Water bills can be paid online by credit card Wed.

Midway water customers can pay bills online by credit card for a fee, starting Wednesday, July 1.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift had decided to make the change, but the timing had not been decided. He announced in Friday in an email to the City Council and the Midway Messenger.

"There will be a link on our homepage at meetmeinmidway.com," the mayor wrote. "Once the customer clicks on the link, the portal will guide them through the very simple process."

Online payments of less than $150 will incur a $2.50 service charge from the vendor who is making it possible. Those over $150 will be charged a fee of 2.75 percent. " We as a city collect no fees for this service," Vandegrift said.

Customers can still pay at city hall or by mail, "but we’re very happy to add a new service for our citizens convenience," Vandegrift said.

Message from the mayor: Masks will be distributed soon; use properly, and still practice social distancing

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway

When things are tough, it never hurts to hear again that you’re doing a great job. So, you’re doing a great job, and we’re going to get through this together. We still have no known cases of covid-19 in Midway, but once again, I think it’s unrealistic to think we won’t have cases eventually, perhaps even soon. I also think it’s unrealistic, and even dangerous, to think the coronavirus isn’t here already. So let’s keep staying healthy at home as much as possible, keep washing your hands often, keep social distancing when you do have to go out; stay at least six feet away from anyone who doesn’t live in your household, and keep even more than six feet distance if you can. When we do see cases in our community, we won’t panic, because we’ve already got all of these precautions in place, and we’re showing that we’re getting good at this; so let’s get even better.

We will begin to likely start to see our peak in the coming weeks and into the next month. I used to have a basketball coach in high school who, when we were as tired as can be, and were sure we couldn’t go much longer, would say, “Yes you can, you just have to find that next level of strength. It’s there, you just have to find it.” He was right. And likewise, by supporting and encouraging each other we can find our next level of strength. With our peak approaching before long, let’s step up our efforts. Stay healthy at home as much as we possibly can. Consider delivery or curbside pick-up for groceries if you can. If you do have to go out, practice social distancing even better than you already are. Stay at least six feet from anyone not in your home, and if you can keep even more physical distance from others, that’s all the better.

Wash your hands often. Your hands should be starting to get dry from all that hand washing, I know mine are. Handwashing is even better than sanitizer because soap is both hydrophilic and hydrophobic: this basically means the soap attaches to both the fats and proteins on your hands and to the water molecules, and when you rinse the soap away, you rinse away the germs as well. But when you’re out of the house, which should be rare, make sure you’ve got hand sanitizer as a second defense for your hands. Don’t touch your face, especially your mouth, eyes, nose, and ears – that’s another great measure to keep yourself healthy. Also practice good personal hygiene in general. Sneeze or cough into your arm or elbow, and if you’re sick, do not leave your house.

You can call our helpline at 846-4102 at the Midway Christian Church and volunteers will run errands for you, or assist you however they can. You can also call the county’s helpline at 859-753-8228. Both of those resources are available to Midway citizens.

As early as this week, we will be ready to distribute free cloth masks to every person in Midway who wants one. We’ll be releasing more details very soon on how we’re going to distribute these. But keep in mind (and this is very important) that a mask is not your first or your best line of defense against the coronavirus. Our best line of defense remains staying healthy at home, washing our hands often, practicing good social distancing when we do have to go out and keeping good personal hygiene. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending using a cloth mask when you go to places like the grocery store or pharmacy as an added layer of defense and an added layer to prevent us from unwittingly spreading the coronavirus.

I want to thank Midway Makers Market and owner Amy Bowman, not to mention over 60 volunteers who have helped cut and press the fabric, sew the masks and prepare them with instructions for your use. I also want to thank Kevin Cosgriff and Jenean O’Neal, both Midway residents, who own and operate Diamond Graphics, for donating the printing of our informational cards that go in your mask kit.

It’s so crucial, however, that you don’t get a false sense of security or that you don’t let your guard down when wearing one. Also, make sure you don’t start messing with your mask while it’s on, because you’ll be touching your face, and defeating the purpose. You may want to wear it around the house a bit at first just to get used to it. If you feel you are letting up your first-line defenses, then stop wearing a mask; you can still protect yourself without one. But if done right, it can help. If you do get a mask, wash it before its first use, and wash it often based on frequency of use.

When visiting our local groceries like Midway Corner Grocery, don’t go at peak times; if you see quite a few cars in the parking lot, try to come back later. In smaller structures, it’s so important you still keep good social distancing, and to get what you need and move on for others. Also remember that you wash or sanitize your hands before entering a grocery, and of course, once again after you leave. And keep in mind that the Woodford County Health Department has issued an executive order requiring that only one person per household enter a grocery store, with exceptions for people who have minors and no other option for childcare and elderly folks who need assistance. Please adhere to this important measure. Railroad Drug is offering delivery and curbside; you can call them for all your prescription needs at 846-4146.

We’re truly working together as a united community, even though we’re apart right now. And I know this can seem like it’ll never end, but eventually it will. Keep your spirits up, take time for yourself, stay away from too much news, and get fresh air; just do so safely. Every single citizen of Midway should feel so proud of the work we’re doing, and by encouraging each other, we can and will get through this.

If you know of someone who is struggling, please let someone know. Feel free to let me know; my number is 859-361-6320. If you know of someone who isn’t on social media, help make sure they’re getting all the important information they need. If you know of someone who isn’t abiding by the guidelines like we all should be doing, encourage them to do better, because we need all 1,800 residents to do this right. We need a 100 percent participation rate to do our very best, and to make this intrusion on our normal lives as short as possible.

I’ll update you again by video this time next week unless circumstances call for doing another one sooner. I also frequently post information on my Facebook page, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift. In closing today, I’m going to ask, or perhaps the better word is suggest, that you try something: Every time you hear the train’s whistle blowing, with its iron horse legs rumbling down the tracks, think of how it truly represents Midway. It’s still going, even picking up steam as it glides into the future. It’s persistent, connected, and vocal. That train is synonymous with Midway, with us, and I take great comfort every day in hearing it continue on. We will do the same thing, we will continue on, just a little differently for a while longer. Thank you, and God bless.

‘Sip and Shop’ tests new open-carry policy and promotes holiday shopping, eating and drinking

Donna Ishmael, George Ishmael, Randy Cederquist and Emily Cederquist

said they went into all 20 businesses that offered clues in a scavenger hunt.

Story and photos by Megan Parsons

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

On a rainy Saturday, Nov. 23, downtown Midway held a “Sip and Shop” event, the first big test of the cty’s open-carry policy, which allows drinkers to take alcoholic beverages in and out of licensed premises within the center’s boundaries downtown.

George Ishmael, Donna Ishmael, Randy Cederquist and Emily Cederquist of Bourbon and Nicholas counties said they heard about the event on Facebook. “We enjoyed the scavenger hunt, we went in every shop,” Randy Cederquist said.

The scavenger hunt encouraged people to visit downtown stores and restaurants; 20 had clues that participants could find if they visited. If they figured out the clue they took a picture with it and showed them at the Midway Makers Market, where they were entered to win a gift basket.

A sign at City Hall marked one corner of
the new "entertainment destination center."

Sam Fisher, owner of Fisher Antiques, estimated he had 50 to 60 people come to his store because of the promotion. He said, “everyone had good behavior.” Many who visited his shop were tourists, “There was a couple were staying at a bed-and-breakfast in Midway,” he said. “Although, most were from the surrounded area of Georgetown, Versailles or Lexington.”

Sarah Hurlburst and Blake Nickell of Morehead were celebrating their anniversary at Wallace Station on Saturday when they saw the flier for the Sip and Shop, and decided to take advantage of the open-carry policy for their anniversary weekend. “It was a pleasant surprise,” said Nickell.

Jan Ramos, a designer at The Milam House, said “The open-carry policy is good for the whole town. I think it’s fairer for the restaurants too, during the summer when West Sixth [Brewing] and places have their big trucks here for events; now it evens the playing field, because people can buy their drinks from restaurants too.”

Ramos said only 10 to 15 people who had come in to the store before 3:30 p.m. had drinks. “Of course the weather has something to do with it,” she said.

The event’s Facebook page said 121 people were going and 4,400 were interested. Many store owners and managers said the rainy weather kept people away.

Mezzo noted "new open container regulations" on its door.

Cortney Neikirk, bar manager at the Mezzo restaurant, said she wasn’t sure that the open-carry policy will increase sales, but “If a couple comes in and the woman wants to shop and the man wants a beer, well, now they can have both, and that’s a beer you wouldn’t have sold.”

Crittenden Rawlings of Crittenden Clothing said he wasn’t sure how it will help shops downtown. “It’ll help in the summer for the local restaurants, but during those summer concerts downtown when the bands are here, the stores aren’t open.” Some hope the policy will encourage more to stay open.

Kenny Swift of Kennydid Gallery of Gifts and Fine Arts, has long said Midway stores need to keep longer hours. He said the Sip and Shop didn’t really affect his business, besides those coming in for a photo with his big dog Ansel for the scavenger hunt. He said the rainy weather affected the turnout, but he wasn’t sure how well it was advertised.

The open-carry policy is in effect from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. if beverages have a cup with the logo of the name of the restaurant that served it.

Other Midway holiday events include: Community Christmas Tree Lighting, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 29; Santa arrives by train, late morning Nov. 30; model train exhibit, Dec. 7; and the Candy Cane Cruise, Dec. 14.

Tourist commission formally hires Emily Kay Downey as executive director at $2,500 for 100 hours per month

From left: Samantha Aiken of Brainbox, Executive Director Emily Downey, member Neil Vasilakes (hidden), member Lee Howard, chair Maria Bohanan (wearing a birthday tiara), unofficial member Elisha Holt, Midway member Cortney Neikirk

By Dalton Stokes

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Woodford County Tourist Commission unanimously approved the appointment of Emily Kay Downey as its first executive director at its monthly meeting Friday morning. The commission tentatively agreed to approve a contract calling for Downey to work 100 hours per month, for $2,500 a month, as an independent contractor.

In other business, a representative from Brainbox, the Lexington digital marketing company, updated the commission on the progress of their marketing campaign, and there was a brief discussion on including Midway more heavily in next year’s Bourbon Chase.

Friday's meeting was the commission’s first in the City Council chamber at the Versailles Municipal Building, signifying its move from the Chamber of Commerce, which had provided staff and facilities. With the recent increase in bed-tax revenue from the new hotel in Versailles, the commission has money to hire its own staff, something Commission Chair Maria Bohanon said it should have done long ago if it had the funds.

Downey was chosen a week earlier by the five members of the commission who interviewed six of the 11 people who applied for the job. Because a quorum of the commission met to discuss and act on the personnel matter, that constituted a meeting under the Kentucky Open Meetings Act. The law allows public agencies to discuss hiring in private, but requires them to do it in a closed session called during an open meeting. It prohibits taking any final action in private.

Bohanon said at Friday’s meeting said she issued a press release announcing the choice soon after the decision Friday because she “thought it would be nice for people to know ahead of time.” She added, “We had six high caliber people that we interviewed. We have some real talent in Woodford County.”

Downey will remain North American marketing manager for Alltech, a agricultural-products firm in Nicholasville, and will take the second job with the company’s support, Bohanan said.

“Emily, I’m thrilled,” Bohanon said. “I cannot wait for you to bring your skills, and your contacts, and your love for this place to this board.” She said one of the most important things that the commission was looking for in a candidate was passion, and “You have passion for this.”

Downey said, “I really look forward to telling the story of Woodford County to the world.”

Downey is married to William Downey, a magistrate on the Fiscal Court, and is the sister of James Kay, the county judge-executive. Bohanon said earlier this week that those ties may cause “perception issues.” The judge-executive appoints some commission members.

Bohanon noted at the meeting that Downey was chosen with a scoring system in which each candidate is given a certain number of points in different categories, and “Emily had the highest score.”

The one commission member who didn’t participate in interviews was Neil Vasilakes, who said at the meeting that he was busy with the grape harvest at his vineyard and his absence “wasn’t making a statement.” He expressed his support for Downey and the commission’s process.

At the last commission meeting, Vasilakes said, “There are some rumors going around that we’re not following a process and we have a shoo-in person.” He said of the Messenger’s story about that meeting, “I felt like that article maybe insinuated that I was not for the process, but I am, totally.”

On a motion by Midway member Cortney Neikirk, the commission unanimously approved Downey’s contract, pending legal advice from County Attorney Alan George, and gave Bohanan the authority to make any necessary changes.

Bohanan said Kay had suggested that George be consulted because the commission’s attorney, Bill Moore, won’t be available until after Nov. 1, the day Downey is supposed to start work. George said Friday afternoon that he told Bohanan after the meeting to have a private attorney do the work.

Bohanan said the contract was modeled after the one used to employ John Soper as paid chairman of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, of which she is a board member. It calls for Downey to "develop and supervise plans to promote Woodford County as a regional visitors destination" and lists 18 specific duties, including supervision of "day-to-day activities in the visitors center(s)" and "ensure that all visitors' inquiries from are answered promptly and courteously."

The contract refers to working in Versailles and providing services to the city, but Bohanan said in an email that she copied that language from the city's agreement with Soper and it will be changed to say Woodford County. The contract is to be for a one-year term beginning Nov. 1, extendable by mutual agreement of the parties. It can be terminated by either party for any reason on 30 days' notice.

Other business: The director of digital marketing at Brainbox, Samantha Aiken, updated the commission on the progress of the commission’s geotargeting marketing campaign. The firm’s website says, “Brainbox Intelligent Marketing is an experiential and digital marketing company based in Lexington” that handles marketing campaigns for three branches of the U.S. military, Valvoline and John Deere.

The commission contracts Brainbox to advertise Woodford County online and handle its social media marketing. Bohanon said the commission has a six-month contract with Brainbox and was paid $3,818 this month for its services.

Aiken reported that their campaign is “going really well,” according to Google and Facebook analytics. According to her handout the cost per click is $1.53, which is “on par with CPC rates of travel and tourism companies.”

She also talked about the newsletter the commission is putting out with the help of Brainbox, which has 85 subscribers.

Bohanon asked Aiken for a beginning-to-end report when the six-month contract is over so the commission can “see how to spend our money” amid the transition to a higher budget organization. “We’ve got to have as many performance indicators as we can,” Bohanon said.

Bohanon requested reimbursement from the commission for doughnuts she bought for the Bourbon Chase, a running relay of around 200 miles that goes through Kentucky’s historic Bourbon Trail. “We had gobs of people come into town,” she said. The commission voted to reimburse her $182 for the doughnuts.

 “Next year, hopefully, the Weisenberger Mill Bridge will be back up and running and I would like us to really make a presence not only in Versailles but also Midway,” Bohanon said after the vote. “It’s a great way to … show people our community.”

Council rezones most of Midway Station, expands barrel chair project, hears park report, considers website

The council rezoned the hashed area, mainly in red. Lakeshore and AHK are only partly in the original Midway Station.

By Hannah Woosley and Sierra McLean
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted Tuesday evening to rezone most of the remaining residential land in Midway Station to industrial in hopes of bringing an undisclosed company with 32 jobs.

The rezoning, recommended by the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission, largely closes a major chapter in the history of the property north of Interstate 64.

Midway Station started out as an industrial park 30 years ago, but attracted few jobs. In 2008, the city and the county Economic Development Authority redesigned it as a commercial and residential development. That plan was undermined by the Great Recession, and during the economic recovery the property became attractive to employers like Lakeshore Learning Materials and American Howa Kentucky, which turned it into a thriving industrial park.

Developer Dennis Anderson first said he didn’t want to ask for rezoning until he had a prospective buyer. This summer he joined the EDA in asking the Planning Commission for the rezoning.

The council vote was 5-0. Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher was absent; she said later that she came to City Hall but left because she didn’t feel well.

Barrel Project: The council voted to accept the Midway Business Association’s offer to expand the sponsorship for one of several chairs to be made from bourbon barrels and placed around the county as a tourist attraction.

The council had approved a $1,000 sponsorship to bring a chair to Midway, commission an artist to decorate the chair and display it for a six-week period, after which it would be auctioned. It passed up a $2,000 sponsorship that would allow collaboration with the artist on the design and keep the chair in Midway permanently.

Steve Morgan, representing the MBA, proposed that it donate an additional $1,000 so the city can help design the chair and keep it. The council voted 4-1, with Johnny Wilson voting no, to switch to the $2,000 proposal.

Walter Bradley Park: Midway Parks Board Chair Cecelia Gass updated the council on the progress of the 11 items that were budgeted for the fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2019.

She said six items have been completed or are on their way to completion: planting of 60 trees with edible fruits and nuts, mostly near Midway University; a new entrance to the park behind the library, with a fence built on top of the quarry for safety; a pergola over a walkway that received too much rain; picnic pavilion railings; improvement of the fence-line near the library with planted vines and flower fields; and a retaining wall near the bridge.

Gass said about half of the budget has been spent, and this was where the board projected they would be at this time.

Collective website: Elisha Holt, the MBA’s contracted coordinator, asked the council to support a collective website for all of Woodford County, with funds for the site’s marketing.

Holt said she needs $10,000 for one year for marketing projects like billboards, and print and online media. If the council were to agree to a partnership, Holt said the council has the choice of how much money to donate.

“The community is looking for a place online where a person, whether you’re a local, a tourist or somebody that’s considering moving to Woodford County, one centralized location where you can go to get everything you need to have,” Holt said.

The website’s title is UniquelyWoodford.com and would contain an events calendar, aspects from each city such as council meetings, public education, churches and health care, as well as tourism links, Holt said.

She said all content would be linked back to the original source, and that her goal is just to have a collective entity.

Council Member Sara Hicks voiced concerns, saying Holt’s site would make the Meet Me in Midway website redundant. Holt replied, “Nothing is duplicated.”

So far, the MBA and The Woodford Sun, which also contracts with Holt, are partnering with her and will have links to their website on her proposed site and vice versa, Holt said. She said she will be meeting soon with the Versailles City Council and the Woodford County Tourism Commission.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift suggested that the council not vote on the proposal immediately and might want to “put it on the next budget.” Council Member Steve Simoff, who is not running for re-election, said he is “all for supporting Midway and the surrounding cities.”

Midway University softball field: Rusty Kennedy, Midway University’s vice president of admissions and athletics, asked the council’s permission to make improvements to the university’s softball field.

He said the university wants to add a sidewalk behind the third base dugout that will lead to the blacktop, because of the mud accumulation in the spring, and pour a 3-feet-high concrete wall along the backstop from dugout to dugout.

Kennedy said the project cost would be supplemented by a softball player’s father who owns a concrete company. He said they don’t need any money from the city for the estimated $3,200 project, just the council’s approval.

The council approved Kennedy’s request 5-0.

Upcoming events: The council also approved event permits for the downtown Christmas season kickoff beginning the first Saturday in November. The events will include a chili cookoff, Santa Claus and a mini-train. Here is the schedule:

Nov. 3: Event kickoff

Nov. 17: Chili cookoff

Nov. 24: RJ Corman Railroad Co. is to bring Santa, as usual

Dec. 8 and 15: Mini-train rides

Windstream says high-speed rural Internet, with feds paying 75% of construction cost, will be available in Oct.

By Kristen Sekinger

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Windstream Communications is extending high-speed Internet service to Midway and many other rural areas in Kentucky with the help of $60 million in economic stimulus grants from the federal government.

The fiber-optic service will include places where the company currently has no customers for its copper-wire Digital Subscriber Line service, said Scott Morris, senior adviser for corporate affairs and spokesman for Windstream.

That is good news for horse farms like Airdrie Stud on Old Frankfort Pike, which needs two separate lines in order for everyone who needs to watch online video of horse races to do so at the same time, adminisrator Laura Sullivan said.

“They watch horses on a daily basis,” she said. They’re on it all the time watching our horses. It is very important.” She said the Gainsborough, Three Chimneys and Darby Dan farms, all along Old Frankfort Pike, are in similar situations dealing with slow service.

Sullivan said Windstream is the the farm’s only choice because Time Warner Cable, which offers Internet with TV and phone service in Midway, doesn’t reach Airdrie. “There is no other option at this point other than Windstream,” she said.

Morris said Windstream is mainly a rural provider and wants to expand broadband services to as many places in Midway that they can fit within the budget. The grants from the 2009 economic stimulus legislation will enable much faster Internet connections as well as expand future selection of communication and entertainment services, he said in an interview.

The idea behind the stimulus grants, he said, is to provide high-speed Internet services in areas where it wasn’t previously possible for financial reasons. “In the country, if you live really far out, you probably can’t get broadband speeds, you can probably only get dialup,” he said.

Broadband speeds are often not as fast as expected. Sullivan said Airdrie gets up to 3.5 mpbs, but the speed varies, getting even as low as “one and a half [mpbs], depending on the day.”

The grants cover 75 percent of the project costs throughout the country, leaving Windstream with the other 25 percent, roughly $16.4 million in Kentucky.

“Windstream was the largest recipient of these grants,” Morris said. “What we’re doing is we’re filling in gaps in our network where there is dialup service but not broadband service. Each one of these projects are relatively small because they’re just filling in pockets under the rules set by the agricultural program … which determines how much money would be awarded per location.”

The grants came through the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. RUS spokeswoman Anne Mayberry said in an email, “When complete, Windstream estimates the network will offer broadband service to approximately 225,000 households, 10,000 businesses and 1,000 anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, hospitals and municipal facilities in 80 communities.”

Mayberry said Congress passed the stimulus package ‘‘to help lift our nation from the greatest economic crisis in our lifetimes and lay the foundation for future growth.’’  She said the package provided RUS with $2.5 billion to expand access to broadband services in areas that are at least 75 percent rural and ‘‘without sufficient access to high speed broadband service to facilitate rural economic development.’’

Morris said after the project is complete, which is to be in late October, Windstream will notify prospective broadband customers that the service is available in their area. The customers decide whether or not they want to sign up for it.

“When we deploy the fiber optic cable and electronic hardware that is necessary to deliver broadband to unserved areas, we frequently pass by existing customer locations. In some cases, these current customers may then qualify for faster speeds,” he said. “It would be up to the customer to decide whether he or she wanted the faster speed. There are no automatic price increases.”

For example, Morris said customers who previously qualified for service with a speed of up to 6 megabits per second might qualify for up to 12 mbps after the project is finished.

Windstream has leased the former city dump on Spring Station Road from the city for an installation related to the project and is paying the city a one-time fee of $15,000, three times what it originally offered.