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

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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.

With 1,400 volunteer-made masks handed out, Midway offers remaining 300 to rest of county

The masks are packaged with instructions.

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

In early April, Midway kicked off a volunteer-driven project to make enough cloth masks to give one to anyone in the city free of charge.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said that if the city still had more than 100 masks available May 18, it would offer them to any resident of Woodford County.

Vandegrift said Friday that 1,400 masks have been distributed to Midway residents and 300 will become available to any Woodford County residents Monday.

Vandegrift said Woodford County Jail inmates joined Midway volunteers in mask production so residents of the rest of the county would have a chance to obtain them.

 “I want to thank Midway Makers Market and owner Amy Bowman, not to mention over 60 volunteers who have helped cut and press the fabric, sew the masks and prepare them with instructions for your use.”

Amy Bowman

Bowman, who came up with the idea, told the Messenger, “None of this would have been possible without the hard work of over 50 volunteers who worked in teams to wash fabric, cut, sew, press, sanitize, package and distribute the masks.”

Vandegrift said the city will continue to provide masks to any business in Midway that needs them as businesses begin to reopen.

The mayor emphasized the importance of wearing masks, which is recommended in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reopening guidelines. “We expect that stores and shops will follow the guidelines,” he said. “After all, they don’t want their business brand to be hurt as being known as a virus farm, and they certainly don’t want to be forced to close again.”

Mayor says 700 masks are still available, notes state will require them to be worn in public starting May 11

The mask packet includes instructions.

The City of Midway still has 700 cloth masks available for citizens who need them, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announced Monday night.

"Our intention is for these to go to tax-paying citizens of Midway first; but if by May 18 we still have more than a few left we will open the program up to all residents of Woodford County," Vandegrift said in an email.

He noted Gov. Andy Beshear's statement Monday that all Kentuckians would be asked, if not required, to wear masks in public starting May 11.

"We are still giving masks out on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the demand pick back up to the levels we saw in the first and second week of the distribution phase because of the Commonwealth’s new requirement, so I want to make sure every Midway citizen who needs one gets one," he wrote. "We also want to make sure not one of them goes unused, since such a team effort of true caring went into making them."

Midway taxpayers wanting masks should residents wanting masks should City Hall at 859-846-4413 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, say how many masks of each size, adult's or child's, that they want; then park in the 10-minute spot in front of City Hall so a city employee can toss the masks in the back window to keep social distancing. Or, one mask can be delivered through the night slot of the front door. The city can make delivery arrangements for people who are unable to come to City Hall.

230 masks out; mayor reminds those needing them to call City Hall; says likely to be needed for some time

About 230 masks made by Midway volunteers have been given out since distribution began Monday morning, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told the City Council and the Messenger in an email at 2:48 p.m. Tuesday.

"We will continue giving masks, using social distancing measures, all week and well into next week," Vandegrift wrote. "Some folks have been calling the pharmacy for them, so I’m just reminding everyone to please call City Hall to arrange a time to pull up in the 10-minute parking spot, where an employee can place one in your back window on the passenger side or can pass them through the night drop."

Looking ahead, the mayor wrote, "It’s likely that even when some regulations are loosened, which is not likely to happen until at least May at the very earliest, people will still be encouraged to wear masks when going out to the grocery store, pharmacy, etc. For that reason, we’ll be running this program for the foreseeable future."

Masks to help limit spread of virus will be available Monday; not a first or best line of defense, mayor says

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift posted this photograph of a packaged mask and its instruction sheet.

Masks made by dozens of Midway volunteers to help thwart the coronavirus will be available at City Hall next week through telephone appointments, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announced today.

Vandegrift said residents wanting masks should City Hall at 859-846-4413 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, say how many masks of each size, adult's or child's, that they want. "We’re asking one per person, please," Vandegrift said. "We will then arrange for folks to bring their vehicle to the parking spot parallel to the front door and Sonya or Cindy will toss them in the back window to keep social distancing. One can also be placed through the night slot to a person."

For those who are unable to come to City Hall, the mayor said, "Arrangements can be made to have volunteers deliver, but there may be a bit of a time lag in that process. . . . Masks are still being made and finished as we go, so if at any time we have run out of masks, we’ll be letting people know that this would only be temporary and we will make sure everyone who wants one gets one."

The mask packets include an instruction sheet, which Vandegrift said should be read carefully. "A mask is not our first or best line of defense, just an added layer of protection," he said.

Vandegrift said the project has taken off so well that that Amy Bowman at Midway Makers Market, who came to him with the idea, is getting orders from health-care providers. "It’s so heartening to see Midway and its people continue to lead," he said. "Many thanks to Amy and Ann at Midway Makers Market, Diamond Graphics, and all of our wonderful volunteers. We will get through this together."

Council hears about mask project, other covid-19 issues

By Hayley Burris

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

With all the stress that comes from the spread of the coronavirus, Midway is fighting back and making masks. That community project was among the updates at Monday’s City Council meeting, as well as reports on the town’s major employers and use of Walter Bradley Park.

Lakeshore Learning Materials, the city’s largest employer, is operating on a skeleton crew “out of an abundance of caution” and beginning furloughs, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift reported. He said furloughed workers are eligible for unemployment.

The second largest employer, Midway University, has closed to the public, but “This weekend they had picnickers up there, drivers, walkers,” Vandegrift said. He said some had been walking through the campus for 50 years, but “These are not common times, and we all have to do our part. The university does not want to start doing anything heavy-handed.”

Walter Bradley Park is open, and to allow social distancing, walkers are allowed to step off the trails. “One thing we need to get a little bit better about with some folks is the leash laws,” Vandegrift said, noting that dogs can scare some people get into fights with each other. He also said painted “happy rocks” should be kept in place or moved with a cloth or gloves.

Mask project: Prompted by the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wear masks when you may encounter others in public, Vandegrift and volunteers have started ‘Project Healthy Midway.’

“We’re gonna be able to make enough masks for everybody in Midway who wants one,” he said. ”They will be free to citizens who want them.”

He said the masks are expected to be distributed soon, “in waves,” and will meet all CDC requirements and will include CDC guidelines for wearing and washing them.

Vandegrift said Amy Bowman, owner of Midway Makers Market, approached him with the idea. “That’s just another very great example of Midway at its finest,” he said.

He said the project has three teams: the prep team, the construction team, and the finishing team.

The prep team cut the fabric and pressed the materials together. That phase is complete, with the help of 40 volunteers, according to Vandegrift.

The construction team, with at least 22 volunteers is sewing the masks. The finishing team will sanitize and seal the masks, and couple them with the CDC guidelines.

“They’re doing all the proper social distancing even when volunteers are picking up materials,” said Vandegrift. “They’re not meeting, they’re driving off in cars and they don’t get within six feet of each other.”

According to the mayor, Bowman is expecting around 60 to 100 volunteers. If anyone wants to help out as well, contact her at 859-533-0922.

The masks are just an added layer of protection, Vandegrift said: “This is not your first line of defense. Nobody should think they have some kind of immunity suddenly because they have a mask on because they do not. This will not fully protect you from coronavirus; it will not fully keep someone else from getting coronavirus.”

The masks are designed to prevent spread of the virus by the estimated one-fourth of people who have it but don’t realize it because they have no symptoms. Vandegrift said the best way to stay safe is to stay socially distant, keep up good personal hygiene and to wash your hands with soap whenever possible.

Vandegrift said 1,500 masks are being made, with the expectation that some people already have some and some won’t want them, but more can be made. He said each mask costs about $2 to make, and he is paying the cost from general city funds with the expectation that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse 75 percent of the cost.

Council Member Stacy Thurman said, “We’re going to able to provide the health department with cloth masks, which I think is a really nice thing. They’re reserving all their masks for health-care providers, so . . . I think that any way we can support the health department and anything thing we can do for them is a good thing right now.”

Other covid-19 matters: Businesses must pay a minimum bill for water, sewage and garbage, but with most businesses being forced to be shut down, Vandegrift said he wants the council to relieve those businesses of paying. He said he plans to propose the move at the next council meeting, on April 20, unless “I get the sense it’s not gonna go” with the council.

Vandegrift said he ordered hand sanitizer from Bluegrass Distillers, “a distillery in Lexington that is dying to operate in Midway,” and is providing it to the three groceries, the fire department and the police department.

He reported that the Sojourn City Church is planning a short drive-in service in Easter, with no live music and cars parked every other spot to stay six feet apart, and only biological family members will be allowed in the same car. He said communion will be held but participants must bring their own bread and grape juice.

The Woodford County Health Department has issued an order allowing one person per household enter a grocery, except in cases where children or the elderly need assistance. (Gov. Andy Beshear made the policy statewide Wednesday.) Vandegrift said it’s difficult to practice social distancing in the Midway Corner Grocery, the town’s only full-service grocery, but Council Member Sara Hicks said the grocery is offering curbside service to people who pay in advance.

Vandegrift said, “That’s a great way to keep people out of the store and still support them.”

County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler, who also participated in the online video meeting, said “Social distancing is going to get us through this.”

Vandegrift said citizens should tell officials if they see social-distancing rules being broken. “Tippin’ ain’t snitchin’,” he said, and it protects “the whole community.”

With mask advisory expected, city and Maker's Market plan to organize volunteers to sew them for locals

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to recommend that Americans wear cloth masks in public to prevent spread of the coronavirus, and the City of Midway is preparing a government-and-volunteer effort to make masks.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told the City Council and the news media in an email Thursday that the city is partnering with Amy Bowman of Midway Maker’s Market, which will call for volunteers to sew "as many masks as possible for the general public to use. Anyone who can sew or has a sewing machine and is willing to help can call Amy at 859-533-0922."

Amy Bowman in Midway Maker's Market
(Messenger photo by Kennedy Sabharwal)

Vandegrift said the city will pay for the materials, "and Midway citizens can provide the skills and time to produce these masks. We will make sure all safety protocols are followed. I will let each of you know as we go what this spending looks like, but it won’t be exorbitant to provide the materials."

He said Bowman will provide mask kits to volunteers, who can sew them at home. "This will allow our citizens to participate, as they always love to, in a safe way that practices social distancing and helps to beat this thing," he said.

Vandegrift asked the six council members to :do what you can to recruit people who can sew. Obviously, we’ll work out guidelines as we go, but we need to know first how many potential volunteers we can get."

The mayor said his goal, "which I know may be lofty, is that we recruit enough volunteers that we can produce masks for every single resident in Midway. Perhaps from there we can work with other cities and Woodford County to start up more programs. That all remains to be seen. Details are still being worked out, and we’re not saying that these masks will only be for Midway citizens, but this is where we’re starting from."

Message from the mayor: Starting a weekly update as we deal with the coronavirus and its covid-19 disease

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway

This is a weekly reminder that we’re going to get through this. I commend everyone who is doing such a great job practicing social distancing and taking more care to keep good personal hygiene – you may be saving someone’s life by doing so.

Some people are understandably starting to ask when we can expect life to go back normal. The short answer is we don’t exactly know yet for sure, but we should be prepared for this lifestyle change to have to last for months. The better we adhere to the guidelines recommended by health officials, the more likely we’ll get through this sooner.

In a conference call with other mayors today and Gov. Beshear, it became clear the governor wants us to expect to practice these new techniques well into the time we see the cases spike, and then we’ll even need to wait a bit longer once they decline to make sure we’ve beaten this thing on the first try. How long that is, is hard to say. But, be prepared to buckle down for weeks and months.

I also encourage you to think about your mental health right now. 100 percent of us are experiencing high anxiety at times, some more often than others, and that’s completely normal. What I want to ask each and every citizen of Midway is: How are you doing? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you giving yourself time when you need it? Are you letting yourself process, are you making sure you’re not beating yourself up over trivial things? It’s so important that we take care of what’s going on in our own minds so that we can be motivated and optimistic, so that we can beat this thing together. As Midwegians (or Midwayans), as Kentuckians, as Americans, and as humans, we will beat it. Let’s keep looking after ourselves and each other – you’ve done a great job so far.

There are many resources for those who need help right now. Midway citizens have formed a volunteer group to run errands for those in need. If you need assistance call the Midway Christian Church, who is offering the office space for this volunteer program, at 859-846-4102. If you’d like to volunteer, e-mail Melissa Scheier at mscheie0@georgetowncollege.edu.

If you would like to visit Woodford County’s page for resources and information, we have a link to that on our homepage at meetmeinmidway.com. We have many options for you to support our local restaurants: Mezzo (curbside 846-4077, closed Mondays), Brown Barrel (takeout, pickup, and delivery, meats, and retail package goods, closed Sunday, 859-403-2003), Heirloom (curbside, gift card lottery, 846-5565, closed Sunday and Monday), Darlin' Jeans (takeout, 846-9485), Goose & Gander (carryout and curbside, 846-9933), Holly Hill Inn (order and pay online, curbside pickup, 10% off for medical professionals, 846-4732), Wallace Station (order and pay online, curbside pickup, free delivery in Woodford County, 10% off to medical professionals, 846-5161.), Midway Bakery (curbside service, online ordering, 846-4336). Midway Corner Grocery has many canned goods and other groceries (846-4712).

We as a city government are looking into other ways we can help our citizens and our businesses, and those details will be shared once they’re hammered out more and as the situation becomes more and more clear. But if you need anything, you can call me on my cell at 859-361-6320.

Our employees are still working and all functions are still in place. City Hall is open for appointment only, but you can still pass items through the drop box or leave them there overnight. And you can still call City Hall between 8:30 and 4:30 at 846-4413. We will not be doing water cut-offs this month, but we ask that you pay your bill to the best of your ability.

No one likes uncertainty, but we deal with it in our normal lives more than we think, so remember not to overestimate your fears and underestimate your abilities. We are all capable of getting through this, but we must protect the most vulnerable among us.

Keep practicing social distancing, but when it’s nice out, go to the park, take a walk, just don’t get together in close circles or play basketball or soccer together. If you’re sick, stay in, and stay six feet from your loved ones in the home if you’re ill.

If you need emergency assistance you can still call 911. If you feel ill you can still call your local physician. Railroad Drug is open and is also offering curbside service and free delivery, at 846-4146. Ken Glass ensures that there will be no supply-chain issues on medicine, so there’s no need to order months of it at a time; he’s got your back too.

If you need anything, please call me. I’m here for you, and we’re here for each other. I’ve said it many times through this, but I think it rings true: we have to stick together, even if we’re forced apart. Great job, and God bless.

Midway Renaissance revives Greenspace Committee, plans for Francisco's Farm Art Fair June 13-14

The annual general membership meeting followed the monthly dinner at Midway Christian Church. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

By Lauren McCally
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Renaissance announced the revival of its Greenspace Committee at the group’s annual general membership meeting Monday night. The meeting followed the monthly community dinner at Midway Christian Church, which featured leftovers from the church’s Epiphany dinner.

Greenspace was the first committee of Midway Renaissance, but went dormant in 2013, said Debra Shockley, the secretary of Midway Renaissance. “Something that’s exciting is that Greenspace is coming back,” she said, “but in a totally different integration.”

When the committee started, “Some of the things that they worked on were to remove invasive species, they planted trees, established rain guards, and a lot of other things that helped preserve and protect our environment,” Stacy Thurman, a Greenspace and City Council member, told Renaissance members.

The idea to bring this committee back came from Marcie Christensen, who wanted to help educate Midway residents and work with the city government and other organizations to teach more sustainable ways for Midway to do things.

Debra Shockley is secretary of Renaissance. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

Shockley said after the meeting that the committee’s current mission differs from the old one because that sort of work is done by the city’s Parks Board, Friends of Walter Bradley Park and other volunteers who “do the trails and the bridges” in the park.

The Greenspace Committee is “going to have educational classes, maybe seminars and stuff up at the library,” Shockley said. “They are not actually going to be working in the park. . . . This Greenspace incarnation will focus on sustainability.”

Greenspace is planning educational projects for the community and Northside Elementary, which will teach appropriate recycling techniques, community composting, and care of street trees.

“We are open to any ideas that people have or projects … here in Midway, ” Thurman said. “We welcome anybody that wants to get involved in the Greenspace Committee.”

Greenspace holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Midway Library. If you would like to join the committee, attend a meeting, share an idea or learn more about certain projects, contact Marcie Christensen via Facebook or Thurman at the library, which she manages.

Another committee mentioned during the meeting was Living History. “Living History is one of the most active committees,” said Shockley. “They do so many projects.” Some include a big sign about bourbon history by The Brown Barrel and a lot of older pictures of buildings downtown, which have been put up with information such as who owned them and what year they were built.

Planning for the June 13-14 Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, which Shockley said is Renaissance’s “primary source of income,” is going very well, event coordinator Elisha Holt told the members. “We have about 67 artists who have applied” to exhibit, she said; the deadline is March 1 and the jury will notify exhibitors by March 31.

The fair will be held at Midway University but there will also be a small block party downtown with a musical event on the evening of Saturday, June 13.

To help advertise the art fair, Renaissance will provide yard signs to contributors. Those who give $25 will receive a sign saying “Friends of Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, Midway University, June 13-14,” to put in their front yard; $100 givers will be designated friends of the art fair, and get a sign; $500 givers will be sponsors, with their name or logo on signs at the event, in the fair map and on the website. Donations need to be sent by May 1, so the committee can print the signs and distribute them.

The Renaissance board will have a workshop and strategic planning review Sunday, March 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library conference room, and anyone is welcome to attend. The board has room for four more members, who serve three-year terms.

The next general meeting of Renaissance is scheduled for Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the second floor community room of the Rau Building (City Hall). Anyone is welcome to attend and the officers for 2020 will be elected.  Membership in Renaissance is $10 per person or 10 food items.

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

By Megan Parsons
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Council cuts real-estate taxes, approves open-carry area, targets volunteer ordinance, ponders water cutoffs

By Megan Parsons, Grant Wheeler and Garrett Burton
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

A host of previous agenda items made their rounds at the Midway City Council meeting Monday night: taxes, water bills, a new entertainment destination center, and an ordinance from a decade ago about volunteer work on city property.

Taxes: Perhaps the most important decision of the night got the least discussion. The council lowered the tax rate on real property to 7 cents per $100, from 7.5 cents. The median value of a house and lot in Midway in 2017 was $165,700; at that value, a homeowner will pay $115.99 in taxes this year. The council kept the rate on personal property, including vehicles and watercraft, at 7.5 cents.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said both rates would produce the same revenue as last year. The 7 percent reduction in the real-estate tax follows a 25 percent reduction in the rate last year, driven by increased occupational taxes from business expansions.

Water: Reversing course, Vandegrift announced that he doesn’t plan to raise water rates "anytime soon" despite the state Public Service Commission's recent approval of a rate increase by the city's supplier, Kentucky American Water Co. The city did not pass along the previous increase, either, and Vandegrift had initially said he did not think the water system would be able to absorb another one.

In the usual roundtable that ends meetings, Council Member Logan Nance said shutting off someone’s water for not paying their bill “does not need to be a policy of ours.” He called such action “draconian” and said “Clean water is a basic human right; this policy only effects those who are impoverished.”

Vandegrift said he would refer the matter to the Public Works Committee, headed by Council Member Bruce Southworth, who was noncommittal about it in an interview afterward.

Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher, a member of the committee, did not seem fond of the idea. “I personally think they should cut off” non-paying customers in order to look out for customers who do pay, she said in an interview. “How far are you going to let them get behind?”

Council Member Stacy Thurman said in an interview, “I do agree it’s something we should look into, as it does seem harsh to shut someone’s water off if they simply cannot afford it. . . . I believe we must balance effectively running the city with some grace for people who are having a hard time, as there are some people who truly need help.”

Vandegrift said after the meeting that customers who haven't paid receive a delinquent notice five business days after the due date, telling them the last day to pay and the cutoff day if payment is not received by then. "Generally, the cutoff day is the 26th of each month and last day to pay is one day before," he said. "There is a reconnect fee of $25 for turning water back on."

Xs mark limits of entertainment center on adapted Google map

Entertainment: The council passed an ordinance designating parts of downtown as an "entertainment destination center," in which drinkers can take alcoholic beverages in and out of licensed premises within the center’s boundaries from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., as long as they have their beverage in a cup with the logo or name of the restaurant that served it.

Thurman said she would “like to strongly encourage licensed restaurants to use biodegradable cups or to recycle,” to keep waste to a minimum.

Vandegrift said “a couple of people” had expressed concern about the change, but he predicted it will “not be incredibly noticeable,” saying “I don't think there's going to be a New Orleans-type look.” The ordinance is written so that if problems arise, the mayor can suspend it.

The process for getting the state permit and notifying the public will delay the ordinance's effective date until probably Oct. 4, the day before the start of the fall meet at Keeneland Race Course.

The licensed restaurants inside the entertainment destination center will receive packets laying out what the ordinance entails, and there will be signs on sidewalks at the limits of the area, letting visitors know they cannot take their beverages outside the edge of the premises.

Volunteer ordinance: Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the City Property Committee, said the three-member panel thinks the rest of the council should repeal a 2009 ordinance requiring volunteers to register, give details and file a waiver of liability before doing volunteer work on city property. She called the ordinance “unneeded, antiquated, and an obstacle for volunteers.”

Those who opposed the ordinance in 2009 feared it targeted groups who frequently volunteered in the community and saw it as an obstacle. Council members, none of whom are still on the council, said it was in the interests of the volunteers, giving them the same insurance protection as city workers.

The ordinance was passed in the first mayoral term of Tom Bozarth, on the advice of Phil Moloney, who remains the city's attorney. Bozarth retired in 2014 and was succeeded by Vandegrift, who said he never enforced it.

“I felt it was established to stop volunteerism in Midway,” he said. “I agree it needs to be repealed, to stop future administrations from enforcing it.” Repeal will require two readings at council meetings. The next meeting is Sept. 16.

Other business: The council appointed Cortney Neikirk to fill the city's vacancy on the Woodford County Tourism Commission, succeeding Cynthia Bohn, who resigned, citing time constraints. The commission, which is now getting much more revenue from the new hotel in Versailles, recently voted to hire an executive director and stop paying the Chamber of Commerce to staff it.

Vandegrift said the sewer and paving work on Stephens Street is "going as well as you could imagine," and when paying is competed, double yellow center lines and white edge lines will be painted on the street, to make it seem narrower and slow down speeders. He said curb work is scheduled to be concluded by Sept.9, followed by milling and paving Sept. 10-13.

The council approved an event permit for the fourth annual “Ernie’s Bacon Run” on the morning of Nov. 9, beginning in Walter Bradley Park and looping through Midway University with 5K and 15K routes. Midway Renaissance will share in the proceeds, and Soles4Souls will take donations of gently worn shoes. The event is named for Ernie Peel, a Central Kentuckian who helped hundreds of people discover their love of running. Peel had a love for bacon, and all finishers will get bacon.

Nance asked if the music that will be played by a DJ at the park will be contained to the park, since runners will start gathering at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. A Renaissance representative said the music would not be heard beyond the park.

All the votes were 5-0. Council Member John Holloway was absent.

Weather forecast for last Midsummer Nights in Midway of 2019 says rain will end just in time, bring cool temps

This year's final edition of Midsummer Nights in Midway will start at 6 p.m. this evening and run to 10 p.m. Temperatures are forecast to be 71 to 67 degrees, with the chances of rain ending by 6.

The Midway Renaissance event includes live music from Superfecta, stores open longer hours, and a long list of vendors, including Wagon Bones barbecue, Deaner’s Wieners, West Sixth Brewery, Rooster’s Whistle Coffee Co., Ashley Curtis (baked goods), My Creator’s Hands (vinyl lettered crafts), Midway Makers (crafts of all sorts), Whither Wander (handmade jewelry), Horsefeathers (fabric crafts), Two Ladies & A Kettle (kettle corn).

Restaurants will have specials, and the Railroad Drug & Old Time Soda Fountain will have ice cream. The St. Matthew's AME Church will have a fish fry.

The Midway Presbyterian Church Backpack Program will have face painting for kids; the Midway Community Garden volunteers will be on hand with information; and the Midway Branch Library will have crafts for children. The Versailles Lions Club will sell Woodford County throws.

Midway University invites local businesses and non-profits to campus to get acquainted with students Wed.

Midway University is hosting its annual "Meet Me at MidwayU" event Wednesday, Aug. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the McManis Student Center.

The event is open to all students, faculty and staff at the university, and is held to connect students with local businesses and to make connections with organizations that might need volunteers or will be looking to hire part-time employees.

Interested businesses and organizations are asked to register at secure.qgiv.come/for/mmmubrf/. The cost is $20 per organization, $15 for non-profits. All registrants will get a table to distribute information, coupons, educational materials, and job descriptions.

Questions can be directed to MacKenzie Hanes at (859)846-5385 or Tracy Spots at (859)846-5399.

Funeral for Donna Booth Farmer set for 2:30 today in Lexington; reception 4 p.m. at Midway Presbyterian

Donna Booth Farmer

Funeral services in Lexington today for Donna Booth Farmer of Midway will be followed by a reception for family and friends at 4 p.m. in the Midway Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

Farmer, 65, died Aug. 6, 2019 at The Homeplace in Midway. She was the first president of Midway Renaissance, organizing the committee that wrote its bylaws and helping it incorporate as a non-profit, Renaissance said in a Facebook post: "Her ability to lead a large group, keep them focused and moving forward was inspiring to watch and learn from."

Farmer was a graduate of the University of Kentucky. After her retirement from Lexmark International she pursued her lifelong love of photography and art. She was a member of the Creative Camera Club and Midway Presbyterian Church. Survivors include her husband, Doug; a daughter, Katie Farmer; a brother, Jamie Booth of Virginia; and a niece, Taylor Booth. The full obituary is here.

Funeral services will be held 2:30 p.m. today at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home on Harrodsburg Road in Lexington, with Midway Presbyterian Church Pastor Pastor Mary Weese officiating. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Women’s March, https://womensmarch.com, or the American Cancer Society, 1504 College Way, Lexington, KY 40502.

Winchester columnist tells the story of the Grants and their model railroad of Midway, recently restored

Laurine Grant and daughter Jeanine Lister watched the trains run.

By Bill McCann
The Winchester Sun

I grew up with a limited view of the arts—theatre, dance, art, music, and writing, each in their various forms. But I am coming to realize that the arts are actually much wider—from painting a sermon to building a scale-model railroad layout.

Heritage Day, July 27, in Midway honored Laurine Grant of and her late husband Bill for their construction and donation to Midway of an N-scale (9mm track width) model railroad of the town.

Grant, 83, moved to Winchester in August 2018. Before that she lived in Vermont for 15 years. And before that, from about 1997 to 2000, she was a citizen of Midway.

Laurine was married for more than 50 years to William Grant. Bill Grant was a heavy equipment operator in Connecticut for more than three decades, a union member who was able to provide well for his family—particularly during the period from March to November of each year. But during the long Northeast winters, when he was laid off, he was a model railroader.

Bill and Laurine Grant raised four daughters—Shannon, Lisa, Jeanine, and Anne—who after high school mostly scattered to the four winds: Connecticut (Shannon); Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas and Colorado (Anne); Kentucky (Lisa); Arizona and Kentucky (Jeanine). In the course of time grandchildren came, Bill retired, and the couple followed—not the swallows to Capistrano, but visited or lived near their daughters and grandchildren.

During the 1980s, while Bill still worked, Lisa and her family lived in Midway and Bill and Laurine came south for visits. And almost immediately, the model railroader was hooked: Midway, the city a railroad runs through. Suddenly he had a vision: of an N-scale model of Midway for his trains.

After retiring from his construction job, Bill and Laurine moved to North Carolina to be near Anne, her husband and children. Still, Bill was a model railroader. And in 1997, they moved to Midway to be near Lisa and her family; Jeanine and her family lived in Lexington, but the pull of Midway’s trains and ongoing work on the train layout was in their minds when choosing where to live.

By 2000 the layout was complete. So before Bill and Laurine hit the road full-time in an RV camper, they donated their N-scale model of Midway to the town.

In the years since, the layout was stored away. However, this year the Midway Community Model Railroad Project’s plan to restore and expand the layout generated a lot of local support.

Finally, on Saturday at high noon, Mayor Grayson Vandergrift had a dedication ceremony where he began by saying that the community of Midway “embraces its history” as a railroad town. Then he thanked Mrs. Grant for the hard work of she and her husband and the donation of the layout to the community of Midway, before thanking the many local people and businesses that had helped restore and expand the model.

That’s the story of what happened. And as a story, it’s a pretty interesting one.

But by now you must surely have the same question I had when going to the dedication of the layout: Why is this art? You buy some plywood, paint it green, add some tracks, buy plastic buildings and trees and tape or tack them down and you have a model train set. Not so!

Truly, great art, and a large amount of time, was involved in this effort.

Jeanine Grant Lister, who now lives in Winchester, explained that tiny little spikes—“You have to use tweezers and a tiny hammer” to put the spikes in—hold down the rails. “And the buildings were made and painted by my parents, though I did make trees and helped paint the silo.” The silo, she said, was made from “part of a toilet paper roll.”

Pictures of the layout which accompany the article may give you some sense of the artistry involved in painting objects that are scaled between 1:148 and 1:160, so a 6-foot man would be roughly 1/3 of an inch tall! A train car in this scale is only a bit more than an inch tall and a few inches long. The buildings require a delicate touch and great care. Building and painting such people, buildings and scenery is truly an artistic undertaking.

Mayor Vandergrift finished speaking by saying that the Midway railroad layout would have a permanent place of honor in the town “soon.” Then he asked Mrs. Grant to speak.

“Thank you” was all she said, to great applause.

Railroad scale model a big hit at Midway Heritage Day

People attending Midway Heritage Day on Saturday pretty much knew what the big steam engine would look like, but not necessarily what to expect from the old scale model of Midway, recently restored, with double tracks and trains. It was a pleasant, fascinating surprise, the culmination of a community project that reflected the spirit and heritage of Kentucky's first and still iconic railroad town.

The layout was done in the early 1980s by Laurine and William Grant, who donated it to the city in 2001. A few months ago, Midway Renaissance and several community volunteers joined forces to put it back in shape, and it went on display in the old bank building on East Main Street owned by Amy and Mike Stinnett, who erected a temporary partition to facilitate the display.

View is from north. Card on control box lists volunteers (left column) and sponsors (right column, with in-kind contributions)

Those who played key roles in the restoration included Tommy and Susan Kidwell, who provided the layout benchwork and material that formed the base of the project; and Jim Hoppin, who did the custom modeling of three additions to the layout: Midway Christian Church, the mansion at Parrish Hill Farm and the Kentucky Female Orphan School, now Midway University.

View from northwest shows Parrish Hill, added, in foreground.

"We've been working on it probably since the first of February," said Hoppin, whose experience with dollhouses made him the builder of the three additions. His wife Teresa also worked on the project.

Others listed on the display's volunteer-and-sponsor card were Tom Bensberg (engines), Thomas Bookout (details and supplies), Ron Chesser, Joel Damron, Charles Diamond, Midway Christian Church, Midway Renaissance, Steve and Julie Morgan, National Model Railroad Association Division 10, Bill Penn, Amy Perry, Christy Reaves, Brian Roslowski, Kenny Smith (photographic enhancements), Frank Stevenson (buildings and supplies) and Stew Winstanley (engines and rolling stock).

Model maker Laurine Grant, with hand on chin, watched the trains run from the far end
of the model with her daughter, Jeanine Lister of Winchester. (Photos by Al Cross)

Laurine Grant, who now lives in Winchester, said in an interview that her late husband was an N-scale (9 mm track width) railroad modeler, and they decided to build a model of Midway because one of their daughters lived in the town. They lived in Connecticut at the time but later moved to West Higgins Street in Midway.

Grant said the project took about two years, done in bits and pieces, starting with photographs of buildings when they were in town to visit their daughter. "If you are a model train person or a train person, Midway was the ideal place to model," she said.

Jim Hoppin

The model was the usual 4x8-foot module used in N-scale shows, in which modules are arranged in an oval and are connected by tracks over which trains run through them. The first step in restoring it was to make it an independent display, with its own trains.

That required a whole new base, which the Kidwells provided "Without them, we would have never had it," said Reaves, who is a model railroader and calls herself "the Midway train lady." The new layout had extra room, so the volunteers decided to add the three buildings Hoppin built.

Grant said, "I thought it was wonderful. They did a very good job. . . . It's tremendous. I was very impressed and very honored."

View from the west, with history of the railroad, which was established in 1833 and reached Midway in 1835.

Spotlight Awards at Midway University draws record attendance and amount of money for scholarships

Advancement Vice President Tim Culver addressed the crowd at the beginning of the dinner in the gymnasium.

Midway University's sixth annual Spotlight Awards dinner Thursday night drew 275 people, the most ever, and raised a little over $100,000 for scholarships, also a record, Vice President for Marketing and Communications Ellen Gregory said. Last year's attendance was just under 200, she said.

Chef Ouita Michel received the L.L. Pinkerton Vision Award, for her positive impact on improving women’s lives and as a role model who displays great leadership, innovation and influence; and civil engineer Lyle Wolf received the Legacy Award for the time, money and service he has given to the university. He has served as a trustee for 35 years, which Michel called an unparallelled legacy.

Dessert bowls were miniature baseball helmets, alluding
to the baseball field that is under construction.

The theme of the $150-a-ticket event was "Under Construction," representing current building projects. In a video about them, President John Marsden noted recent gains in enrollment and said, "We're building so students will stay, not so they will come."

Michel told Marsden, "You have transformed this campus, you have healed divisions between the community and the university," and made it a university. She also expressed thanks to the president's wife, Margaret Marsden.

A look at the improved section of Walter Bradley Park

Park Manager John Holloway took a group of Midway residents on a tour of the wooded section of Walter Bradley Park Saturday morning, revealing some of the park's hidden assets and some of the improvements that Holloway, other volunteers and city workers have made to the park.

Holloway gestures to the trail going to Lee Branch. The dog park fence and entrance were recently improved.

Walkers look at the short rock wall on the town side of the creek, built during an upgrade of the park about 15 years ago.

Holloway points out a feature. He is a University of Kentucky theatre professor and staging specialist.

Walkers cross a curved, nearly completed bridge over an area near the creek that is often wet and swampy.

Looking from the opposite direction of the above photo, the new bridge and the sharp bend in Lee Branch can be seen.

The bridge across Lee Branch connects downtown, to the left, with the library, the school and Northridge Estates.

The downstream, downtown side of the bridge recently got a new bench for sitting and watching the creek flow by.

Rustic signs mark several new trails and other features, and official signs give park hours (dawn to dusk) and prohibit loitering, alcohol, littering, collecting and scavenging, with the message: "Leave only footprints; take only memories."

Midway Woman's Club wins Community Spirit Award from Midway University at annual Day for Midway

L-R: Adele Dickerson, Sara Hicks, Christy Reeves, DeeDee Roach, Tonya Steele (MWC vice president), Janice Holland, Debra Shockley, Mary Devers, Ellen Gregory (university marketing VP), Neisje Spragens, Genie Graf (MWC president), Dr. John Marsden (university president), Amy Perry, Amanda Glass (MWC parliamentarian), Katie Vandegrift (MWC treasurer), Helen Rentch, Lou Taylor. Absent: MWC Corresponding Secretary Kelly Brengelman and Recording Secretary Kelle Sanders.

By Sarah Landers
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway Woman’s Club is this year’s winner of the Community Spirit Award from Midway University, honoring nearly a century of community involvement.

This is the fourth year the award has been presented as part of the annual Day for Midway celebration to celebrate the close connection between Midway University and Woodford County. The university said it chose the Midway Woman’s Club for its long-term service to the Woodford community.

The Woman’s Club has accomplished many volunteer projects and has supported countless efforts to benefit the county over the years, including the Midway Free Public Library, Northside Elementary School, Woodford County High School, and the Midway Fall Festival.

"There is no other place like Midway and we're fortunate to have neighbors and community partners like the Midway Woman’s Club that are invested in our town and its possibilities," university President John P. Marsden said in a press release for the Oct. 10 event. "We are pleased to be able to honor this worthy group and their giving spirit."

The Woman’s Club was established by a group of 42 Midway women who first met in 1922 and adopted the slogan “For the Good of Our Community.”

“That good over the years has included wrapping surgical dressings during WWII, organizing a health education program for the county, supporting local schools and students, and sponsoring candidate forums for local and national elections,” Woman’s Club President Genie Graf said in an email.

Some of the organization’s most popular recent events include the Not-So-Scary Halloween Haunted House, an annual home and garden sale, and the annual Christmas decorations contest.

The club hosts political forums, staffs the Kids Vote booth at elections, sponsors an annual scholarship for a Midway woman high-school graduate, and has speakers at its monthly meetings, which are open to the public. Some recent speakers have included former Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen and minister-columnist-author Paul Prather.

Not only has the club benefited the community, the members gain from their involvement. Today, the club sustains around 30 active members, club treasurer Katie Vandegrift said. Some members are new, and some have stayed with the organization for several decades.

“The Midway Woman’s Club has been a gathering place for Midway women,” Graf explained, “for women affiliated with Midway, where women find commonality, where we find we are not so different, where we can find friendship, where we find purpose in helping to support and build our community into a place that we are humbled to call home.”

What’s next? The Midway Woman’s Club looks forward to hosting a new event, the Midway Historic House Tour, on June 3, 2018, Graf wrote: “We have five houses and a historic church on the tour, which we hope will become an annual event and fund-raiser that will allow the club to create more ‘good for our community’.”

Message from the mayor: Thanks to the volunteers who made Midway's summer events possible and successful

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway

With summer events wrapped up, I thought it would be a good time to recap the major events of our city and to thank, as a group, all of the many people who make them possible.

The Francisco's Farm Arts Festival has been a welcoming event that showcases Midway University's beautiful campus, as well as a wide array of the arts.

Midsummer Nights in Midway held three successful downtown block parties that celebrated the culture, and fun-loving spirit, of our community. 

Most recently, the Midway Fall Festival presented our city to the entire state, and other parts of the country, and people are clearly taking notice. Saturday's crowd was the biggest single-day crowd ever, and pushed the whole weekend into the record books. 

All of these events, which celebrate art, music, community, and life itself, are only made possible by volunteerism. Such as with the continuing improvements of Walter Bradley Park, it's the spirit of dedicating time, talent and energy that leads to enjoyable results for everyone. 

In a country that can't seem to agree on anything right now, these volunteers are an example of what can happen when people make the conscientious decision to work together. In fact, they exhibit the best of us, and remind us that the only way to achieve results is to collaborate. 

On behalf of the City of Midway, I want to thank every person who has dedicated their time for the betterment of all, and I encourage even more to join a local movement that these good folks have started.