Life celebration for Midway couple tomorrow; memorial gifts suggested to fund for grandson battling cancer

A celebration planned for one life tomorrow will instead be a celebration of two.

Madge Savage, 83, of Midway, died Friday, 20 days after her husband Curt, who was 85. A celebration of their lives will be held at Clark Legacy Center, 3000 Versailles Rd., Frankfort, Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the fund for Jack Curtis Savage, their grandson, who has been battling a rare form of cancer and is due for a bone-marrow transplant. Donations may be made to: gofundme.com/f/JackSavage.

Curt and Madge were married in his native Maryland in 1957. After two years in the Army, he became a salesman for Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. They moved to Versailles in 1972, and Curt became general manager of Commonwealth Tire/Multi-Mile, then part-owner and president. They moved to Lexington, and, in 2005, to Midway, which Curt called "the greatest little town anywhere." He was a stout Republican who loved to talk politics with anyone, and ran for Fiscal Court magistrate in 2010, losing to Democratic incumbent Larry Craig.

Their four children graduated from Woodford County High School: Michael Savage (deceased, wife Elizabeth), Jeff Savage (wife Melissa), Carol Savage Yankey (husband Scott), and John Savage (wife Lisa). Their nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren also survive. For Curt's full obituary, click here. For Madge's, click here.

Holly Hill Inn marked its 40th anniversary Sunday

Sunday, Nov. 10, marked 40 years since the Holly Hill Inn hosted its first public reception. It began in 1979 as a modern country inn and fine dining establishment owned by Honeywood Parrish Rouse and her son, Isaac Parrish Rouse, and operated by Rex and Rose Lyon. In 2000, Ouita and Chris Michel bought it, and in 2001 opened their restaurant. It has been a Midway landmark much longer.

According to the history on the restaurant website, the first building on the site, around 1800, was Stevenson's Tavern, a stone-and-brick building overlooking the crossroads of the Georgetown and Leestown roads. It was home to the area's first post office, established as Stevenson's in 1832, just before the Lexington and Ohio Railroad began buying land for Kentucky's first railroad.

A fire in the early 1840s destroyed the tavern, which had been bought by Hancock W. Davis in 1839. He built the Greek Revival structure that stands today, "incorporating some doors, walls, windows and fireplaces from the earlier building into the new home," the history says. "Davis lived in the house until 1854, when it was sold to Squire William A. Moore, a local magistrate and president of the Midway Paper Mill Company. Moore and his wife added some Victorian touches to the house, and they lived there for several decades."

Isaac Parish bought the home in 1903 and did major renovations, including a large Colonial-style veranda. "Its design was intended to provide Mr. Parrish's children with ample room to play, and a concrete deck was poured so the children would have a place to roller-skate," the history says. "The house was named Hermosa after an English rose found growing on the grounds. The house and grounds were a well-run, self-sufficient community with orchards, chicken yards, servants' quarters, stables, and even a mushroom growing operation housed in an old ice house. The Parrishes were well known for their hospitality, and the home was the center for many festive gatherings."

Water company tells us how to keep pipes from freezing

Press release from Kentucky American Water Co., Midway's wholesale water supplier
     With colder weather arriving here in the Bluegrass, Kentucky American Water reminds customers of ways to help prevent their water pipes from freezing this winter.
     “We want our customers to understand the importance of protecting the pipes in and around their homes before extreme weather or below freezing temperatures set in,” said Kentucky American Water Vice President of Operations David Farrar. “By taking a few simple steps, customers can prevent serious and costly damage to their homes this winter.”
     Frozen water lines typically occur in areas such as crawl spaces or along the outside walls where unprotected plumbing tends to be more vulnerable to the elements. Following these tips now can help avoid headaches later:
• Make sure you have disconnected garden hoses from your home. If you have an irrigation system or sprinklers, make sure it is turned off and drained.
• Search your house for un-insulated water pipes, especially in unheated areas. Check attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls. Consider wrapping pipes with insulation sleeves. Another option is electric heating tape but follow manufacturers’ instructions carefully to avoid a fire hazard.
• Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations with caulking to keep cold air away from pipes. ow to Prevent Frozen Pipes
• Drain and shut off entirely the water to any unoccupied residence such as a summer or vacation home. A loss of power during a winter storm could cause pipes to freeze.
• Set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees if you’re going out of town. Although you may be able to get away with a lower temperature, this setting is safe for pipes.
• When below-freezing temperatures occur, keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets supplied by pipes that run through unheated or unprotected spaces. This will help prevent the water in them from freezing. Also, keep kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes.
• Make sure you know where your main water shut-off valve is located inside your home so that you can shut off your water quickly in the event of a water pipe leak. This valve is often located in a utility room or closet or in the basement.

Message from the mayor: Be careful as we go through the winter’s first snowfall

Hello everyone,
     This is just a friendly reminder that the first snow of the year tends to lead to a lot of accidents, likely because we haven’t been driving in those conditions for some time.
     While this weather event may turn out to be little, the conditions are right for potential ice overnight and in the morning on your commute. Wright Farm Services is prepared to respond if conditions necessitate, but don’t count on roads outside of Midway having been treated thoroughly.

     Please take extra caution; we’ve been driving on mostly dry roads lately.
Stay safe,
Grayson Vandegrift, Mayor
City of Midway

Monday is deadline to enter Nov. 16 chili cook-off

Last year's winner: Chip Guillot (Photo  by Ana Neal)

The 2019 Midway Charity Chili Cook-Off is still seeking contestants, and the deadline is Monday.

The cook-off will be held from noon until 3 p.m. (or until supplies last) on Saturday, Nov. 16, as part of the Midway Business Association's series of holiday promotions. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Midway Ministerial Association and Midway Renaissance.

Samplers of chili will pay $5 for the privilege, and will have the opportunity to vote for their top three contestants. The MBA will provide each taster a spoon, cup and napkins.

Votes will be counted and prizes awarded at 3:30 p.m. First place will receive $50 cash and a trophy; second place will get $30 cash and a medal; and third place will receive $20 and a medal.

Contestant Information

• Register online at http://bit.ly/MidwayChili2019.
• Prepare and bring six to 10 quarts of chili in your own crockpot(s); you are welcome to make more.
• Enter no more than two chili recipes.
• Check in at City Hall, 101 E. Main St. You will have assigned outdoor spaces in which to set up along the sidewalks. In case of inclement weather, an indoor location will be determined.
• Set up by 11:45 a.m. and be ready to serve at noon sharp.
• Access to an electric outlet will be provided, but you must provide your own table, which must be draped, as well as chairs, a serving spoon or ladle, and an extension cord.
• You may also bring toppings such as cheese, crackers, hot sauce, etc. These are optional.

Midway voters offer widely varying reasons for their choices Tuesday, many contrary to party registration

By Kennedy Sabharwal and Grant Wheeler
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

As voters left the polls at Northside Elementary School before lingering clouds finally dispersed Tuesday, many were wrapped up in their winter coats ready to brave the cold weather. Asked how they voted, they had widely varying reasons for their votes in the race between Attorney General Andy Beshear, who carried Midway, and Gov. Matt Bevin.

Beshear and Bevin at their final debate, in Northern Kentucky Oct. 29

The election turned out to be a referendum on the governor and his personality, and even his supporters acknowledged his problems. “I don’t always agree with what he says but I agree with enough,” said Candace Barnes, 60.

Ben Patton, 22, said he “voted for Beshear because I want to be a teacher, and also want to have a pension.” His friend Isaac Hamilton, 21, said likewise: “I also plan on being an educator.”

Some voters spoke only with the guarantee of anonymity, A 72-year-old registered nurse said she voted for Bevin in 2015, but today “I voted for Beshear because I am a retired teacher.” Beshear credited teachers' activism for his victory.

Though she is a registered Democrat, the woman said she voted for Republican Daniel Cameron over Greg Stumbo for attorney general because “My husband knows Stumbo, because he was a lobbyist, and we know he is not very honest, and I just would like to see a young black man in office.”

She said she voted for Heather French Henry for secretary of state “because I have met her personally and she is a woman of dignity and honesty.” Henry won Midway but lost the county and state; Stumbo carried the city precinct but lost the rural one, the county and the state.

A registered independent who is a marketer said, “I voted for Beshear because I don’t like Bevin and what he has done and how he has treated teachers.”

The woman said that her vote for attorney general was somewhat influenced by President Trump, but to the contrary; she said she voted for Stumbo because Trump supported Cameron.

Several said they voted contrary to their party registration. A 68-year-old retired City of Frankfort employee said he is a registered Democrat, but “believe it or not, I voted Republican all the way. … They fuss about Bevin causin’ so much trouble, but sometimes you gotta stir it up.”

His wife, a 69-year-old retired state worker, said she also voted to re-elect Bevin “because he is trying to straighten things out.”

On the other hand, a 25-year-old man who manages a restaurant in Woodford County said he used to be a registered Republican but became a Democrat because his thoughts aligned more with the Democratic Party and “I voted straight Democrat.”

A man in his 30s said he voted for Democrat Jack Conway against Bevin in 2015, but was for Bevin this time. “I’m in the horse industry,” he explained. “Bevin has hired people that he knows that know the business.” The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has allowed "instant racing," a form of betting that closely resembles slot machines.

Beshear wants to raise revenue by expanding gambling further, which worries the voter. “The sitting governor has the ability to do away with instant racing,” he said. “Once you do free-standing casinos, the horsemen and the farm stuff get none of that funding” from the state.

The man said he likes Bevin's frankness, likening it to the approach of President Trump, but for some other voters, Trump was a negative.

A 74-year-old Democrat from Midway said she voted for Beshear, called Bevin “mean and thoughtless” and added, “Trump's been in the picture for him; we are Kentucky; it’s about us.”

A 51-year-old registered nurse Bevin's ties to Trump made her “far less likely to vote for him.” She and a University of Kentucky student said they voted for Beshear “He’s screwing over teachers, and I want to be a music teacher eventually,” the student said. “I don’t like his personality or his policies and I want him out.”

On the other hand, a 73-year-old man said he likes Bevin because he is “straightforward and has the guts to say somethin’ like how we shouldn’t have sanctuary cities.” Kentucky has no such cities, Beshear cited that in saying that he saw no need for a law banning them.

The man said voted straight Republican. “What the left says, which is primarily Democratic, is not feasible,” he said. “Everything they say is just an attempt to get votes.”

Information for this story was also gathered by UK journalism student Garrett Burton.

Midway area favors Beshear over Bevin, and Henry over Adams; city voters favor Stumbo over Cameron

By Al Cross and Garrett Burton
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway voters favored Attorney General Andy Beshear for governor and all but one other Democrat for statewide office in Tuesday's election. Those in the rural Midway precinct, which includes some areas near Versailles, supported Beshear and one other Democrat but otherwise voted Republican.

Beshear precincts in blue, Bevin in red

Beshear won the city precinct with 494 votes, 54 percent of the total, to 252 for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and 15 for John Hicks, who ran a very limited campaign on the Libertarian ticket. In the rural precinct, Beshear won 283 to 226 to 15. He carried Woodford County with 6,235 votes, 53.1% of the total, to Bevin's 5,277 and Hicks' 227. Bevin carried the county by 100 votes in 2015.

Voters interviewed at the polls, who generally declined to give their names, had more to say about Bevin than about Beshear. A woman in her 30s said she voted against Bevin “mainly because he is so disrespectful to many people on many levels, and I don’t like that representing Kentucky.”

A Republican in his 30s said he voted for Beshear, and Democrat Jack Conway in 2015. “Mostly, I don’t care for Bevin,” he said. “There’s definitely a personality component to it, but I disagree with a lot of the policy decisions.”

On the other hand, a 72-year-old Democrat said he voted for Bevin because “I believe he is a better person” and things overall have been going well for the state.

Bevin was the only Republican to lose a partisan race in Kentucky on Tuesday. Woodford voters favored Democrat Heather French Henry for secretary of state, 6,067 (51.9%) to 5,622 for statewide winner Michael Adams. Henry carried the county by the same percentage, 6,067 to 5,622. She won the city precinct 485 to 273 and the rural precinct 282 to 239.

Republican candidates Daniel Cameron and Ryan Quarles
campaigned in the Foothills Festival parade in Albany Oct. 18.

In other races, Woodford voters favored Republicans. However, in the race for attorney general in the Midway city precinct, Democrat Greg Stumbo ran ahead of countywide and statewide winner Daniel Cameron, getting 434 votes to Cameron's 312. Cameron won the rural Midway precinct 270 to 248.

City voters also favored Sheri Donahue over state Auditor Mike Harmon, 416 to 302, and Michael Bowman over state Treasurer Allison Ball, 384 to 358. The Republican incumbents won the rural precinct, Harmon getting 52% and Ball 59%. Ball got the most votes of any statewide candidate.

The partisan allegiances of the two precincts were further indicated by the number of voters who cast straight-ticket ballots. In the city, straight-party voting was 232 Democratic, 159 Republican and 4 Libertarian. In the rural precinct, it was 129 Republican, 120 Democratic and 3 Libertarian.

Robert Haley Conway

The sole Republican winner in the city was Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who defeated fellow Georgetown resident Robert Haley Conway, who attends Midway Presbyterian Church. It was close; Quarles won the city precinct with 382 votes to 348 for Conway and 16 for Libertarian Josh Gilpin. Quarles won the county precinct 340 to 174 to 6. The countywide results were Quarles 7,158 (61.8%), Conway 4,106 (35.46%) and Gilpin 316 (2.7%). Statewide, Quarles won 58.2% to 38.6%.

Turnout in the election was much higher than expected: 42 percent statewide and 54.6 percent in Woodford. Asked why, Midway precinct officer Helen Rentch said, "Competiton." The governor's race was known to be close (Beshear won by fewer than 5,000 votes in unofficial returns) and both sides mounted major efforts to get out the vote. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said turnout in the city precinct was 56 percent.