christian Church pastor for 13 years.

“The part about this event is really the people,” McColl said. “I was just remarking how you see people who have just moved here, who have been here forever, or people you’ve never seen. It’s fun to get to know and see different people and connect with them.”

The cookoff is popular with children. (Photo by Madison Dyment)

McColl began the Chili Cookoff as an in-house event for church members before incorporating it with the church’s monthly free community dinners, which began a few years later.

The cookoff allows participants to submit their best chili recipe for public tasting and judging. Attendees sample the chili and vote for their favorite. Each year there are numerous variations of the classic dish, sure to satisfy even the most uncommon taste buds.

“We know there’s controversy about putting spaghetti in chili, but we welcome all here,” McColl said while opening the event.

Aurora and Lyndon Frances
(Photo by Madison Dyment)

The event brings together first-timers and those who have frequented for years. Margie Steadman said she's been attending the cookoff for seven years, while young Aurora and Lyndon Frances have had less experience, making up for it with their enthusiasm.

“I’m really excited to eat all the chili,” said an animated Aurora, adding that her favorite included peppers. Lyndon said he prefers less-spicy chili options, with lots of cheese.

This long-going event succeeds each year in providing an avenue for friendly competition, community bonding, and excellent chili. What more could you ask for?

More than a dozen varieties of chili were up for tasting and judging. (Photo by Madison Dyment)

Council approves mayor's appointments to new board that will enforce revised rules for property maintenance

At the City Council meeting Monday evening, former mayor Tom Bozarth and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift honored city attorney Phil Moloney, who will leave the position Jan. 31 after 13 years, (Midway Messenger photo by Hayley Burris)

By Madison Dyment, Anna McAndrew and Hayley Burris
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

After passing ordinances Jan. 6 to crack down on lack of property maintenance in the city, the Midway City Council approved members of its new Code Enforcement Board Tuesday night.

The council also heard about the loss of a project to build a stage in the city park, and honored outgoing city attorney Phil Moloney, in a celebration that included a surprise visit by former mayor Tom Bozarth.

Code enforcement: Mayor Grayson Vandegrift nominated Jo Blease, Dan Roller and Jim Starks as the three members of the new Code Enforcement Board and Janet Hall as the alternate, saying all are willing to serve and are knowledgeable in the field. He gave brief biographies of each:

Blease and her husband, Ray, moved to Midway just under 10 years ago, fixing up a home at the corner of Winter and Stephens streets, giving Blease first-hand experience in property maintenance. The mayor noted that Blease is a retired school administrator accustomed to following "the letter of the law," recently served as president of Midway Renaissance, and is eager to serve on the board.

Dan Roller

Roller is a familiar face, having served as a council member in 2011-16. He was integral to the council's update of property maintenance codes and served on the old Vacant Property Review Board, which was "basically made obsolete" by a 2016 state law that paved the way for a new approach, Vandegrift said, adding, “Dan has one of the best eyes for detail of anyone I have ever known.”

Starks, a lifelong resident of Midway, brings personal experience as a landlord to the board. “He’s a great example of a landlord who owns multiple properties in Midway, who does it the right way and makes sure his tenants are living in proper conditions," the mayor said. "He invests in his properties, and he understands how expensive that gets.”

Hall, as an alternate, would fill in for a board member in the case of an absence. "She's a retired attorney who used to work for the City of Louisville on this exact same stuff: blighted and deteriorated properties," Vandegrift said.

The ordinance says initial appointments are to be staggered so one seat becomes vacant each year. Vandegrift didn't specify terms; asked about it afterward, he said Roller will take the one-year term but wasn't sure about the others because Blease has been away "and we haven’t had a great chance to discuss it. All are eligible to be reappointed to full three-year terms." There is a two-term limit.

Vandegrift said the matter would be resolved at the next council meeting, at which he also hopes to have the appointment of a code enforcement officer ready for council approval.

The Code Enforcement Board will hear cases of property owners who don’t correct violations in the time allowed by the code enforcement officer, at least 10 days. It can levy fines of $25 to $1,000 and its rulings can be appealed to circuit court.

Vandergrift, who has been trying to create the board for several years, said he would meet with the four after giving them two weeks to study the ordinances: “We took a long time on this, so to digest it, they can start writing up the questions that they may have and then I’ll get together with them, possibly with representatives of the Kentucky League of Cities if necessary, and kind of go through a little workshop or little training session with them.”

The mayor said he would like to see the board start taking complaints early next month, “but you know, it’s been two years or more; what’s the rush? We’re not going to rush this thing through them if they feel like they’re not quite ready to be taking possible appeals.”

Park stage canceled: In a more sobering moment, Vandergrift reported the failure of efforts to build a stage in the park. The initiative was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Bluegrass Community Fund, but the mayor said the Parks Board told him in a November letter that it “no longer felt that they had the resources to complete the project, given the new constraints placed upon it,” such as architectural and utility costs.

After the meeting, Council Member and Park Manager John Holloway said running electricity to the stage would cost $8,000 and some local merchants didn’t like the project because it would create an alternative entertainment venue to Main Street, which the city recently designated an "entertainment destination center" where alcoholic beverages with vendor labels can be carried openly.

The board recommended that the city return the grant. Vandegrift said he did that, but not before trying "a Hail Mary" to save the project, getting an architect to agree to design the stage for free, a savings of $5,000 to $10,000. But in the end, he said, there were still questions about electricity, parking, "who would run it, what kinds of cost would be associated with in, and what-not."

He added, "It's a disappointment. I'll be honest; there are those who, through their fingertips, made the thing more difficult, and I regret that's a thing we have to deal with, but those people are not solely at fault. Sometimes things just don't come together. I do hope that in the future, it may be able to come together."

Also, "There's simply too many things we need to fund this year," he said. "I can't sit here with a straight face and say we don't have the money. We have the money to do the things we need to do; we just don't have all the money we'd like to have to do everything we want to do. Building that stage might have meant we can't build a sidewalk to The Homeplace from Mill Road, and I just think that would just be unacceptable. It might mean we can't finish the cemetery pavilion, or finish our big sewer renovation, and that's just not something we can accept, or I can accept, right now."

Bozarth emerges from his old office.

Saying goodbye and welcome back: Lightening the mood, the council used the latter part of the 25-minute meeting to honor Phil Moloney of Lexington, who has been city attorney for 13 years, for two mayors, seven councils and 19 council members. Jan. 31 will be his final day in the position; the council passed a resolution making next week Phil Moloney Week.

“He is one of the finest attorneys one may find anywhere and his steady hand, rock-solid legal advice and great attention to detail has meant that he has left the city better than he found it,” Vandergrift said, telling Moloney later, "You often pulled me back from my worst impulses."

In a surprise, former mayor Tom Bozarth, who hired Moloney, emerged from a back office to congratulate him and assist in giving him a key-to-the-city clock.

He told Moloney, “You were the rudder of the ship that kept us all in line down the straight and narrow and kept us out of harm’s way, and I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Moloney, who told Vandegrift in a Jan. 15 letter that he is "edging closer to retirement age" and has other things to pursue, voiced gratitude and admiration for his employers.

“One of the amazing things is that every council member and mayor I have worked with all have interests of their citizens first in mind and led with their heart,” he said. “I wish Washington, D.C., could send down some representatives and see how governments are supposed to work.”

Other business: The council gave final reading and passage to a long-pending budget amendment and granted a street-encroachment permit to Tobacco Rose, a company that installs silt fences for construction projects and has bought a lot in Midway Station. Vandegrift said about seven people would work there.

UK Community Journalism students Lauren McCally and Jo'Tessa Townes contributed to this story.

Taylor Daniel, Adrianna Dennington and Renee Fossett of Midway made the fall dean's list at Midway University

Midway University announced this week that 283 students earned spots on its Dean’s List for the fall semester. To be named to the list, a student must be classified as full-time and obtain a 3.6 grade point average for the semester.

Taylor Daniel, Adriana Denington and Renee Fossett of Midway made the list. Versailles students on the list were Meredith Mohedano, Elizabeth Pecina, Juan Perez, Alexandra Todd and Amanda Watts.

Students from Frankfort on the list were Niki Bailey, Cameron Barton, Shannon Brunette, Cornelia Burke, Kendra Cantrell-Coyle, Emilie Hill, Sydney Houp, Molly Lecompte, Erin McQueen, Rebecca Monnin, Martha Muller, Jacob Smith, Regan Snyder, Grayson Strasburger, Sadie Taylor, Michael Wallen and Albert Woodrum.

Students from Scott County on the list were Brittany Brockman of Georgetown, Tara Casey of Stamping Ground, Sydney Coffey of Georgetown, David Coleman of Georgetown, Rachel Cooper of Georgetown, Elizabeth Hazlett of Stamping Ground, Jordan Hopkins of Georgetown, Kimberly Jager of Georgetown, Nyckoletta Martin of Georgetown, Cynthia Sexton of Stamping Ground, and Emme Warren, Madeline Wasson, Natasha Williams and Alyssa Yates of Georgetown.

Winners of Woman's Club Holiday Decorating Contest

These lighted and decorated windows at 219 W. Higgins St. earned it the Best Christmas Spirit award.

The Midway Woman's Club has announced the winners of this year's Holiday Decorating Contest. Here they are, with nighttime photos and a video by the club's Amanda Glass and Genie Graf:

Special 2019 15th Anniversary MWC Holiday Décor Judging Award – 129 W. Bruen

Best Wreath – 231 Johnson St. (right)

Best Front Door – 111 Coach Station

Most Whimsical Lights – City Hall, 101 E. Main

Most Fun Decorations – 109 S. Gratz

Most Colorful Display – 318 N. Winter

Most Animated Display – 238 W. Stephens

Best Outdoor Tree – 120 E. Higgins (right)

Best Daytime Display – 332 S. Winter

Best Indoor Tree – 136 Carriage Lane

Best Spirit of Woodford Co. – 100 Carriage Ln.

Best Traditional Decorations – 217 N. Turner

Best Business – Goose & Gander, 133 E. Main

Best Decorated Porch – 238 W. Higgins

Best Decorated Yard – 225 E. Higgins

Best Decorated Shed – 219 S. Turner

Best Decorated Fence – 112 Old Towne Walk

Best Decorated Gate – 116 Coach Station

Best Overall Design – 219 Cottage Grove (below, day and night)

Chef Ouita Michel of Midway recognized at UK football game for championing Kentucky's local-food movement

News release and video by University of Kentucky Public Relations and Marketing

The accolades for Kentucky’s food scene have been rolling in the last several years, and few leaders are as responsible for growing the state’s culinary landscape as University of Kentucky alumna Ouita Michel.

Before UK's home football game against the University of Louisville on Saturday, the celebrated chef and restaurateur was recognized on Kroger Field for her work as one of the original champions of Kentucky’s local food movement.

Saturday's rain didn't keep Ouita Michel off the football field.

A James Beard Foundation Award nominee as Outstanding Restaurateur and Best Chef in the Southeast, Michel has built a regional restaurant empire that now includes such popular establishments as Zim’s Cafe, Honeywood, Holly Hill Inn, The Midway Bakery, Smithtown Seafood, Wallace Station, Windy Corner Market and Restaurant and Glenn’s Creek Café.

Michel majored in political science at the UK College of Arts and Sciences and was a member of the debate team, the honors program (now Lewis Honors College) and the first class of Gaines Fellows. In 1986, she became only the second woman to win a national debate championship.

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Michel moved to New York where she graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and met her husband, Chris. The two returned to Kentucky in 1993 for their wedding, and opened their first restaurant, Holly Hill Inn in Midway, in 2000 where she became one of the state’s pioneers of using local-sourced products.

Amanda Glass wins Midway Charity Chili Cook-Off

Cathy Elam gets some of Amanda Glass's winning chili.

Armed with spoons and cups, residents and visitors prowled the sidewalks of East Main Street today in search of the best chili among 14 entries in this year's Midway Charity Chili Cook-Off. The winner was Amanda Glass, who said one of the key ingredients in her spicy chili was pulled pork. She won $50 and a trophy.

Chip Guillot stirred with a paddle.

Second place went to Chip Guillot, manager of Southern Equine Farm, who won the cook-off last year. He said his new touch was beef grilled over black walnut logs. He received $30 and a medal.

Placing third was Karissa Arnold of Elkhorn Oaks Farm, who had two entries, one of them vegetarian. "I chopped vegetables until I thought my hand was bruised," she said. She received $20 and a medal.

The winners were chosen by eaters who paid $5 for a spoon, cups, napkins and three tickets to put in voting bowls.

Attendance was up over last year, said Zachary Rankin of Midway Renaissance, which assisted with the event, part of the Midway Business Association's series of holiday promotions. He said it raised more than $800 for the Midway Ministerial Association.

Third prize winner Karissa Arnold used sweet potatoes in her two chilis.

Northside principal, teacher and parent credit school's approach to student behavior for its high ranking

Story and photos by Megan Parsons
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

What makes an effective elementary school? “Most of the time, it’s about reinforcing good behavior,” says Northside Elementary Principal Ryan Asher.

Northside received four of five stars in the Kentucky School Accountability Report for the 2018-19 school year, and Asher and others say good behavior is a big reason.

A reading class at Northside Elementary School

Northside was the only Woodford County elementary school to receive four stars this year, while the other elementaries received three stars. The high and middle schools also received four stars.

The report, issued by the Kentucky Department of Education Oct. 1, includes reading and math rankings by student demographics, and the change from the 2017-18 school year to the 2018-19 year.

Northside’s overall math scores increased by 10 points, and reading scores rose by 7 points. The improvement was even greater among economically disadvantaged students (+13.2 in math and +11.3 in reading); those who speak English as a second language went up :10.1 in math and 5.6 in reading.

Asher credits the school’s “MTSS, or multi-tier system of support,” for the gains. “It’s a structure that involves systems of support for students with different needs,” he says. ”Whether they are a free-and-reduced lunch student, a high-achieving student or an English Second Language student, there are multiple people to put those supports in place.”

MTSS gives additional help to students in areas of need: mental, behavioral, physical, or within certain subject areas.

The behavior scale

Another key aspect for Northside’s success in the last school year, Asher said, is by reinforcing good behavior. In the past, elementary schools around the nation used clothespins or colored cards with three describing factors for each student’s behavior that day: green for good, yellow as a warning and red meaning they are in trouble.

Today at Northside, Asher notes, teachers are applauding good behavior through several options on a new scale, ranging from “outstanding” at the top to “think about it as students approach the bottom of the scale” to “teacher’s choice” and “parent contact or office, at the bottom of the scale.”

Asher says Northside’s use of a national program called Positive Behavior Intervention Supports played a major role in the school’s success last year. Northside uses the program as a code with four major themes: be safe, be kind, be responsible, and be a leader.

If a child misbehaves, a teacher or administrator asks the child to reflect on what part of the code he or she has broken. “Ten out of ten times,” says Asher, “a student will immediately know which part of the code they broke.”

Liz Perry, a third-grade teacher, agreed with Asher in a separate interview.

“I think it is so beneficial because it’s universal across all of our staff members,” Perry said. “That includes not only teachers but the cafeteria monitors, instructional aids and office staff. The kids know that these high expectations behavior wise need to be followed in front of everyone they see throughout their day. It’s held our kids accountable for their own behavior and I think it helps them make better choices in the future.”

For a larger version of any photo, click on it.

The hallways and classrooms are filled with reminders of the code. Even when entering the bathroom or eating lunch at the cafeteria, posters are displayed to remind students of how to be safe, how to be kind, how to be responsible and how to be a leader.

Amanda Glass, a parent of a Northside student and president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization, said “Northside reiterates those same things we are teaching at home. . . . Sometimes, when you hear it from your teachers or your principal, it has a little bit more clout than when mom and dad say that. . . . It’s good that the school also models that good behavior you’re trying to teach at home.”

Glass added, “Northside is such a small community in itself, it’s almost like a private public school. Northside nurtures the whole child. They do a great job of examining strengths and weaknesses and working on those for each child. . . . Not every child has the same social skills or emotional health other children do, and it’s comforting knowing my child is safe and loved when I can’t be there.”

Students at the school aren’t just viewed as students, they are thought of as “my kids,” Perry said. “It’s a part of what makes Northside so special. Even if they don’t work with them, we don’t view kids as Ms. Perry’s third grader, but as a student at Northside and everybody is on their team and everybody is in their corner.”

Northside Elementary School has 48 people on its staff, including 23 teachers. There are 334 students, excluding preschool, with a student-teacher ratio of 15:1.


A sign in a hallway at Northside reminds readers of the four main themes of the behavior code.

Behind the scenes of judging the Midway Woman's Club annual Halloween Decorating Contest

The overall winner was at 211 South Winter Street.  For a larger version of any photo, click on it.

By Kennedy Sabharwal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

For the past four years the Midway Woman’s Club has held an annual Halloween Decorating Contest among the homes in town. This year 12 awards were given, ranging from Scariest to Best Spider Web to Most Kid Friendly.

On Sunday evening, members of the Woman’s Club drove around town and took a look at all of the decorated homes. The judges were quite surprised that only a few businesses decorated this year. The judges said they gave the award to Commotion! At 104 E. Main St. because of its “festive window display” that consists of skeletons and a bat hanging above the front entrance of the business.

The judges gave the Most Fun award to a family that set up a full Wizard of Oz scene in their front yard. 121 Carriage Lane won because it was “very creative and fun,” a judge said. “The characters, you could tell exactly which they were, and even the witch was melting!” The excitement this house brought to all of the judges was reason enough for the award.

318 North Winter Street won for Best Daytime decorations.

Some other awards and reasons included the Best Daytime award at 318 N. Winter St. for being “eye catching when driving through town and being impressive, comprehensive, having thought of design, and use of multiple elements,” the judges said.

One of the hardest awards to give was the Best Spider Web, because so many homes had neat and diverse webs. Some had webs across bushes, trees, and the lawn, while others had webs covering their entire porch. The award went to 223 Johnson St. because of its creativity and intricate webs on its porch, the judges said.

Best pumpkins: 106 Cottage Grove

The Best Pumpkin award at 106 Cottage Grove won for its “pumpkins being artfully carved and arranged,” a judge said.

The award for Best Overall décor went to 211 S. Winter St. because of its “spectacular Halloween display… It’s creative, it’s a little scary, they continue to use lights every year,” a judge said. “It’s cool in the daytime as well in the nighttime. It’s just a lot of fun.”

During the car ride around town, one judges spoke about how hard it was for her to choose winners. “It’s difficult,” she said. “I mean you see how difficult it is to choose who wins each award … Everyone’s home just looks great in their own way.”

Many homeowners in Midway went all-out and allowed their Halloween spirit to shine through each decoration. The judges said they want to add more awards next year, such as Best Porch, because of how many amazing decorations they saw during the judging process.

The judges gave the award for Scariest display to the residence at 119 East Stephens Street.

The Messenger thanks the club for letting us ride with the judges, whom we granted anonymity.

128 S. Winter St. won a Halloween Spirit Award.

These homes received awards:
Most Kid Friendly - 111 Turner St.
Scariest - 119 E. Stephens St.
Best Use of Technology - 323 S. Winter St.
Best Spider Web - 223 Johnson St.
Best Pumpkins - 106 Cottage Grove
Best Use of Inflatables - 231 Higgins St.
Creepiest - 245 Higgins St.
Best Overall - 211 S. Winter St.
Most Fun - 121 Carriage Lane
Best Daytime - 318 N. Winter St.
Halloween Spirit Award - 218 219 W. Higgins (below), 128 S. Winter, 232 W. Higgins

Spark Community Cafe of Versailles receives Community Spirit Award from Midway University

By Megan Parsons
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

For the first time, Midway University gave its Community Spirit Award to an organization outside Midway.

“It can be anyone in Woodford County. . . . That was the original concept,” President John P. Marsden said before the award presentation in the Anne Hart Raymond Center Thursday evening.

From left: University President John Marsden and Spark
Community Cafe co-founders Tristan Ferrell and Kyle Fannin

The award went to Spark Community Cafe, a pay-when-you-can cafe in Versailles that focuses on serving food-insecure people in Woodford County. People from all financial situations can dine at the cafe, co-founder Kyle Fannin said after accepting the award.

Those who can afford their meals have their tips go towards paying for the meals of food insecure people, Fannin said. If you cannot pay any amount for your meal, you can volunteer at the cafe. If you can only afford pay half, that’s fine.

Tristan Ferrell, the other co-founder, said the idea started in Fannin’s Community Interaction course at Woodford County High School in 2014. It started as a pay-when-you-can “pop-up” cafe, then Ferrell asked Fannin to “start this thing for real” and make it a full-time café, Ferrell recalled.

The university’s vice president of advancement, Tim Culver, said the award recipient is selected “by looking around at what’s going on and happening in our neighborhood and around the community, and identifying those we feel are making a difference.”

Spark Community Cafe has been open for six months. It has seen 15 percent of meals going to the food-insecure, and its goal is 20 percent, Fannin said. The cafe is able to stay open, he said, due to donations and their catering company.

He said the cafe strives to be as locally sourced as possible, serving food from eight to nine farms from five counties within 30 miles of the cafe, and “We are working on adding more.”

“Everybody deserves a great meal and to be waited on,” Fannin said. “To see the look on their faces when they eat that amazing food and we wait on them, they’ve probably never been waited on in their lives, and you’ll never know while you’re in there who the food-insecure is and that’s the way we like it.”

The award was presented during the university’s annual “Day for Midway” celebration, which is held “to increase the relationship between the town of Midway and Midway University,” Marsden said.

The award started after Marsden became president. One of his tasks was to develop a stronger relationship between the school and the town.

Previous Community Spirit Award winners have been prominent Woodford County volunteer Lillie Cox (2018), the Midway Woman’s Club (2017), Joyce Evans and the late Joel Evans (2016), and the Midway Christian Church (2015).

Robert Clay of Three Chimneys Farm gets award from Bluegrass Tomorrow for farmland preservation work

Robert Clay

Robert Clay, founder of Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, received the Bluegrass Legacy Award of Bluegrass Tomorrow, the farmland-preservation group he co-founded in 1989, at its 30th anniversary dinner Thursday night.

Clay accepted the award from former Three Chimneys manager Dan Rosenberg, who said "This work would be his longest, truest legacy."

Former BGT chair Alex Warren, who was senior operations vice president at Toyota, recalled that Clay and Joe Graves came to him in 1989, saying that the Thoroughbred industry "was at a low ebb" while Toyota was expanding, driving growth, and they were concerned that all or part of Calumet Farm would become a commercial or residential development. He said Clay was "the man who started this, and has been the backbone all the way through it."

Clay gave Graves credit for the idea, and recognized original BGT directors who were at the dinner, including Midway lawyer Hank Graddy.

The group inspired the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government's Purchase of Development Rights program and the Bluegrass Land Conservancy, which Clay said have protected more than 15,000 acres of Bluegrass land from development. He said leaders in the region "continue to embrace the idea of saving its cultural landscape and quality of life."

The group originally focused on seven counties, but now includes 18. "County lines in Kentucky were drawn for very outdated reasons," and have been barriers to cooperation, Clay said. "We cannot compete as 18 separate communities, but we can as a region."

The dinner at Fasig-Tipton was catered by Ouita Michel of Midway, who told the crowd of 200, "Agriculture in Kentucky is so tied to how we see ourselves in the world, and I try to put that on your plate." The entree was all-natural Kentucky Proud roasted chicken with distillers' mixed grain pilaf and roasted Brussels sprouts, with a Happy Jack's kabocha squash salad, including local lettuces with a thin slice of Broadbent country ham.

Health Dean Barbara Kitchen retires from Midway Univ.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift proclaimed June 28 as Barbara Kitchen
Day in honor of her service. Dr. John Marsden, president, is at right.

Dr. Barbara Kitchen, longtime dean of health sciences at Midway University, has retired with honors.

The university Board of Trustees granted Kitchen the title of Faculty Emerita, which was presented to her at the May commencement ceremony. At a June 28 reception, a plaque honoring her was unveiled in the Anne Hart Raymond Building, where she worked.

Kitchen first came to Midway in 2001 as a faculty member in the nursing program. In 2004, she was appointed chair of the nursing programs, and in 2005, chair of the Nursing and Science Division. In 2014, when the college became a university, she was appointed dean of the School of Health Sciences.

Dr. John P. Marsden, university president, said Kitchen has run a highly respected program and been an ambassador for Midway University in the health-care industry. “She has had a tremendous impact on the education and preparation of numerous students,” Marsden said. “She has developed and fostered many community partnerships so that our nursing students could have clinical experiences as well as community service projects.”

Kitchen was highly involved with the task force that helped establish The Homeplace at Midway, a nursing home and assisted-living facility.