Council discusses school, OKs short-term economic developer, hears fire department has its first ladder truck

Northside Elementary School is scheduled to welcome students Aug, 26. (File photo by Megan Parsons, 2019)

This story has been updated.

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift spent much of their meeting Monday sharing their thoughts on re-opening schools amid the covid-19 pandemic.

The council also approved a short-term contract for an economic developer, passed an ordinance easing paperwork rules for volunteer work on city property, made one block of Johnson Street one-way, and heard that Vandegrift bought a used ladder truck for the fire department.

The Woodford County Board of Education is planning to resume classes Aug. 26 with a dual option, in which parents can send children to school or have them do virtual learning, online at home. The board will have a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11.

“We want kids to go back to school at some point,” Vandegrift said. “My main concern, though, is if you go back in and we’re not ready to control the spread, if there are four to five kids a week testing positive for coronavirus and we can’t truly test for it the spread is going to continue.”

Vandegrift’s estimate was based on research that uses county infection rates to estimate the number of infected people likely to arrive at a school of 500 in the first week.

The mayor called for delaying the in-person start date, saying said more testing is needed first, to allow tracing the contacts of infected people and asking them to quarantine.

“I think the board should seriously consider delaying an open that allows students to enter the school until we can guarantee more testing,” he said. “I’m not putting that on Woodford County; the health department has done an unbelievable job, but everywhere this thing spreads, you can’t tell where it’s coming or going, and that’s because of testing.”

Council Member Sara Hicks raised concerns about parents who have health risks but face losing their jobs if their children do not go back to school: “If you say you can your kids or not send your kids, it sounds like that’s just a free decision, but I don’t think that’s really a free decision for people who don’t have the financial wherewithal to put their jobs in jeopardy.”

Council Member Stacy Thurman didn't opine about opening but said the school board should get support no matter what decision it makes: “We need unity, we need a united front and we need solidarity with the board and the county.”

“There’s no good solution,” said Thurman, mother of a fourth grader and an eighth grader. “Both solutions are bad and inconvenient and hard.”

Council Member Logan Nance agreed, saying “The bigger risk than covid to our community is the divisiveness and the language we’re using to talk to one another.” He also didn’t give the school board any advice, and no other council members spoke on the topic.

The City Council usually does not involve itself in school matters, “but this is an unprecedented situation,” Vandegrift said, and the final call will be “the most important decision that board has made in a long time, if not ever.” 

The mayor said at the start of the discussion, “We don’t in any way ever want to step on another board or jurisdiction’s toes,” adding later, “I think it well help them to have an idea how our city, our constituency, our end of the county feels about this.” At the end of the discussion, he said Midway-area school-board member Ambrose Wilson posted his thanks on the Facebook page that carried the meeting.

Other business: The council unanimously approved a six-month contract with Fortune Solutions LLC and point person Lucas Whitt to staff the Woodford County Economic Development Authority for six months, filling the role played by retired EDA chair John Soper.

Whitt worked with Midway on the location of Lakeshore Learning Materials when he worked with the state Economic Development Cabinet, Vandegrift said: "He's well aware of what is going on in Midway Station." The city will pay him $1,050 a month; Soper was paid $1,333.

Most of the pay will come from Versailles and the county government; Vandegrift said he, Mayor Brian Traugott and Judge-Executive James Kay agreed on the temporary hire to give them time to develop “a more concrete, more comprehensive” request for proposals from potential long-term hires.

The council defeated, with lack of a motion, Council Member John Holloway's proposal to rename and replace “Sparks in the Park,” normally held on July 3 or 4, with a celebration on June 19 to honor Juneteenth, a now official city holiday, to honor the end of slavery.

Vandegrift said he had discussed with Holloway “what could be done,” and asked for a motion, but none came. He said Sparks in the Park would continue but “We are going to have a Juneteenth celebration next year on June 19, which happens to fall on a Saturday.”

Interviews after the meeting, via email, indicated that the opposition stemmed from the idea of doing away with Sparks in the Park.

"I'm really excited to work with members of the black community here in Midway to honor and celebrate Juneteenth as they see fit. I also didn't want to do away with Sparks in the Park," Nance said. "It's a fun event for families and members of the community to come together and socialize and celebrate Independence Day. I know John's heart was in the right place when he wrote the resolution, but instead of repurposing Sparks in the Park I would rather keep that tradition and create a new, special tradition to honor Juneteenth."

Thurman said, "I appreciate the thought process behind this resolution and feel that Midway should definitely commemorate Juneteenth next year. I didn't make a motion to accept this resolution simply because I think both of these events provide great opportunities to bring our community together and I don't think we have to substitute one for the other."

Hicks said, “I believe Sparks is a loved tradition that should not be eliminated. I am also happy to add another celebration of Juneteenth. There are many reasons to celebrate in Midway.”

Holloway said, "Maybe I'm a purist, but it seems like a Fourth of July celebration should be on the Fourth of July. Juneteenth is 15 days before Sparks in the Park, and it seems strange to have two events that close together.  I was afraid that even if we actually have a Juneteenth celebration (which frankly seems unlikely), the tendency would be for it to become a lesser stepchild – which to me smacks of separate but equal, and I'm totally opposed to that, as we all should be."

The council also:

●    Heard the mayor announce the purchase of a used ladder truck from Stewart County, Tennessee, for $13,500, using state fire aid money and a city appropriation that was going to be used for an antenna but is no longer needed. Vandegrift said the city needs a ladder truck more than ever, with major facilities in Midway Station. He said Stewart County bought the truck used from Beverly Hills, Calif., but “The truck’s in great condition” and has been driven less than 50,000 miles.
●    Unanimously approved an ordinance simplifying volunteer work on city property. Volunteers will no longer be required to sign in and out each time, and won't be required to be under city supervision at all times, since they would sign a waiver of liability. The change confirms current practice.

●    Unanimously made the 200 block of Johnson Street a one-way street, from Gratz Street to Brand Street, effective Sept. 1. Nance said he interviewed all but one resident of the block, and all but one were in favor of the change.

●    Heard Vandegrift report that more than 700 people watched Wednesday’s online forum about traffic issues, and almost 80 made comments. One suggested traffic cameras to catch and ticket speeders, but the mayor said he had learned such cameras are illegal in Kentucky.

Before the moment of reflection at the start of the meeting, Vandegrift asked members and the online audience to remember the late Joyce Logan and the late Pat Wilson and their families.

Diverse crowd of 50 people march across town to raise awareness of a sad event and celebrate Black resilience

Marchers, wearing masks, gathered at the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery. (Photo by Aaron Gershon; to enlarge, click on it)

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

On an overcast day when rain threatened but temperatures were cooler than usual, 50 people marched through Midway to honor those affected by the July 31, 1868 attack on the Second Christian Church.

Friday's event was organized by Honoring Black Stories in Midway, a group dedicated to African American history in the city.

“In Midway, much work has been done regarding researching our Black history, but many people are unaware,” event organizer Milan Bush told the Messenger. She said the march was for awareness and to celebrate the resilience of African Americans since slavery.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, “I think this was a very important event for our city to remember when we’re talking about our history. We have to talk about it from many perspectives.”

Second Christian Church faces Smith Street. (Photo by Aaron Gershon)

Three years after the Civil War, the church served a vital role in the local Black community, and housed a school. Whites who were determined to uphold the racial status quo in Kentucky attacked and burned the wood structure.

“We have to acknowledge the good and the bad,” Vandegrift said. “And the more I talk to Black citizens around town, the more I realize many simply want their story to be told too, and it’s most important they be the ones to tell it. And we listen.”

The march began at City Hall, went to Second Christian Church at Smith and Stephens streets, and then 0.6 miles across town to the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery at the west end of Bruen Street, where many African Americans are buried.

Vandegrift walked and was pleased with the turnout. “I thought it turned out great, even better than I expected,” he said. “Over 50 people, more than 90 percent Midway residents, both white and black.”

Midway writer Bob Rouse posted on his blog, "Of a Midway Mind," to share his experience in the march.

“In my 62 years, I have walked for miles on Midway’s streets and sidewalks: on Halloween nights with my family, during growing-up days with my friends, and on moonlit evenings with a sweetheart,” Rouse wrote. “But today I walked with purpose in my heart. I walked in the spirit of peace—as John Lewis implored—with my sisters and brothers.”

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who was the last living civil-rights leader who spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, died July 17 and was buried Thursday in Atlanta.

Perhaps the lone concern about holding the event was having a gathering of more than 10 people in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, contrary to an order from Gov. Andy Beshear. Every marcher was wearing a mask and generally kept distance from each other.

“We live in a special community, which we knew, ” Vandegrift said. “But today showed another loving face of our city.”

Honoring Black Stories in Midway group will march Friday, anniversary of 1868 attack on Second Christian

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Honoring Black Stories in Midway, a group dedicated to honoring African American history in the city, will hold a march at midday Friday to honor those affected by the July 31, 1868, attack on the Second Christian Church.

"We are in a day in age where it's open to talk about race, but it makes people uncomfortable," event organizer Milan Bush told the Messenger. "In Midway, much work has been done regarding researching our Black history, but many people are unaware.”

Brenda Jackson, left, and Barbara Holcomb of We're Digging It Metal
Detectors found evidence in 2017 of the original log building of Second
Christian Church. They found foundation stones and handmade nails.
(Lexington Herald-Leader photo by Tom Eblen)

Three years after the Civil War, the church served a vital role in the local Black community, and housed a school. Whites who were determined to uphold the racial status quo attacked and burned the wood structure.

"Being a teacher, I begin researching school information for Blacks. The initial finding was a brief sentence of a colored school being attacked on July 31, 1868," Bush said. "The incident is really disturbing. While no one is alive from that time, I believe it served as a major turning point for Black-white relations in Midway. Nevertheless, the Black community rebuilt and thrived, something many of us didn't know. So we march for awareness and to celebrate their resilience.”

Wednesday the City Council approved a parade permit for the event. Council Member John Holloway, who said he will be marching, told his colleagues that marchers plan to use sidewalks, won't block any streets, and have agreed to break into groups of 10 or less to adhere to the state’s latest social-distancing rules.

"I want people to realize we have been communicating with them (Honoring Black Stories group) about covid restrictions," Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said during the special council meeting called to issue the permit. "They're completely compliant, everyone will have masks on. . . . They will also be socially distanced, making it virtually impossible for an asymptomatic carrier to spread."

Vandegrift added that he will take part in the march and is confident in the social distancing measures in place.

The march will begin at noon at City Hall and will go down East Main Street to Gratz Street, then out East Stephens Street to its intersection with Smith Street, where the church was located on what is now Midway University's campus. From there, the march will go back down Stephens Street, then up Turner Street and on Bruen Street to the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery facing Wausau Place, then back to City Hall at 2 p.m.

"Many of the graves at Sons and Daughters cemetery say 'Gone, but not forgotten'," Bush said. "Honoring Black Stories wants to change that narrative and bring to life those people we have indeed forgotten."

A 2017 Lexington Herald-Leader story about the attack is here.

Messenger's latest print edition has several new stories: water quality, features on people and businesses, more

Download a 5 MB PDF by clicking here.

The Midway Messenger is primarily online, but publishes a print edition twice a year, with stories of lasting interest, including some that haven't appeared online yet. The latest one, being distributed in town tonight and Tuesday, has several stories that you haven't seen before.

We covered the Midway mask project at several junctures, but now we wrap it up with a start-to-finish story, aggregated by University of Kentucky student Emmanuel Flemister and boosted by Editor-Publisher Al Cross's interview with Amy Bowman of Midway Makers Market, who came up with the idea.

Also on the front page is an illustration leading you to a story inside about the water quality of the streams of Midway: South Elkhorn Creek and the town tributary, Lee Branch. UK student Lauren McCally looked at the latest water samples and interviewed people about the streams, which are getting cleaner.

UK student Madison Dyment has a knack for feature stories, and the print edition has two new ones: about former Secret Service agent Danny Smith and the Freedman's saddlery shop, which has only one other location: Toronto. As luck would have it, Maddi is a Canadian from near that city.

Some previously published stories have been updated, such as the one on the new Weisenberger Mill bridge (with a drone photo offering a fresh perspective) and UK student Hayley Burris's report on the latest outbreak of the disease that causes Thoroughbred mares to lose their foals.

On the last spread of the print edition, we republish a story and some photos from the Midway Chalk Day for Racial Justice, and recount other examples of how Midway became in the national movement for racial reckoning that has seized much of the nation in the past month.

The print edition is available at the post office tonight and Tuesday morning, and will be distributed to City Hall, retail stores and restaurants on Tuesday. It is free of charge.

Mayor makes Friday, June 19, a city holiday to honor fight for racial justice; says more vouchers in mid-July

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift is making Friday, June 19, a city holiday to honor those who have fought for racial justice, he announced in his regular update today.

Many African Americans observe June 19 as "Juneteenth," the day that a Union general who had just occupied Texas announced that in accordance with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, "All slaves are free."

Vandegrift said, "We have to keep finding ways to remind each other of the racial inequities that still exist. Slavery ended, but oppression and systematic racism did not," even after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. "We're getting better, but we are still so far away, and to honor all those who have struggled in the fight . . . we have to do more.

Vandegrift said the holiday means that city offices will be closed and city employees won't be working but will be paid. He told the Messenger that when June 19 falls on a weekend, the holiday will be the day closest to June 19.

"While this is not an earth-shattering step," he said in the update, "it's important that we remember that just one hundred fifty-five years ago, black Americans were literally held in chains for nothing more than the color of their skin."

Other topics: Vandegrift said the next round of Midway Bucks vouchers that can be spent at local, non-franchised businesses to help them get through the pandemic will probably go out in mid-July. "We need to make sure that the current vouchers get out of circulation, so to speak," he said. "You've got to spend them by June 30."

The mayor asked that residents consider going to a shop, perhaps one they have not visited before, to spend vouchers. "Some shops really haven't had a cut of the pie at all yet, and that's what we were hoping to avoid," he said. "We've had two shops close already during this pandemic. I'm afraid more will follow if we can't help them. Any bit helps, so please spread your money around as best you can."

Vandegrift began weekly updates on the pandemic March 18, and is shifting to every other week, but he said the coronavirus is "a reality that we live with and will be living with for some time."

"We definitely need to disabuse ourselves of the motions of having a normal summer, but that doesn't mean we have to have a bad summer," he said, noting that more relaxations of restrictions are planned for June 29.

He said social distancing and masks are the best way to keep the virus from spreading, and called for special attention to protecting people with underlying medical conditions and over 60. "There are even signs that people in their 40s need to be worried," he said.

Vandegrift opened his update by expressing condolences to the family of U.S. Rep Andy Barr, whose wife Carol died suddenly at their Lexington home Tuesday night. "It reminds us of how precious life truly is, and how important it is that we love one another."

Council prefers two more rounds of Midway Bucks to business-grant program mayor proposed; budget OKd

Leslie Penn of the Midway Museum Gift Store watched as Elisha Holt (facing camera) and Morgan Castle of the Midway Business Association recorded a promotional video for Facebook last month as stores prepared to reopen. (Photo by Al Cross)

By Aaron Gershon and Al Cross
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted 3-2 Monday for a second and third round of vouchers for residents to spend at local businesses, rather than give money directly to the businesses for covid-19 relief.

The council also unanimously approved the city budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The budget, which the council worked out last month, calls for almost $1.8 million in spending. “It really well serves the city of Midway while preserving the surplus, but it’s not skimpy either,” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said.

Business aid: When Vandegrift learned last week that the city qualified for $129,000 in coronavirus relief funds from the federal government, he proposed that the city apply for $80,000 to give grants of up to $2,000 to as many as 40 businesses to help make up revenue lost to the pandemic.

He told the council that it could issue $80,000 more in vouchers to citizens, on top of the $40,000 that it issued in May, but that would “roll the dice” because there's no assurance that it will be reimbursed. He said the grant program is clearly authorized by the relief law but the voucher program is not.

“We may not know for months,” Vandegrift said. But he added, “I’m confident it would be reimbursed.”

As for the grant program, he said, “Maybe $2,000 isn’t gonna save everybody, but I’ve talked to these shops and restaurants a lot lately, and there are quite a few that are close to having to pack it in.” He said grants would help shops more than vouchers, which he said are being spent mainly at restaurants and the grocery.

Vandegrift said a vote for the grant program would be “a preference vote” that wouldn’t commit the council to it, just start a process in which a council committee would work out details. “The clock is ticking for these businesses,” he said, “and if we’re gonna do a grant project we need to move on it for it to matter.”

Council Member Stacy Thurman said, “I feel we have to be responsible, and I have a hard time trying to make the decision when I don’t know for sure.”

The vouchers come in $10 denominations; no change is given.

Council Member Bruce Southworth said he preferred the vouchers. He said the city could afford to risk not getting reimbursed because it has a big surplus, and “It’s the people’s money to begin with. If we get reimbursed, it’s somebody else’s money. If we use our money, it’s the tax dollars they pay anyway.”

Council Member John Holloway disagreed. “I just don’t think it’s fiscally responsible to give away a bunch of money . . .when we don’t know if we’re gonna get reimbursed for it,” he said.

Council Member Sara Hicks, who had made the motion for the grant program, said the council needs to “prevent a lot of empty storefronts downtown … it can be a snowball reaction; we’ve had that happen before in Midway; if the town doesn’t have enough going on you start to lose more business.”

But no other members favored the grants. Thurman wasn’t present for the 3-2 vote because she had to leave the meeting for a work obligation, Vandegrift said.

Voting with Southworth were Kaye Nita Gallagher, who said earlier, “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from citizens about the vouchers,” and Logan Nance, who said he didn’t think $2,000 would make a difference to a business at risk of closing.

After the vote, Vandegrift said, “This is what I hoped would happen, but I didn’t want to cloud it or make it difficult to have free discussion.”

He said the next round will be conducted exactly like the current one, except that the “Midway Bucks” would be a different color and he might delay before starting again. The current vouchers must be spent by June 30.

“I’m not saying we won’t do them again until August 1,” he said. “I think we’ll probably try to do it in the middle of July.”

St. Matthew AME Church is on South Winter Street.
(Photo by Christopher Riley, via Flickr)

Racial matters: Vandegrift said the St. Matthew African Methodist Episcopal Church wanted people in the city to know that it has put up surveillance cameras to catch someone who is “messing with them.”

“There’s just no way that I can’t believe its not racially motivated at this point,” Vandegrift said. “I’m pretty sure we know who it is. That’s not indicative of the people of Midway; it’s just one jackass.” Addressing the unnamed person, he said, “You should move, because you don’t belong in Midway, in my opinion.” Southworth agreed.

Vandegrift added, “I hope they catch him and we can say his name.”

In a related matter, Vandegrift complimented Versailles police, who patrol the whole county, for their participation in a peaceful demonstration June 3 at their headquarters to honor George Floyd, the African American killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

In a similar vein, Holloway said he is mapping the recently renovated St. Rose Tabernacle cemetery with short biographies of those buried there, and would like to put up an informational history sign about the African American burial ground.

He said he would like to do the same for several sites in town, like the Black History Tour in Washington, D.C., and asked people with information to contact him.

Covid-19 response: ” The virus has kicked into gear again a little bit,” with a recent uptick in Woodford County but no second case reported in Midway, Vandegrift said. He said mask wearing and social distancing should be encouraged.

Midway saw its lone confirmed case on May 22. As of Monday, Woodford County had 58 confirmed cases, with 24 of them recovered, according to the county health department’s Facebook page. One person in the county is hospitalized and with covid-19 and 30 are recovering at home.

During the grant-or-voucher debate, Hicks pitched the idea of having a coronavirus testing site in Midway. Vandegrift said he had talked to county Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler about a mobile site in Midway but had “no luck yet.” He said there is much demand for such services “and we’re small.”

There are two testing sites in the county, including a rapid testing site at Bluegrass Community Hospital in Versailles, where results can be received in less than an hour. The mayor said a Midway resident went there Monday and the test came back negative.

In other business, the council approved a quitclaim deed to Scott Bradley, clearing up some property-line discrepancies at the Midway Corner Grocery, so he can sell the real estate to Nik Patel, who bought the business in January; and approved the addition of Todd Pack’s name to the veterans memorial in the cemetery.

The mayor announced that the city would not have its annual Sparks in Park gathering on July 4 but might come up with “some way of helping to do something.”

Graviss says he favors action against systemic racism

State Rep. Joe Graviss, a Democrat from Versailles, began his latest legislative update with a message about current events. It appears below. See note at bottom.

Before we get into the regular interim update, please allow me to say in short what I’ve been telling dozens and dozens of people, emailers and callers about the traumatic events of late surrounding the assault on basic human dignities by some in power, and the systemic racism and injustices that exist and are perpetuated by some in power.

I agree with so many excellent organizations, and individuals that are expressing anger and frustration at the structural, institutional and individual racism that still exists, and has deadly consequences -- in many ways. One of America’s greatest leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. said in 1967:

“And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? ... It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”

He was right then and he’s right now.

I’m committed to helping reform policies and procedures and cultures that can positively affect this systemic problem hurting our country and state, and neighbors. I answered the call to step strongly into the political arena to help all the people, speak truth to power and work very hard for positive change, and will NOT back down now.

Thank you for all you are doing to make a positive difference in the lives around us, our communities, state and world. It matters. And is appreciated. Deb and I continue to pray that God’s will, and love, will be showered on the hearts and minds of all of us as we strive to live our purpose He has designed for us.

The Messenger publishes material from public officials based on newsworthiness, and has a higher threshold when an official is in a contested race. Graviss is unopposed in the June 23 Democratic primary but will have a Republican opponent in the general election.

Midway Chalk Day for Racial Justice leaves messages of support and hope on sidewalks all over town

The title of Sam Cooke's 1964 civil-rights anthem was one of the many messages written in chalk on Midway sidewalks.
(Unless noted, photos are by Herman Daniel Farrell III, as posted on the Midway Musings page on Facebook)

Dozens of adults and young people chalked anti-racism messages on Midway's sidewalks Saturday, in a project that organizers hoped would make the town part of a national movement and strengthen its race relations.

The project was the idea of MJ Farrell, 18, who told the Messenger that she wanted to give an outlet for expression by people who want to join the national protest movement but don't want to attend events "due to fears of covid or fears of danger."

"I knew there was a lot a support throughout Midway and I just didn’t know how to gather that support," she said. Her first idea was "a small, silent protest" downtown, but decided against that because of the pandemic.

She said she thought a chalking project "would be a very covid-friendly means for people to show their support," and one that would last longer than a silent protest. (Rain may come Tuesday.) "It's a way to show each other we’re a very supporting and we're a very strong community." 

She publicized the Midway Chalk Day for Racial Justice on the Midway Musings page on Facebook, and with the help of Jenny Gregory, Jack Rock and Sophie Hill put flyers about it "on almost every doorstep in town."

Farrell said at least 50 people participated in chalking Saturday, led by a group of 15 young adults who did the downtown sidewalks. She said other sidewalks were done primarily by adults and their children.

"A lot of people of color participated in the project, which I was really happy about," said Farrell, who identifies as white; her father, Herman Farrell, identifies as African American, and her grandfather was from Jamaica.

Milan Bush, an African American who lives in Lexington but spent part of her childhood in Midway and still has family here, joined the effort.

"I thought it was an awesome idea," Bush, 36, told the Messenger. She said she brought her sister and her son, 16, and her daughter, 11, who have been involved in protests in Lexington.  

Bush is a teacher. She said that when she saw a piece of chalk art in a hopscotch pattern, reminding her of the children she has worked with, she got emotional, and that's when she encountered Farrell, whom she remembered as a student.

Farrell recalled, "She was sort of in tears and said 'I didn’t think I was going to get so overwhelmed about this.' It showed that were are all making change in people's lives and affecting people."

Bush said the project "evoked some feeling" about a town where she was the only black girl in her kindergarten. "We're making progress," she said. "It goes back to reaching out and relating and knowing your neighbors and that what's Midway has always represented."

Midway's population is 11 percent African American. Farrell said relations between the races in Midway are good, but could be deeper and broader. She said as she rode her bicycle in a predominantly black neighborhood, "I realized I never really come over here very much."

She added, "I really hope people can learn from this and people can come together."

Photo by Marcie Christensen

Photos by Dan Roller, from Midway Musings

Mayor's update: Reaching out at a time of high anxiety, anger and sadness, and remembering to stay safe

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway
     I have been reaching out to leaders in our church community in hopes of continuing a conversation we started in our park nearly 3 years ago so that they can help us decide where we should go next. I will keep you updated as to those details.

     Ours is a time of high anxiety, anger, and sadness. Since I have no answers about what the future holds, I always find comfort in looking to the past. Our shared history and my faith teaches me that we are not novel in struggling with racism, division, and pandemic. We continue to have a problem with institutionalized racism in this country, but we can lay the next stepping stone to healing.
     To my black and brown neighbors, I see you, and I’m with you. To those still suffering from the plague of hatred, I hope you find a way to open up your heart.
     We are merely temporary on this stage, so each of us has no choice but to decide whether we will help lay the path forward to peace, or whether we look the other way to more anger and division. Even if all of our efforts only lay one stone on a path of a thousand, we should lay it anyway.
     As we continue this struggle for equality, let’s not forget about the global pandemic we are also dealing with, and while it is a more temporary situation, it is still here. Keep practicing good social distancing; try to keep get-togethers outdoors; wear a mask if you can when you enter a store, pharmacy, or any place with tight quarters; and practice good personal hygiene. Stay well, and God bless.

5 incumbents, 5 others run for City Council; 2 for school board; largest field of council candidates since 2012

The top six vote-getters on Nov. 3 will be elected.

Five incumbents are among 10 candidates for six seats on the Midway City Council, and there's a contested race for the Midway area's seat on the Woodford County Board of Education, following passage of Tuesday's filing deadline for nonpartisan offices.

Two more incumbents and two newcomers completed the council filings, and Ian Horn filed against Amanda Glass for the school-board seat being given up by longtime member Ambrose Wilson. The election is Nov. 3.

Council Members Kaye Nita Gallagher and Bruce Southworth filed for re-election Tuesday. Southworth said he had thought the current two-year term would be his last, but he said he had miscalculated the date of the 20-year review of the city's wastewater system and wanted to be on the council for that. He formerly operated the system.

Candidates who filed earlier were incumbents Sara Hicks, Logan Nance and Stacy Thurman, and Adam Bailey of Old Towne Walk.

Bailey, 33, is director of marketing and community outreach for a long-term and subacute care firm in Lexington. He said he and his wife Amy grew up in Woodford County (his father is EMS Director Freeman Bailey) and they have lived in Midway for five years. He said he is running to give back to a community that has a neighborly culture.

The signers of Bailey's nominating petition were his wife and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and his wife Katie. The mayor said he signs such papers for anyone who asks "so long as I think they have their heart in the right place." He also signed for Southworth and Nance. (Magistrate Liles Taylor and his wife Robin also signed for Nance.)

Other newcomers filing for the council Tuesday were Mary C. Raglin and Andrew B. Nelle.

Raglin, 69, of the 400 block of South Gratz Street, was appointed to the Midway seat on the Woodford County Human Rights Commission in 2016. She would have to resign from the commission if elected, Vandegrift said. She would the the first African American on the council since Aaron Hamilton didn't seek re-election in 2014; he signed her nominating petition.

Raglin said she is retired from the 911 branch of the Lexington police department. She said she is running because she wants to be a voice and a positive influence for Midway, and was asked to run by two people. She declined to say who they were, but said one is a public official. Vandegrift, asked if it was him, said it was. "I’ve known Mary for quite some time and seen her dedication on the HRC," he said, "and felt she could add new perspectives."

Nelle, 36, said he delivers for Amazon and is a part-time chaplain assistant and staff sergeant in the Air National Guard. He said he was in the Air Force from 2008 to 2016, leaving as a senior airman. He said he moved from Lexington to Midway in early November 2019, just in time to meet the one-year residency requirement. Vandegrift said Nelle has watched every council meeting since.

Nelle said he is running because he is familiar with the workings of government and his parents inspired him to public service. "In service of others is the most noble of paths," he told the Messenger. Two of his four nominating-petition signers were merchants and fellow musicians Bill and Leslie Penn.

Only one incumbent, John Holloway, did not file for re-election. He was elected in 2018 and serves as the unpaid manager of Walter Bradley Park.

Two former incumbents, John McDaniel and Steve Simoff, filed for the council on Monday, June 1. They each served one term in 2017-18; McDaniel finished a close seventh in an eight-way race for six seats in 2018, after running third in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for Midway-area magistrate on Woodford County Fiscal Court. Simoff didn't seek re-election that year.

The 10-candidate field is the largest since 2012, when 10 people ran for the council and Southworth and Hicks were first elected. They are now the longest-tenured members. Mayors serve four-year terms; Vandegrift was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.

School board: Amanda Glass filed for a four-year term in the District 1 school-board seat on May 21. She and her husband Ken own and operate Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain on East Main Street. The Vandegrifts and Thurman signed her petition.

Ian Horn filed for the seat at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday, County Clerk Sandy Jones said. He could not be reached for comment, but his LinkedIn page says he is an information systems engineer for the state Division of Geographic Information.

Council passes resolution saying it will confront racial issues in city; deadline to file for council is 4 p.m. Tues.

By Aaron Gershon and Al Cross
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council committed itself Monday to confronting racial issues and “taking an equitable approach to all decision-making” amid the nationwide protests of police brutality and racial injustice.

The all-white council unanimously passed a resolution saying the city will examine “the racial biases embedded in our city” and “the racial impacts of city polices,” encourage people of color to participate in government and try to “improve the quality of life for all residents of Midway by asking these questions: Who benefits? Who is burdened? Who is missing? How do we know?”

The resolution’s author, Council Member Stacy Thurman, said “I felt it was good to acknowledge what’s going on in the world right now and know that Midway can always do better . . . and maybe lead to a list of action items.”

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said he had already begun the process by reaching out to African American pastors. Noting the annual observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday, he said he had long asked “how we have a discussion beyond a day in January every year … It’s almost like the country doesn’t have the appetite to tackle this problem,” which he said began when the Constitution included compromises on slavery.

“The founding fathers were well aware of the hypocrisy,” he said. “They created a great country with a terrible flaw to it.” He said solving it “starts with the heart, and it starts in the home, and it branches out from there.”

Council Member John Holloway, who first asked how the resolution would be implemented, shared a personal story to illustrate the racial divide that needs bridging.

He said one of his neighbors, an African American, reportedly said “one of the most awful things I ever heard” before the last election: that he was not going to vote “because voting’s for white people.”

“I was just crushed when I heard that,” Holloway said. “I’m not sure the relationship between the races in Midway is as rosy as what white people think it is.” Vandegrift agreed. “It’s not enough to say you’re doing better than other cities. That’s a pretty low bar.”

Council Member Logan Nance said the resolution was “a great first step,” but “We need to make sure people in the community that are minorities feel they do have a voice and that they can be part of this. . . . We can use this resolution as a reminder for ourselves when doing projects to make sure everyone has an equal voice.”

Nance said he has encouraged African Americans to run for office. The last black city council member was Aaron Hamilton, who did not seek re-election in 2014.

Holloway expanded the electoral encouragement to Latinos, saying he would vote for candidates of color and would even pay the $50 filing fee for any in Midway wanting to run for council. The deadline to file is 4 p.m. Tuesday, at the county clerk’s office in Versailles.

(Holloway and Council Members Kaye Nita Gallagher and Bruce Southworth had not filed for re-election as of 4 p.m. Monday, but Southworth and Gallagher said Tuesday morning that they plan to file; the other three members had. Other filers were Adam Bailey of Old Towne Walk and former council members John McDaniel and Steve Simoff.)

The resolution says “The City of Midway seeks to unify efforts aimed at reducing disparities and commit to intentionally and collectively advancing equity,” and “is committed to hearing individuals who meaningfully engage in raising awareness of disparities and in actively engaging in suggesting and supporting methods by which they may be resolved.”

Council Member Sara Hicks alluded to the shortage of affordable housing in Midway, saying “If we have the intention not to be a gentrified community, we can make policies as a city that will provide those things.”

In other action, the council approved an encroachment permit for an eight-foot-wide concrete driveway behind 230 South Gratz St., the former Midway Woman’s Club building, leading to Stephens Street; and reappointed Michael Michalsin to the Woodford County Economic Development Authority board for a three-year term. 

“He understands all sides of our goals of growth, to grow reasonably sustainably, slowly but to also fit into what makes us who we are,” Vandegrift said.

Michalsin said, “I am keenly aware that I am the only that I am the only Midway appointee to that board. I really do try to think about that and represent what’s important to us.” The EDA controls the Midway Station commercial and industrial development.

Midway University to host author of bestseller that is first-year students' common-read book 7 p.m. Nov. 7

Jennifer Teege, author of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me, Midway University’s "common read" book for the year, will give a lecture to all first-year students and the public at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 in the Duthie Auditorium of the Anne Hart Raymond Building, followed by a book signing.

The general public is welcome, but priority seating is for enrolled Midway University students. First-year students in their first semester use the book for class discussions, projects, and writing assignments in the MWY 101 Pathways and Perspectives course. "The culminating experience is for students to be able to meet the author in person and have their books signed," said Ellen Gregory, vice president for marketing and communications.

Teege’s memoir was hailed as “haunting” by The Washington Post, “unforgettable” by Publishers Weekly and “stunning” by Booklist. Subtitled A Black Woman Discovers Her Family’s Nazi Past, the book tells how Teege responded to the discovery that her grandfather was Amon Goeth, the vicious Nazi commandant so chillingly depicted by Ralph Fiennes in the movie Schindler’s List. The film was shown in MWY 101 classes recently.

"When Teege, a German-Nigerian woman, randomly picked up a library book from the shelf, her whole life—her whole sense of self—changed forever," a Midway University press release said. "Recognizing photos of her mother and grandmother in the book, she discovered a horrifying fact they had kept from her."

Ex-council member continues effort to fix up old African American cemeteries; fee hikes would fund some work

Google Maps image, labeled by Midway Messenger

By Tyler Parker

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The old saying “Put your money where your mouth is” is something previous Midway City Council member Johnny Wilson has no problem doing when it comes to the town’s historically African American cemeteries.

At a council meeting in January, just after he had serve out an unexpired term, Wilson raised the issue of the St. Rose and Sons and Daughters of Relief cemeteries.

Wilson reported to the council that 71 of the 303 headstones in the cemeteries need resetting, repair or replacement, and gave $1,000 to help fund the work.

 “I know what little money I put in is not good enough to fix everything, but it’s a start,” Wilson said in an interview. “There’s history there. You want to respect the people that come before you and what they’ve done in Midway.”

Another recently departed council member, John McDaniel, said in an interview, “John definitely put the pressure on them, when he handed them that money.”

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift thanked Wilson for his dedication to the cemeteries, but in a later meeting said that the process of getting them fixed up “will take time.” Meanwhile, a committee of council members concluded that the upkeep of the cemeteries will be more complicated than it initially seemed.

Johnny Wilson

Wilson kept up his campaign at the April 15 council meeting, donating another $250, this time earmarking in for work at Sons and Daughters. He also gave $250 to have a tree planted with his name in Walter Bradley Park, “a crabapple or persimmon tree, to fit my personality.”

Wilson also said he thinks there will be funding for the cemeteries in the upcoming budget.

Vandegrift told the Messenger that he plans to fund the work with part of the extra revenue from increasing cemetery plot prices, which would be raised by an ordinance the City Council is considering.

St. Rose Cemetery is located on West Stephens Street just past the Midway Cemetery, while Sons and Daughters is located at the end of West Bruen Street. and the two cemeteries are about two-thirds of a mile apart, along the northwestern limits of the city.

Wilson said in the interview that a Memorial Day walk through the city’s three cemeteries prompted his eagerness to get the stones repaired. “Compared to the main one, the African American cemeteries were in really bad shape,” he said. “The tombstones were down and some were broken. Trees had even taken over some of the gravesites.”

Generally, upkeep of the two African American cemeteries has been the sole responsibility of the families of the deceased. Wilson and McDaniel contend that since the last burial in either cemetery was in the late 1980s, and many family members of the deceased are no longer in Midway, the cemeteries should become the responsibility of the city.

 “I’m disappointed that the city couldn’t take care of them,” Wilson said. “It was very disappointing to see the shape they’re in and no money to fix it.” He said the costs will surpass “well over $1,000.”

McDaniel said, “Some of the stones are difficult to read now. I would like to figure out who is there and at least put a marker to recognize those people.”

Both Wilson and McDaniel mentioned that markers on the stones are an ideal goal for them, as well as regular maintenance and repairs to the stones that no longer have a base and that have been heavily damaged by weather.

The chair of the council’s Cemetery and City Property Committee, Sara Hicks, proposed at the committee meeting on May 1 that the city provide markers for graves in the Midway Cemetery, if one hasn’t been provided after one year.

The committee added the provision to the proposed ordinance that would increase the price of a single grave from $650 to $750 and increase the cost to open and close a grave to $700 rather than $600. Vandegrift had already approved temporary markers for each grave, which will be provided to families of the deceased two days before the funeral, but with an expectation that each family will provide a permanent marker.

UPDATE: Due to the amendment, second reading and possible passage of the ordinance will be delayed until May 20, Vandegrift told the Messenger.

'Continuing the Conversation' about race, unity and diversity at 6:30 p.m. Sun. at Midway Christian Church

By Sarah Landers

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The public conversation about race, unity and diversity in Midway will continue on Sunday, Oct. 22, as a follow-up to the city’s ‘Peace in the Park’ event in August.

“Continuing the Conversation: A Peaceful Discussion on Race, Unity, and Diversity in Our Community” be held at Midway Christian Church, 123 E. Bruen St., at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting follows an initial gathering on the topic that was held in August. The first ‘Peace in the Park’ event, organized by Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, was a response to the violent white-supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Va.

Around 50 citizens attended the first meeting, and several of them spoke their thoughts and concerns to the crowd.

Vandegrift said after the August meeting that he wanted to continue the discussion on diversity, and that he hoped Midway could serve as an example to other communities.

About 50 attend mayor's 'Peace in the Park' and many offer views on issues of race and diversity

Many in the crowd remained in the park's quarry area to talk after the "Peace in the Park" event concluded.

Story and photo by Sarah Landers
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

About 50 Midway residents responded to Mayor Grayson Vandegrift’s call of a meeting Sunday afternoon in the recently opened quarry area at Walter Bradley Park, where the serene nook set the tone for a peaceful and unifying discussion on race and diversity. Many offered their own sentiments on how to make Midway a home to everyone.

Vandegrift said in an interview before “Peace in the Park” that he was inspired by the recent violent white-supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Va. In opening the meeting, he said Midway has an annual unifying celebration for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but race isn’t discussed enough, and he believes it is the duty of political leaders to hold such events, to open the discussion on diversity.

“Race is a moral issue, and I think we all have a moral obligation to do the right thing and to say the right thing,” he said.

During the open discussion, Helen Rentch told the crowd that the number of African Americans in Midway has declined due to the job market and housing availability, a perspective on the issue that many may not have considered.

With hundreds of jobs coming to Midway Station, Rentch said the town could be “in danger of becoming an exclusive little enclave,” instead of a place that all can enjoy. “I think the issue of housing is something we need to talk about if we want to become a diversified community,” she said.

After the meeting, Vandegrift said Rentch’s comments were an interesting point that he would like to address further.

The Rev. Dr. Sheila Harris, one of two scheduled speakers, asked the audience powerful questions in her opening. “When you see me standing here, do you see me as a person? Do you see me as an American? Do you see me as a woman?” she asked. “Or do you put a label on me, and say that I’m an African American female? What do you see?”

Instead of moving forward, she said, it appears time is moving backward in regards to the issues of racism. “The time now is that we stop pushing it under the covers. The time now is that we stop just having the community gatherings and talk about it,” she said, calling for “action behind the words.”

During the open discussion, Sally Kinnard recalled a conversation she had last year with an African American friend, in which they discussed what they could really do about race issues. “We all love each other and that’s fabulous, and then what do we do now?” she asked. “Do we have dinner together?”

Kinnard asked how the community would respond if a hate group visited the town, and offered some entertaining solutions. “I hear things like somebody says, ‘We’re going to throw glitter on them, ’cause it’s really hard to get rid of glitter’,” she said, adding that staying home would be too passive.

Kinnard said she wants community members to think about how they could protect each other if that ever occurred in Midway. “I sort of say let’s leave that to Grayson,” she said, provoking more laughter, “but that we need to have community conversation around that, so that we’re not caught like Charlottesville was caught in a hateful situation that just deteriorated.”

Angela King-Belleville also brought up questions, about how to effectively denounce racism on social media. She also asked how she could be more expressive of her feelings.

Liles Taylor opened a conversation on being an ally to minority communities as a white man. Taylor said that “not being racist” is too low of a bar, and he wants the community to be more proactive and intentional in loving others.

The other scheduled speaker besides Harris, also African American, was state Sen. Reginald Thomas, a Lexington Democrat who is running for Congress. In a two-minute speech, he said of the events in Charlottesville, ”We thought those times were behind us.” But he added, “It’s gatherings like this that help lead us back, to a path forward of togetherness. . . . We all have to have those conversations because we all have to understand that in the end, the only way that we are going to become a stronger, better nation, and a more cohesive community is when we come together as one and realize that fundamentally, we are the same.”

Thomas also said the bounds of diversity can stretch to include language, gender, and LGBTQ populations.

Two pastors from Midway shared stories of inspiration from Dr. Kevin Cosby, senior pastor of St. Stephen Church in Louisville, who visited Midway Baptist Church last year for a “Reconciliation Meal” and spoke about overcoming the culture of conflict from segregation.

Steve Hadden, pastor of Midway Baptist, offered an opportunity for audience members who wondered what they could do to help stand against racism. He said that on Sept. 11 at the Galt House, there will be a meeting with an emphasis on education in black colleges and universities, inspired by Cosby’s position as president of Simmons College of Kentucky. Next year, the meeting will cover economic empowerment.

“What I’m learning is there can be no reconciliation without reparation,” Hadden said.

Pastor Rick Smith of Second Christian Church shared one of his core values with the audience. He referenced Cosby’s eulogy of Muhammad Ali, saying forgiveness, truth, reparations, and reconciliation are all necessary steps to overcome conflict and heal from transgressions. Smith asked that community members raise their children to be “strong advocates for their neighbors.”

Sarah Wilson made a similar request. “I work with children on a fairly regular basis, and you would be shocked to hear some of the things that come out of their mouths,” she said. “They’re just repeating what they heard at home.”

Wilson said that while it is difficult to change the opinion of adults, it is important to teach children to love their neighbors. “When you don’t think about what you’re saying in front of children, you’re going to cause some problems down the road,” she said.

Vandegrift said after the meeting that he hopes to inquire more about ideas and concerns that Midway residents have about their community, and would like to continue the open discussions of diversity. Vandegrift also said he believes Midway could serve as an example to other communities.

Al Cross, editor and publisher of the Midway Messenger, told the crowd that the state’s relatively small African American population means that many Kentuckians do not even know a person of color, so change needs to come “one relationship at a time.”