Council set to approve budget, fireworks ordinance

UPDATE, June 3: The council took the actions as planned on the agenda.

Final approval of the city's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is on the agenda for the regular meeting of the Midway City Council at 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 2. The latest draft of the budget and other materials for the meeting can be downloaded here.

The agenda also includes final approval of an ordinance governing the storage, display, use and sales of fireworks in the city, and first reading of amendments to the countywide zoning ordinance recently recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Linda Popp gets 40.5 percent of the vote in defeating Magistrate Craig, former city councilman Benson

Linda Popp will be the new magistrate representing the Midway area on the Woodford County Fiscal Court, the county's governing body.

Popp won 40.5 percent of the vote in defeating Magistrate Larry Craig, who got 32.25 percent, and former city council member Dale Benson, who got 27.26 percent, according to the State Board of Elections website. (The figures add to 100.1 because of rounding.)

The vote was in the Democratic primary. No Republican filed, and no independent has served the required candidacy notice, so Popp will join the other seven magistrates in early January.

Popp ran an aggressive campaign. At the polls yesterday, retired journalist George Harper, 75, said he voted for Popp because "She's the only one who came by the house."

Susan McCall, a friend and former employee of Popp's, said she and Popp campaigned until "late last night. . . . I don't know of a door that we missed."

After Craig gave a report at last night's Midway City Council meeting, members told him he was free to return to campaigning. He said he had finished campaigning.

Popp is a financial representative for AIG Financial Network and was the owner of Country Classic, a gift shop, restaurant and catering business in Midway, which closed in 2006. She is a member of the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce, the Midway Merchants Association and Women in Business. She said she was born in Versailles and has lived in Midway 41 years.

In a pre-election interview with the Midway Messenger, Popp said she wants to see more community members involved in discussions about the county and hopes to do this through better communication with constituents.

Move back to college site pleases Francisco's 'farmers'

By Caleb Oakley and Darius Owens

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Featuring more than 90 booths, ranging from jewelry to furniture, ceramics to paintings, and glass to photography, the Francisco’s Farm Art Festival had something for everyone yesterday and today.  

Francisco’s Farm featured 82 artists of many different types from all over the country.  The festival's 10th renewal saw it return to Midway College after a three-year stretch at Equus Run Vineyards.  It also was held five weeks earlier than last year, to avoid the heat. 

The changes appeared to resonate positively with festival-goers and artists alike. “Last year, people were more focused on finding shade than looking at the art,” one passerby said to an artist.

Though the temperature lingered in the 50s, it was a sunny day.  Those not perusing the art sat or sprawled on the college’s manicured lawns, enjoying the live acoustic music, eating refreshments from various food stands, and playing with dogs.

“I think the location may be better this year,” said Godwin Kou, left, an Atlanta watercolor painter making his second appearance at Francisco’s Farm.

J. Bird Cremeans, also a second-year attendee, echoed Kou’s sentiments. “I like the festival in this spot better,” said Cremeans, a photographer and artist from Huntington, W. Va.  “It’s more accessible for visitors. . . . The parking is better.”
(Photos by Caleb Oakley)

Cremeans, right, displayed black and white portraits mimicking those taken in the early 20th century, but with the heads of cute animals. “I was inspired by vintage photography of people who used to dress up their kittens,” she said.

Combs, a woodwork artist who has attended six of the past seven festivals, said, “I didn’t like doing this over at Equus. It was a big field, had too many bugs … it was just a hot mess.”

Sally Kinnaird, a festival volunteer since the festival's inception in 2004, said the biggest problem with being away from the college was the lack of community. “The worst part of Eqqus was that the town of Midway wasn’t connected,” she said. “The festival was losing community support.”

But she was grateful that the vineyard was available when the festival needed a new site after a disagreement with the college. “Thank goodness for Equus letting us continue over there … otherwise the festival would have died.”

Since Dr. John Marsden became president of the college a little over two years ago, one of his goals has been to work more closely with the town of Midway.

During setup Friday, a wind gust damaged the poles of an artist’s tent. Volunteers, including the president’s wife, Margaret Marsden, managed to get the tent to a nearby workshop and had the poles rebuilt within an hour.

“It was a very exciting day, said Melissa Oesch, an artist who makes leatherbound books. “It’s lucky that the mishap happened here as opposed to anywhere else or a random place. The volunteers were amazing.”

Combs said, “One of my favorite aspects are the people who volunteer. The atmosphere is really good here.”

Sara Hicks, the president of Midway Renaissance, the festival's main sponsor, said 1,347 cars parked for Saturday’s showing. Unlike previous years, there was no admittance fee to attend the festival.

The festival is juried, meaning the artists’ works were judged and approved by two experts to appear at the festival.

Lexington resident Christian Honican was impressed with the art he found at Francisco’s Farm this year.

“I’ve found things here you wouldn’t find anywhere else,” said Honican, lifting the bag of purchased ceramics in his hand.  “I’ll definitely come back next year.”

Francisco's Farm Arts Festival continues until 5 today

The Francisco's Farm Arts Festival continues until 5 p.m. today at Midway College. Here are some photographs from yesterday, by Darius Owens of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications.

College has four new academic degree programs

Midway College announced today that it has several new academic degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice; Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (BBA), Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication, and a Master of Education (M.Ed) Teacher Leader Program. The programs are part of a three-year strategic plan which calls for the addition of new academic programs to support enrollment, which declined last year.

"These new programs in Accounting, Criminal Justice and Integrated Marketing Communication were developed by our faculty in response to the market needs in the area and in consultation with our admissions office on requests they have received over the past few years for these programs," said Dr. Laura Armesto, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

"The Master of Education (M.Ed) Teacher Leader program is designed for current teachers to earn a master's degree with a teacher leader endorsement and Rank II status. It is offered online with a few face-to-face courses to allow working teachers to complete the coursework and remain in their classroom with their students. The Accounting and Criminal Justice majors will be offered in our Women's College, and for our co-ed students in the evening and online."

Meanwhile, Armesto announced that the Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management will now be offered online "for student convenience and to offer this specialized program to a larger audience. It will continue to be a program offered on our Midway campus for our Women's College students."

Council accepts $232,258 bid for new fire truck

The Midway City Council voted this morning to accept the low bid of $232,258 on a fire truck to replace one that is 42 years old, part of Mayor Tom Bozarth's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The city has one other truck, which is 10 years old.

Bozarth appointed a committee of Council Members Dan Roller, Sharon Turner and Grayson Vandegrift to determine the best way to finance the purchase. Turner and Vandegrift are running to suceeed Bozarth, who is not seeking re-election.

The draft version of Bozarth's budget calls for the city to spend $125,000 of its $205,000 surplus on the fire truck. He has suggested financing the rest of it with a low-interest loan from the state.

The low bid of five opened May 9 was made by Sutphen Fire Apparatus of Dublin, Ohio. Its bid was $1,047 less than the next highest bid. "Versailles bought a fire truck from them and they're very happy with it," Bozarth said.

Council Member Sara Hicks asked if the city sought bids from any Kentucky companies. Bozarth said it did,and an Edgewood company bid $238,628. He said High Tech Rescue of Shelbyville, which submitted the highest bid of $253,534, is only a distributor for an Iowa manufacturer.

Bozarth said he, Fire Chief Butch Armstrong and other firefighters "looked at the two low bids" and agreed to recommend the Sutphen bid. He said the company is relatively close and has a good service network in the area.

In other business, the council voted to reduce the city's contribution to the combined emergency services department to $5,896 from $8,309 and have city attorney Phil Moloney send a letter asking that the formula for city contributions be renegotiated.

Mira Ball to receive award for service to Midway College

Mira Ball

Midway College Life Trustee Mira Ball will receive Midway College's new Legacy Award at the college's inaugural Spotlight Awards on June 5. The Legacy Award honors a person who has impacted the college over a period of many years by giving time, service, support and/or resources.

"We are very pleased to present our first ever Legacy Award to Mira Ball - a woman who gives so much of herself to so many," President John Marsden said in a news release. "She has served on the Midway College Board of Trustees since 1990, was the first woman chair of our board, and. was elected Life Trustee in 2000. More recently, she stepped in to assist the institution as interim chair in 2013 during a transitional period. Mrs. Ball's time, expertise, charitable support and friendship to the college cannot be quantified; they are priceless."

Ball has made contributions to many other organizations in Kentucky are impressive. From 2007-2010, she was the first woman chair of the trustees at the University of Kentucky, her alma mater. In 1991, she became the first woman president of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. She is the first and only woman ever elected to the Kentucky Utilities Board of Directors. She serves on the Endowment Board of Kentucky Educational Television and is chief financial officer of Ball Homes LLC, which she and her husband Don incorporated in 1959.

The Spotlight Awards will be held Thursday, June 5 at Midway College. The evening will include a sit-down dinner, a keynote address by 1972 Olympic diving gold medalist Micki King award presentations. The other award to be presented during the evening will be the Pinkerton Vision Award, for which nominations are being taken through May 20. For more information about the event, how to nominate someone for the Pinkerton Vision Award or tickets, call 859-846-5300 or visit www.midway.edu/spotlight.