The waters of Midway – South Elkhorn Creek and Lee Branch – are cleaner; still not clean enough to play in

Lee Branch just before it enters Walter Bradley Park; click to enlarge

By Lauren McCally
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

South Elkhorn Creek is a popular fishing and kayaking stream, and a beautiful feature of the Midway area. But the creek and its tributary that runs through Midway, Lee Branch, still do not meet the standards for recreation involving contact with the water, despite continuing efforts to clean them up.

However, that does not mean fishing in the creek is unsafe, or that users of Walter Bradley Park should worry about an occasional splash from Lee Branch.

The latest public samples from the streams, taken last year, showed some improvement from 2016, but with fecal bacteria levels still above the threshold at which swimming becomes risky.

In 2013, the last time the Midway Messenger looked at Elkhorn Creek’s pollution, Lindell Ormsbee, director of the Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute at the University of Kentucky, said, “I would not recommend swimming in that creek.”

Seven years later, “The impairment status of the stream has not yet changed,” Steven Evans, a researcher at the UK institute, said in an email.

Lee Branch has received more use and attention since the forested section of the park along the stream was improved four years ago. It also has bacterial pollution above the limit for swimming, but isn’t deep enough to swim, and its latest sample showed a level lower than the one from South Elkhorn Creek.

Lee Branch's pollution can vary widely because it is small and subject to overflows from a faulty sewer on Smith Street. When a member of the Midway Musings group on Facebook noted the overflows, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the city’s planned sewer-repair project would resolve that issue.

The Musings thread began when a member asked if the water in Lee Branch was “safe for our fur babies.” Vandegrift said a test for the city two years ago showed it “about twice as high as normal” for fecal bacteria, but “I don’t think it’s unsafe for dogs, though. Ours cool off in it on walks and even drink in it. No human should ever drink from it, though.”

Vandegrift said even pets shouldn’t be in Lee Branch when it floods. The state Division of Water advises against swimming or playing in streams immediately following a storm event due to the increased likelihood of bacteria and other pathogens.

Data from Kentucky River Watershed Watch

For water to be considered swimmable, it must have 240 or fewer colony-forming units (CFUs) of E. coli bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, about one-fifth of a pint. In 2019, a sample taken from Lee Branch by a volunteer for Kentucky River Watershed Watch showed 298 CFUs.

In 2016, KRRW samples showed 238 in May, 2,628 in July and 135 in September. That July was a very rainy month, and heavy rain causes sewers to overflow.

The samples were taken 150 yards downstream from Stephens Street, near the Midway University footbridge, according to the KRRW.

Another site, which KRRW labeled as Lee Branch “in front of Midway University,” appears to be from the unnamed tributary of the branch that runs along Stephens Street and flows into the branch halfway between Stephens and the MU footbridge. That sample showed only 179 CFUs, indicating the sewer’s influence on the main branch. In 2016 report, the tributary had much more bacteria, with an average score of 938.

South Elkhorn Creek: Samples taken last year just downstream from Ironworks Estates showed 532 CFUs, more than double the limit for swimming. That was more than the 302 average for 2016, when readings ranged from 104 in May to 691 in July.

An unnamed tributary running through Ironworks Estates showed only 47 FCUs, indicating that the subdivision is contributing little to the pollution.

Grading the streams: Conductivity is another key indicator of water quality. High conductivity signals more dissolved chemicals. It is measured in microsiemens per centimeter, with 500 the level posing risk to aquatic life. In 2019 Lee Branch had a conductivity score of 323, lower than its 2016 average of 389.

Overall in 2019, the UK research institute gave Lee Branch and South Elkhorn Creek a grade of C, or “fair,” for bacteria. For conductivity, Lee Branch received a grade of B, or “good.” The creek got a D, or “poor,” and was listed as a “site of concern,” perhaps also because of nitrogen and phosphorus levels, which are raised by runoff from fertilizers on farms.

South Elkhorn Creek runs from western Fayette County to Franklin County, and forms almost all the border of Woodford and Scott counties.

“It’s not very clean, but it’s a whole lot cleaner than it was 30 to 40 years ago,” said Mac Weisenberger, fifth-generation owner of Weisenberger Mill, located on the Scott County bank of the creek near Midway since 1865.

“I see a lot of people come down here and go fishing,” he said. “It has been on the increase.”

Lexington's role: The creek runs through horse and cattle farms, which are sources of bacteria, but in recent decades it has also been polluted by leaky sewer pipes and stormwater overflow from Lexington. In recent years, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government has completed several projects to mitigate the problem.

“Tremendous progress and investment has been made towards improving water quality in the Fayette County portion of the South Elkhorn watershed,” Evans said in an email, “ but there is still a long way to go.”

In 2019, the Lexington government completed detailed analysis of the areas that required additional work due to high concentrations of bacteria, with the assistance of community volunteers.

“There been a lot of work to move things in a positive direction,” Evans said. “The problems were not created in a day, and the solutions will not occur overnight.”

Meanwhile, there is other good news. Robert Watts, president of Bluegrass Wild Water, said in an email, “One of my members found a huge, less than 12 inch (deceased), mudpuppy salamander out there last summer. Those are an indicator species for great water quality, because of the way their skin absorbs chemicals.”

This story originally appeared in the Spring/Summer print edition of the Midway Messenger.

Mayor announces distillery, RV resort park planned for Mitchell farm at northwest corner of I-64 interchange

City limits in pink; urban service boundary is line above “Proj A.”

UPDATE, July 15: The conditional-use permit process for the RV resort is not expected to begin until September, and will start with the Agricultural Advisory Review Committee, Planning Director Pattie Wilson told the Messenger.

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift sent this in an email to the City Council and news media today.

By Grayson Vandegrift

     I’d like to give you an overview of two new projects that are currently under option on the “Mitchell Farm,” also known as Elkwood, on the western side of 341, across from Midway Station. As you know, industrial and agricultural land has been for sale for quite a long time.

     All of this is preliminary, and by no means are they final, but there are two projects scheduled to close on land purchases in October. For now we’ll call them “Project A” and “Project B.”
     Project A is a small, local distillery that wishes to relocate from Lexington. Their facility would be built near our wastewater facility, within the Urban Service Boundary, but currently just outside the city limits. It is on industrial land and requires no rezoning (see picture).
     Project B would be, in short, called an RV resort, but it could offer much more to the citizens of Midway (see below). After speaking with the brokers involved in the investment, I was assured the RV campsites would be far from KY 341 and out of view. The resort would feature a horseback riding equine pasture on the front end, facing 341. On the rest of the land, which straddles parts of northern Woodford and southern Scott counties, they plan to offer a swimming pool, a swimming pond, a fishing pond, a lazy river, access to Elkhorn Creek, and much more which you can see from the preliminary sketch of the resort.
     While this is an RV campground that would certainly boost tourism for downtown Midway, I was pleased to learn it will also be open for the public to purchases passes for usage. It is on agricultural land and does not need to be rezoned, but the Board of Adjustments of Planning and Zoning will need to grant a conditional use permit. Current zoning laws do permit this type of use on agricultural land so long as that permit is issued. The investors are scheduled to go before the Board of Adjustments on Wednesday.
     Both Projects A and B wish to be on city water and sewer, which we have the capacity for, and which would help us keep our rates in check, if not help us lower them more in the future. This would require us to annex these lands into the city, effectively bringing the city limits to the Scott County line on the western side of 341.

     Project A has been trying to get its distillery moved to Midway for two years, and Project B is likewise struck by our charm, quaintness, and vibrancy. Both would bring jobs and tourism to town. I do not have a total job count for either project at this time.
     Project B will be presenting to the council in an upcoming meeting, and Project A will likely do the same once they get a few more things in place.
     As always, I want you to be able to see this, chew on this, and ask questions. Neither is a sure thing, and public input will be extremely valuable and will be heard going forward. Both projects fit our modus operandi of developing north of Leestown Road around the interstate, and neither requires rezoning. If you have any questions just let me know, you’ll have plenty of time for more questions as the process moves forward.
     I think it’s important to note: The land owners are eager to sell, and the buyers eager to develop. Regardless of how anyone may feel about any of this, if it’s going to happen, I want to bring it in to the city so we can benefit from the tax revenue and the relative distance from our residential centers and the separation provided by a highway and an interstate.

Here's the developer's description of the land use plan:

The Bluegrass RV Resort is nestled in the heart of Central Kentucky along I-64 on the northern edge of Midway, a quaint city with great restaurants, friendly charm and historic equestrian and bourbon industries. Guests will enter the property with views of the entry pond and equestrian pasture beyond. After a peaceful scenic drive, guests will arrive at the clubhouse, where they can relax and receive guided access to their site when ready. This property is home to a luxury RV club resort, family RV campsites and short-term cottage rentals. RV sites provide opportunities for both family sites and adult sites. Amenities include a clubhouse with bourbon tasting and educational tours; the tables with horse riding and a horse rescue; aquatic park with a lazy river, slides, splash pad, and pond swimming; amphitheater; country store; kayak and tub rental; and an adult recreational center with a pool and swim-up bar, fire-pit, and hammock retreat.

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.

Pandemic makes Weisenberger Mills busy: 'Everybody wants flour that hasn't ever used any,' Mac says

A photo taken Wednesday shows the mill, creek, dam and, at left, part of the"shotcrete" abutment for the new bridge. 

A Weisenberger mill has stood on the Scott County bank of South Elkhorn Creek near Midway since 1865, and the current mill has been there since 1913. It has become a timeless icon in Central Kentucky, but it is also a business, and at a time when many businesses are closed, it is busy -- for the same reason a lot of Kentuckians are not. They're home, and they're baking.

"Things are really busy here," Mac Weisenberger, the fifth-generation owner of Weisenberger Mills, said in an email Tuesday. "Everybody wants flour that hasn’t ever used any. The website orders are almost overwhelming for now."

The mill was somewhat isolated for almost three and a half years because the state, citing safety concerns, closed the 80-year-old bridge that crossed the creek just downstream from the mill dam. After debates about how many lanes the bridge would have, and going through a long historical and environmental review, property negotiations and a rebidding, a new one-lane bridge opened Dec. 23. For a story and video on the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, click here.

State and local officials celebrate new Weisenberger Mill bridge and recount the decade-long story that led to it

Transportation Secretary Jim Gray cut the ribbon, with other officials, the contractor and Weisenberger family members.

The Weisenberger Mill bridge, a Midway landmark that reopened last month after being closed for almost three and a half years, closed again for two hours today so state and local officials could celebrate a very unusual project: building a one-lane span nearly identical to the one built around 1935.

"It looks just like the old one," said Sally Weisenberger, a member of the family that owns the historic mill on South Elkhorn Creek, before the ribbon cutting. The mill and its dam create a favorite scenic spot for locals and visitors, but the area's history and distinctiveness created challenges to replacing the span: years of debate and reviews historical and environmental, and months of negotiating with property owners for construction easements.

The biggest debate was about how wide the bridge would be. Scott County Magistrate Chad Wallace told the crowd that people in the area, including the Zion Hill community at the county's southern tip, agreed at a 2013 meeting that it should be one lane, "at a time when one-lane bridges seemed foreign in the transportation world."

Neighbors feared a two-lane bridge would only attract more heavy trucks seeking a shortcut, and cause more speeding and more wrecks, especially in the sharp curve on the Woodford County side. State engineers resisted, but finally relented.

In October 2017, almost 16 months after it closed the bridge for safety reasons, the Transportation Cabinet agreed to a new, one-lane span, a pony truss modeled on the old one.

A one-lane bridge "makes us be patient," Wallace said, alluding to the scenic surroundings. "You get to soak it in while you're waiting for a car to pass."

Gray spoke after District Highway Engineer Kelly Baker, at left.

As the waters of the creek roared over the dam, Transportation Secretary Jim Gray told the crowd, "There's arguably not many projects in our state that convey a sense of history and culture as much as this project does. . . . It is picture-perfect, postcard-perfect."

The project required "minimizing impact to surrounding properties, making sure this bridge fit the context of the area and the nature of the original bridge," said Kelly Baker, the Highway Department's chief district engineer. "I think we met our goals ... to preserve that integrity. I see a structure we all can be proud of."

"It adds to the beauty we have around here," said state Rep. Phillip Pratt, a Republican from Georgetown.

Rep. Joe Graviss, D-Versailles, thanked God "for his divine intervention" in getting the bridge replaced and seeing that no one was injured during construction.

Kenny Roller of Louisville Paving and Construction Co., the contractor, said the new span was fabricated at a Big R Bridge plant in Abingdon, Virginia, and assembled in the Midway Station industrial park. The company completed the work well before the May 1 completion date in its contract; the new span opened to traffic Dec. 23.

Baker told the Midway Messenger that the bridge would have no posted weight limit, because it can support 80,000 pounds, the regular weight limit on state roads. The bridge connects county roads, but the state agreed to take responsibility for replacing it around 2010, when then-Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, got the first state funds appropriated for it.

The event was a bit intriguing to Phil Weisenberger, in the sixth generation of the family that started the mill in 1865. "I figured it's such a sore subject they'd just keep quiet about it," he said. "But it's nice to have it back open." He attended with his grandmother, Bett Weisenberger, 93.

State Transportation Cabinet confirms Weisenberger Mill bridge is scheduled to open Monday, at 8 a.m.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet photo

The state Transportation Cabinet confirmed this afternoon that the new Weisenberger Mill Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, five months ahead of schedule. "The bridge, on Weisenberger Mill Road (CR 1015), restores a critical link over South Elkhorn Creek in Scott and Woodford counties," the cabinet's District 7 office said in a news release.

“Restoring this vital connection for motorists and emergency services who depend on the bridge daily was a priority,” said Kelly Baker, chief engineer for District 7. “We listened to the needs of the public, and worked diligently with the contractor to accelerate the opening of the new bridge.”

The old bridge was closed July 1, 2016, after a routine inspection found advanced deterioration was found in the bottom and outermost members that run parallel to the surface of the bridge. The bridge, which had been used by heavy trucks as a shortcut, had been operating under repeatedly lower weight limits, finally at only three tons.

After delays for historical and environmental studies, including citizen input, the state gave up its plans for a two-lane bridge and agreed to install a one-lane structure very much like the old one. "The newly constructed bridge fits within the context of the environment," the release said. "The goal of the project team was to closely match the features of the previous structure. The bridge is a pony truss with galvanized steel, and a concrete deck."

Louisville Paving Co. was the sole bidder on the project and began work Aug. 12. It removed the old bridge in late August and placed the new structure in late November. Crews were working on signs and other final measures today.

The bridge is a popular destination and route for tourists, runners and cyclists, since it overlooks the historic, family-owned Weisenberger Mill, which has been grinding flour in the same location since 1865 and in the same building since 1913. The traffic count on Weisenberger Mill Bridge Road in 2012 was 1,200 vehicles per day, the cabinet said.

Weisenberger Mill bridge about ready for Mon. opening

Bill Jenkins of the Woodford County Road Department walked across the new Weisenberger Mill bridge yesterday morning. The department's Tom Fortenberry said the bridge will be ready for traffic, once state contractor Louisville Paving Co. installs the ends of guardrails.

Louisville Paving posted signs at the Scott County junction of US 62 and 421 saying that the bridge will open Monday, Dec. 23, but the state Transportation Cabinet has been unwilling to guarantee that. Construction went faster than expected largely because of favorable weather, Fortenberry said.

The state is paying for the bridge under a long-ago trade with Woodford County, which is responsible for the bridge under a previous agreement with Scott County. (South Elkhorn Creek is the county line.) The Woodford County Road Department was responsible for blocking traffic and posting signs after the state closed the bridge for safety reasons on July 1, 2016.

Replacement of the bridge was delayed by historical and environmental concerns. In response to concerns by nearby residents who feared a two-lane bridge would lead to more speeding and wrecks, especially in the curve on the Woodford County side, the state contracted for a one-lane pony truss bridge much like the one built in 1935.

A photograph of the Weisenberger Mill, by Jesse Hurt, that looks more like a painting than a photo

Eleven months ago today, after a late-afternoon storm, Jesse Hurt of New Washington, Ind., took this photograph of the Weisenberger Mill on South Elkhorn Creek. We publish it with his permission.

Council annexes 138 acres adjoining Midway Station and warehouse tract; rezoning process will resume

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift named Debra Shockley Midway's
Citizen of the Year for her many civic contributions. See below.

By Korrie Harris and Chadwick George
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted Monday night to annex the 138-acre tract behind Midway Station, setting up its possible rezoning to industrial use.

The council also heard a proposal for new rules at the Midway Cemetery, saw the Citizen of the Year named, and received an offer for a small piece of land that could become a gateway to the city.

Annexation: City officials wanted to annex the property of Homer Michael Freeny Jr. before it was rezoned, to give the council final say in the rezoning. Otherwise, the Woodford County Fiscal Court would have had the say-so.

The council voted 5-1 to pass the annexation ordinance. Council Member Logan Nance said in an email that he voted no because "I often have members of the community tell me how much they value the agricultural land and natural beauty surrounding Midway, and fear that it will go away."

Logan Nance

Nance said he understands the perspectives of other members but "felt I would not be properly representing the people who elected me if I voted yes, since this annexation assures further industrial development beyond Midway Station."

Now the Planning Commission will hear the rezoning request by the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, which has an option on the property and owns Midway Station.

The commission was supposed to hear the request in November, but action was delayed at the request of the city so it could annex the property first.

If approved, the rezoning would create an industrial area reaching from Interstate 64 to the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses along South Elkhorn Creek, the county line. (The concrete warehouses are being built under a conditional-use permit in an agricultural zone on the presumption that whiskey is an agricultural product.)

“It finishes off what’s already laying sandwiched between two users,” Vandegrift said. Referring to the annexation, he said, “I guarantee you if we don’t do this it’s gonna get developed and we’re gonna lose all that revenue.” The land is in Midway's urban services area in the comprehensive plan.

If the land available at Midway Station sells for its estimated value, the EDA could be short of paying Midway the $600,000 it owes on natural-gas and water lines built on the property.

“The only way they’re really gonna be able to pay us back is if they can sell land,” Vandegrift said. “There’s not gonna be enough in Midway Station to pay us back.”

The annexed area is effectively two tracts joined by a small strip. For a larger version of the plat, click on it.

Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher noted that the city would soon resume paying interest on the Midway Station mortgage, now that a private developer has terminated his option on the land. Referring to Freeny and the EDA, she asked, “What kind of competition are they going to give us?”

Soper said that under the option agreement with Freeney, the EDA can’t exercise its option for any tract that is less than 40 acres. He said the largest tract he can put together in Midway Station with the existing lots together is around 25 acres.

“Fortunately, Mr. Freeney is very good to work with,” Soper said. “He understands what Midway’s goals are. He’ll work with us.” Vandegrift suggested that Freeney's lawyer come to the next meeting.

Freeny owns land next to the creek that is not being annexed. Council Member Sara Hicks asked if Freeny could “grant us some small acreage . . . where canoes and kayaks can get on the creek.”

EDA Chair John Soper said Freeny has agreed to grant a separate tract for access to the creek for canoeing and other recreational activities, with access through Midway Station or the tract being annexed. Soper said he and surveyor Tim Thompson are looking at two possible access points.

Cemetery changes: The council received a report from Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the cemetery committee, proposing changes to the ordinances regarding fees and care of plots.

Hicks proposed that 100 years after burial, if the city can’t find family members to continue upkeep, then the city would take care of that grave.

Hicks also said a $200 to $300 refundable fee could be added to the price of grave plots to guarantee that graves will be marked. Hicks said the family would have a year to place a marker and get a refund of the fee. If no marker is put down, the city would use that money to buy a small brass marker.

Council Member John Holloway said it would be simpler to raise the plot price, which at $600 is the same as in Versailles but much less than the $1,700 charged in Georgetown. He said the current fee does not cover the cost of labor for city workers who open and close graves.

Nance asked if there is a friends-of-the-cemetery organization that could take donations to help with the already unmarked graves. Hicks said the Midway Woman’s Club had such a fund, “but when they got into financial trouble, they had to use that fund to keep from shutting down.”

Vandegrift said he would ask Phil Moloney, the city attorney, to put the proposed amendments into ordinance form and send them to the committee.

Citizen of the Year: At the start of the meeting, Vandergrift gave Debra Shockley the Midway Citizen of the Year award for 2018. He read a proclamation noting her longtime civic involvement and recent contributions. “Debra took on many responsibilities in the community in 2018, including serving as president of Midway Renaissance,” he said. “Debra steered the highly successful Midsummer Nights in Midway series, and was the architect for its new street layout, which greatly improved the event."

Vandegrift also noted that Shockley “coordinated volunteers to staff Midway City Hall for each downtown event, to provide public restrooms and a visitors’ welcome center to the many attendees of Midway events.” He concluded, to applause from the audience, “Debra’s positive attitude, civic engagement, and efforts to bring people together is positively infectious to those around her.”

Gateway offered: Vandegrift gave the council a letter from Helen Rentch offering to donate a small tract at the intersection of Leestown Road and Midway Road (US 421 and 62), on the north side of a wet-weather stream, "to make the entrance to the city appealing."

The property has been mentioned as a possible site for a larger welcome sign for visitors, a trailhead for a planned trail from Lexington to Frankfort, and a permanent home for "Old Smoky," the steam engine that RJ Corman Railroad Co. has occasionally brought to Midway. "It is a logical option, since we are a railroad town," Rentch wrote. Vandegrift said the Cemetery and City Property Committee would consider the offer.

High-speed internet: Vandegrift said he met Monday with MetroNet, a company that provides high-speed internet service to homes and businesses via fiber-optic cable and thinks it can serve all or almost all of Midway. "Their lowest speed . . . is Spectrum's highest speed, basically," he said, adding that he will work on a franchise agreement with the company. He said it is in the process of doing such an agreement with Versailles and has signed a contract to serve Woodford County Schools.

March 16 event: The council approved making the St. Patrick’s Parade on March 16 a civic event. This will allow specially licensed vendors and restaurants in town to set up along the street and sell beer, wine and liquor, and allow customers to drink from open containers.

Bonds for Transy: The council approved a resolution to issue $10 million in municipal bonds for Transylvania University’s new recreation center.

Joe Lakofka, a representative of Kentucky Bond Development Corp., said in order for a bank to provide financing, the bonds need to be “bank qualified” and each Kentucky city is allowed to issue $10 million a year in bank-qualified bonds. Lexington nonprofits often use the allocations of smaller cities to get lower interest rates; there is no liability to the cites, Lakofka and Vandegrift said.

Nance asked what the city gets out of the deal. Vandegrift said, “I always looked at is as good will and kind of expanding Midway’s reach a little bit. And you never need to know when you’re going to need to call a favor in.”

Holloway is Citizen of the Year for his work at Walter Bradley Park; mayor puts blight back on council agenda

John Holloway holds the antique railroad light signifying his
Citizen of the Year award from Mayor Grayson Vandegrift.

Parks Manager John Holloway was named Midway Citizen of the Year Monday evening for a long list of accomplishments, many of which he reported to the City Council before being honored. Holloway, who sparked the revitalization and expansion of Walter Bradley Park, also reported plans for further improvements.

Among other business at the meeting, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said he wanted the council to return to deliberations on the blighted property ordinance, which has been pending since last fall. One council member mentioned a prominent property that Vandegrift said shows the need for the ordinance.

New signs direct visitors to the park.

Holloway, a University of Kentucky theatre professor who lives in Midway, has used his carpentry and artistic skills to transform the park, but has also served as a motivating catalyst for others. The structure of the park board, with one member serving as manager, was made with him in mind.

In declaring Holloway Citizen of the Year, Vandegrift presented him with a 1925 railroad light. "You've been the guiding light on that train," he said. The mayor's proclamation, which says it was issued with the council's blessing, read in part:

"John Holloway can be found most days toiling somewhere on the grounds, leading the efforts of many towards the reformation of Walter Bradley Park, where he and other dedicated volunteers have created new walking trails; improved and maintained existing ones; reclaimed parts that were overrun with invasive species; planted native trees, bushes, and grasses; added new features; and built a figurative bridge between two parts of the city, as well as a literal one that now spans Lee’s Branch; and John Holloway has done all his labor for no financial gain, but for the betterment of Midway’s natural beauty, and for the enjoyment and recreation of all those who make memories there."

Photo taken in late December shows LED lights on Town Trail and the solar panels that power them.

Among the recent improvements Holloway mentioned at the meeting were:

• Installation of about 300 linear feet of solar-powered LED lights along the Town Trail, which leads from Northside Drive to the Gratz Street entrance, across the bridge built by Holloway and city workers. "Sometimes in the winter there's not enough light to make it work," Holloway said, "but I think it works about 95 percent of the time."
• Signs, suggested by police, banning loitering in the park from dusk to dawn, prohibiting alcohol and admonishing visitors, "Leave only footprints. Take only memories."
• Planting several species of trees, including an "edible forest," beginning with pecans. Other species will be planted in midsummer when they are available, Holloway said.
• Planting of native trees in the section of the park along Northside Drive, which now has a roofed gateway that is a terminus of the Town Trail.
• Clearing of brush along the park's wet-weather creek and the small quarry, which Holloway says has a rock face "much prettier than the other one." A trail will be extended in the area.
• Planting of Indian grass and other plants that have made the park an official way station for Monarch butterflies "five times larger then the 'colossal' size," Holloway said.
• Planting of giant cane and native grasses that will provide screening between park visitors and residents of homes near the park boundary.
• Planting of 1,000 daffodil bulbs, which are now blooming. "They'll just thicker as the years go by, as they multiply," Holloway said.
• Printing of a six-panel brochure promoting the park as "a peaceful walk through nature," with one side devoted to a map of the park, its trails, its streams and its facilities.
• Refurbuishment of the dog park, with a gravel turnaround and parking area, a bridge across the large sewer pipe, an improved fence, a kiosk with seats for shelter, and a smaller staging area, replacing one that was too prone to staying muddy.

Dog park has a new turnaround and parking, a bridge, a kiosk for shelter and a revamped staging area at the corner.

Holloway's efforts at the park began in 2015, with repair of the dog-park fence. He told the council that he would like the water turned back on at the dog park. Vandegrift said it was turned off because visitors left it on and it was also the target of a water thief. "It needs to be something that doesn't need human help to run right," the mayor said.

Vandegrift said he plans to ask the council to allocate $17,000 for improvements at the park in the annual budget he will propose soon. Holloway said the park received a $500 grant from the Woodford County Conservation District, and is seeking money for a gate behind the library. Friends of Walter Bradley Park remains active and a way to donate to park maintenance and improvements. 

Overflow from swampy area is damaging Newton Street.

Holloway said he is trying to persuade state fish and wildlife officials to stock trout in Lee Branch, but they are reluctant because trout are in heavy demand. He said he is tracking water levels and temperature in the creek, partly to help them recognize it as a trout stream.

He said the city needs to clear and reset drainage pipe from the spring in the park meadow to eliminate swampy area and stop erosion of the edge of Newton Street. Vandegrift said he hopes to address the issue through the city's next paving contract.

On Saturday, April 21, at 10 a.m., the day before Earth Day, the park will have nature walk "to show people what's already happened and talk about what's the future gonna be and ask them what they want to see," Holloway said. Later in the year, there will be a tree identification class.

Blighted property: "Now that we have a full council again, I want to bring back up the blighted property ordinance," Vandegrift said. The council debated the ordinance last fall, but discussions lagged as disagreements arose and member Libby Warfield missed several meetings. She died Feb. 24 and the council appointed Johnny Wilson to fill the seat for the rest of the year.

Ness Almadari has owned 116 E. Main St. for two years.

Vandegrift said "the main hangup seems to be whether to have a board or council committee" to enforce the ordinance. "I think it's an important issue," he said, noting "quite a few responses" in the city's current survey saying it should do more about blighted property. "I think there's a craving for it," he said.

Whatever body is assigned enforcement duty will put at the top of its list the old Masonic building at 116 East Main Street, Vandegrift said.

Council Member Steve Simoff first mentioned the building, announcing that he had asked property owner Ness Almadari his plans for the building. "He kind of indicated the possibility of doing something in the next 45 days if something else didn't get in the way," Simoff said. "I indicated it was quite dangerous" and that the city might need to place orange cones or yellow tape to keep curious pedestrians away from it. "He also seemed to take offense at me even bringing it up," Simoff said.

Vandegrift said, "The only way to get improvement on this is with a new blighted-property ordinance."

Skies brighten briefly, but more rain is on the way; governor declares statewide emergency due to floods

The rain slacked off and the sun came out briefly this afternoon, but it is forecast to resume tonight and continue through tomorrow, so a flood watch is in effect for the area until 7 a.m. Sunday.  South Elkhorn Creek was running heavy over the dam at Weisenberger Mill at mid-afternoon. Commercial weather projections call for the heaviest rain Saturday morning and Saturday night, with a chance of thunderstorms.

UPDATE, 6:40 p.m.: Gov. Matt Bevin declared a statewide emergency in response to continued flooding. The order enables state resources to be mobilized and made ready to assist cities and counties should they be needed, a press release said. Bevin has also activated the state’s prohibitions on price gouging to protect consumers.

Streams flow as more icy weather is forecast

A light snowfall just as the current cold snap began added to the picturesque scene Monday afternoon at the Weisenberger Mill and its dam on South Elkhorn Creek, seen less these days because the bridge there remains closed. Meanwhile, Lee Branch was still running in Walter Bradley Park, below, but ice floes were beginning to form along the banks. Temperatures are not forecast to rise above freezing until Sunday, but streams in the Midway area are partly spring-fed and thus slower to freeze than if they were fed entirely from surface tributaries.

New trail from Northside leads the way to the new bridge; ribbon-cutting is set for 2 p.m. Saturday

Walter Bradley Park has a new entrance, along newly paved Northside Drive, at the head of the new trail that leads to the new pedestrian bridge over Lee Branch. A temporary sign at the trailhead advertises the formal ribbon-cutting for the bridge, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. (The rain date is 2 p.m. Sunday.)

The trail is lined with small logs and stones, and its mulching was mostly complete when these photos were taken Friday afternoon. It's a two-minute walk from the bridge to trailhead.

The photo below shows the trail leading to the north end of the bridge and its intersection with another new trail that runs along the north side of the creek. The foot of Gratz Street is just visible at the left.

Committee decides not to recommend further conservation easement for land along Lee's Branch

A city council committee decided Monday evening that Midway should not give up control of seven wooded acres along Lee’s Branch in return for state money that can be used to make the tract usable by the public but maintain its natural state.

Two of the three members of the Cemetery and City Property Committee, Steven Craig and Libby Warfield, opposed the idea suggested by committee chair Sara Hicks and Zeb Weese of the state Land Heritage Conservation Fund, which could provide up to $15,000 for clearing and trailmaking.

Hicks said giving the state a conservation easement would further protect the property and attract tourists. She noted that the state fund has preserved no land in Woodford County, and that few towns have such property inside their borders.

Craig and Warfield said said they did not want to tie the hands of future city councils and mayors, and the property is already protected by a conservation easement that gave the city control of the land in 1991.

It prohibits “industrial and commercial activity” on the land but allows farming and “recreational activities approved by the City of Midway,” subject to certain requirements. It allows the city to build “facilities deemed necessary and appropriate by the City of Midway,” including access roads and “recreational and community facilities, and accessory structures,” including fences, which apparently could not be done under the state easement.

Hicks said that under the previous city administration, city employees mowed grass too close along the creek rather than maintaining the banks in a natural state. Warfield said, "We can stop them from doing those things."

Warfield displayed plans for a trail area, footbridge and Gratz Street improvements that were drawn in 2007, estimating construction costs of $122,000 to $171,000. She said there was no money for it at the time, but said she thought that the city would eventually have money for the project.

Flash floods raise streams; creek threatens restaurant

South Elkhorn Creek was so high at 11 a.m. that there was only a hint of the Weisenberger Mill dam.

Severe weather dropped a significant amount of water into the Midway area last night and this morning. The rising of South Elkhorn Creek seems have caused the disappearance of the Weisenberger Mill dam. Later in the day, water rise and blocked the road.

The creek covered Old Frankfort Pike (KY 1681) at the Faywood bridge and was threatening Rachel's Kitchen, WKYT-TV reported. The road was also blocked a short distance to the east, just across the Fayette County line. See comments from area residents on this Facebook page. UPDATE: The restaurant prevented flooding with sandbags at its front door.

A man who answered the phone at the Woodford County Road Department at about 12:15 p.m. said he had not heard of any roads closed by high water. The man declined to give his name but said water levels in the area were dropping. However, rain returned and other road closures were reported in the late afternoon, including Leestown Pike (US 421) at the eastern railroad underpass in Fayette County.

The National Weather Service posted a flood warning through 2:45 p.m. and a flash flood watch until 8 p.m. The weather station at the Lexington airport reported that 3.37 inches of rain fell there between 2 and 8 a.m. For further updates, the station webpage is here.

The weather service said thunderstorms are expected in the area well into the afternoon. Some storms could be strong to severe including damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and even hail. --Rashad Bigham

Bridge hearing verdict: Don't replace; rehabilitate

By Nini Edwards

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

The Weisenberger Mill Bridge may soon meet its destiny. But most people who showed up at a meeting about it said it should be rehabilitated, not replaced.

Built in 1930, the one-lane bridge crosses South Elkhorn Creek near Midway. It is next to the Weisenberger Mill, which is operated by the sixth generation of the Weisenberger family. The mill, dam and waterfall produce one of the region's iconic scenes.  

Now the state Transportation Cabinet is trying to determine whether the bridge should be replaced with a new two-lane bridge or be preserved and rehabilitated. 

To gather public opinion, the cabinet held an informal meeting Thursday at Midway College. The public meeting was designed for people to casually filter in and out while talking with cabinet staff. About 15 cabinet employees were present and the event drew about 35 guests. No presentations were given, but multiple conversations took place.

Many of the concerns dealt with things people thought a new bridge might bring: a higher speed limit, more tractor-trailers accidents and traffic, and lack of historical preservation.

The mill’s owner, Phil Weisenberger, thinks a two-lane bridge would bring more traffic.

“There is a little bit of traffic that comes through here, but only in the morning and afternoons,” Weisnberger said in an interview after the meeting. “If they put in a larger bridge it would bring more traffic.”

Barbara Phelps owns a house located just before the bridge when coming from Leestown Road.

"I am very concerned," Phelps said. "People coming from Leestown [Road] are not going to have a reason to slow down if the bridge has two lanes."

Some are also concerned with losing the history of the bridge.

"I would like them to rehabilitate the bridge. It is a unique thing and it is part of the history," Wiesenberger said. "I don't see how you can put a new bridge in without destroying that history."

At the meeting, cabinet staff members talked with small groups who voiced their opinion. Highway designer Casey Smith spoke to one group about preserving the bridge and rehabilitating it or completely replacing it with a new design.

"We recognize the historical integrity, which is why we are having this meeting today," Smith said.

Rehabilitating the bridge rather than replacing it would take considerably less time and money. Ananias Calvin III, transportation engineer and project manager, told one group, "If we rehab it we will work on it this summer and get it open before school starts. If we replace it, it might be a year and a half before we start working on it."

 

Calvin estimated that rehabbing the bridge would take $350,000 and replacing it would take about $750,000.

Midway Mayor Tom Bozarth has said that if a new bridge is built, he would like to move the old one to Walter Bradley Park in the city. But some who have lived in the community for a while said they do not believe there is a problem with the bridge.

"I have been driving across this bridge for 30 years and never had a problem. I say they keep it as it is," said local resident Nick Bentley. "People need to slow down anyway."

Weisenberger agrees.

 "There isn't any problem with the bridge, and everyone I talk to wants to keep it," Weisenberger said. "Once you take away a piece of history like that it is gone forever."

Calvin is letting people submit their opinions via mail or email. The deadline for submission is Feb. 9.

"If there is a strong opposition we are not going to go in and change (the bridge)," he said.

Highway Dept. finally discovers Elkhorn Creek

Despite its historic and environmental significance, South Elkhorn Creek has never been recognized with a sign on Interstate 64. The Midway Messenger inquired about that last year, and the state Department of Highways corrected the oversight last month, as part of a series of sign replacements along the interstate. A like sign greets westbound motorists heading into Woodford County, just east of the Midway interchange.

Environment agency seeking comments on bacterial pollution of South Elkhorn Creek

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is seeking public comment until Jan. 2 on a draft report on bacterial pollution in nine stream segments and two springs in the South Elkhorn Creek watershed, including some in and near Midway.

One stream segment is the last mile of Lee Branch, which flows through Midway. It is polluted with fecal colifrm bacteria, presumably from livestock farms and the City of Midway sewage-treatment plant. Almost all of South Elkhorn Creek, which forms the northeast boundary of Woodford County, is similarly contaminated for those and similar reasons, the report says.

The Midway treatment plant's permit allows its discharge to contain 200 fecal coliform colonies for every 100 milliliters of water. The report says the plant's average from 1983 to 2003 was 43 colonies per 100 ml.

The federal Clean Water Act requires the state to identify waters where designated uses are not being met and water quality impairments exist, and to prioritize the list of impaired waters, calculate a total maximum daily load (TMDL) of pollutants for those waters and devise plans to improve the water quality. A TMDL is a calculated amount of pollutants a particular water body may contain and remain unimpaired for its designated use.

The report by the state Division of Water addresses bacterial pollution in the South Elkhorn Creek watershed at levels that makes the streams unsuitable for swimming. The report includes data and procedures used to calculate the TMDL for the stream segments. Revisions to the report may be made following the public comment period and before it is sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.

The report may be viewed on the Division of Water website here. (It's a 277-page PDF that may take a while to load if your connection is slow.) Comments should be sent in writing to Eric Liebenauer, Division of Water, 200 Fair Oaks Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601, or by e-mail to eric.liebenauer@ky.gov.

Fourth generation gone, Weisenberger Mill rolls on

By Monica Wade
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Weisenberger Mill (photo by Scott Beale, Laughing Squid) has provided flour and cornmeal from the shores of South Elkhorn Creek since the 1880s, and a variety of other products in recent years as the mill passed through the generations of its founding family.

Now another generation has passed, with the April 9 death of Philip Joseph Weisenberger II, the mill’s fourth-generation owner, who developed the niche products that helped it survive in an era when most small mills went out of business.

Phil Weisenberger worked in the mill right up until being admitted to St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington. He had recently undergone triple heart bypass surgery but was unable to recover from it.

“He loved the business,” said Buena Bond, his secretary of 41 years. “It was his life; he was in here every day, including Saturday, when he would make bread for his friends and family with flour from the mill.”

Weisenberger began working at the mill in the 1940s and took over the business in 1955 after his father died.

“He worked hard,” said his son, Mac Weisenberger. “He worked every day and took care of everything.”

Mac started working at the mill after school as a young man and then came to work full time in 1973. “I wanted to work in the mill since I was young,” he said. “Although it seemed like it was a lot easier back then.”

Even with Phil’s death, there is still a Philip Weisenberger at the mill – Mac’s son Philip Weisenberger, named for his grandfather.

Through the eyes of a young boy, the mill may seem like a wonderful playground, but in an adult’s view it is a fully functioning power that requires a great deal of time and work.

Bond calls the generations of owners a “chain reaction.” She said when one Weisenberger passes on, another steps up to fill their father’s shoes.

Beyond Phil Weisenberger’s hard-working attitude, he was also known for his kindness and generosity.

Father Dan Noll of St. Leo Catholic Church knew him for four years, since coming there as a parish priest. Noll said Phil often brought fresh bread that he made as a gift to the Father and sisters of the church. Family members and Noll said Weisenberger donated flour to impoverished nuns living in Louisville. Those nuns were said to have attended his funeral, along with many others who were touched by his generous hand.

Family members said Weisenberger held church in high importance in his life, along with his family and the mill. Noll said he attended Mass at least twice a week if not more often and that he was very active in several different parishes. He said Weisenberger would attend Saturday night mass at St. Francis or White Sulphur and was at St. Leo every Sunday morning, often accompanied by his wife Bett and his sister Betty Bright.

Noll said that in the hospital before surgery, Weisenberger was at peace with the prospect of dying, and was ready and not afraid.

“He really believed in God and in eternal life,” Noll said. “He saw an importance of loving others and keeping justice for the poor.”

He said Weisenberger had traditional values and was a big financial supporter of the church when it had to move to a bigger location.

“He was a generous man,” Noll said. “He was really open and caring. I thought very highly of him.”

Noll said Weisenberger had a happy nature and humble attitude. Bond called him a kind, gentle and happy man. “He always had a twinkle in his eye.”

She also said he was a born salesman and very creative, as he was the creator of the mill’s numerous mixes and batters.

Mac Weisenberger said the mill is partially run by two water-powered turbines, has kept the same flow since 1913, and can produce 150 hundred pound bags in 24 hours.

New, larger mills can produce around 1 million pounds. But the mill has prospered because specialty products created by Philip Weisenberger, such as flour and cornmeal mixes for frying and baking, biscuit mix and pancake mix.

Weisenberger is one of very few small mills left in the United States. Mac said that in 1950 there were 5,000 mills, and that number has dwindled to 500.

The mill is run by four employees: a miller, a mixer, and employees who fill packages, load the trucks and keep the place clean.

Though the mill’s product line has expanded, Mac said it is important to him, as it was to his father, to keep the basic process the same.

“We mill grain the same way since we started,” he said. “We put an emphasis on quality, not quantity.”