Second group of students from Panama studying at college under agreement with Panamanian government

President John Marsden and his wife Margaret gave a welcoming
reception at their home, Pinkerton-Rouse Place, in March for the
second group of Panamanian students, 26 of them. (College photo)

By Bridget Slone

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

A second group of students from Panama is studying at Midway College, under an agreement the college signed with a Panamanian government agency in December.

Under the agreement, the Panamanian government awarded scholarships, including tuition, room and board, for Panamanian students to study at the college, according to Ellen Gregory, the college’s vice president of marketing and communications.

The college said in a press release that it hosted Sonia de Luzcando, general director, and Itzel Hubbarb, chief international cooperation officer of Panama’s Institute for Training and Development of Human Resources, on campus for a tour, strategy meetings and an official signing ceremony.

The first Panamanians to arrive on campus under the partnership was a group of eight teachers and three school administrators, according to the college’s director of multicultural and international Affairs, Rosa Ponce-Sanabria.

“The teachers were on campus four weeks and the administrators for six weeks,” Ponce-Sanabria said. “They attended education courses with the help of an interpreter and have now returned to Panama to put their newly acquired skills into practice at their schools.”

The second group to arrive was students who are participating in a college readiness program, which began in March and goes through mid-December, Gregory said in an email.

The students previously attended a center funded by the Institute for Training and Development of Human Resources. Through this center, the institute provides room and board to students from rural 

areas who would otherwise not be able to regularly attend school, Gregory explained.

She said all the students were selected because of their strong academic background, and at this point 26 scholarships have been funded. “We anticipate this to be just the beginning of a long relationship going forward,” she said.

Council returns part of Midway Station to industrial zoning; Shell station spurred more development at I-64

By Dylan Russell

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Longtime industrial zone in purple; new industrial outlined in purple

Midway Station may not be all for naught after all. Without debate on Monday, the city council approved potential developer Dennis Anderson’s request to rezone 43.5 acres of land on the north side of the property.

What was once zoned as industrial, then residential is now industrial again, because the Woodford County Economic Development Authority has prospective industrial buyers for the tract, which could create hundreds of jobs.

Midway Station is visible across I-64 from the Shell. (Photo by Dylan Russell)

The Interstate 64 interchange has already seen some development recently. Late last year, a Shell station and convenience store opened on the former Weems property on the other side of the interchange, now known as the Green Gables development, owned by Anderson.

The success of the Shell station showed the viability of property and helped get the ball rolling on Midway Station, Anderson said before the April 10 meeting at which the Woodford County Planning Commission recommended the rezoning.

Anderson and city officials have said there is a synergy to the two tracts: The convenience store created a nearby where Midway Station workers could eat and shop, and helped attract McDonald’s Corp., which has received approval for a restaurant on the site. That will make the interchange even more attractive to business and industry, they say.

In March, Anderson told the Messenger, “We have been aiming for big brands that say, ‘This is a for-real location.’” Mayor Tom Bozarth has said that a McDonald’s would be a good thing for the development.

The Shell station sits right off I-64 and is easily visible to interstate traffic. Many cars flock off of the interstate to get gas and food such as biscuits, fried chicken, pizza and other quick bites to go.

Working behind the front register this week was Melissa Wilson, a Midway native. Asked whether the business attracts mostly local or highway travelers, she said, “We have both. I’m a local, and we needed this store.”

Brandy Howard, a Frankfort native and nurse at the University of Kentucky, stopped to get gas on her way to work Tuesday.

“I forgot to get gas earlier, so I stopped here since it is right off of the interstate,” said Howard.

Many license plates of cars getting gas were from different counties, so there is plenty of highway traffic. McDonald’s would provide interstate traffic with a nationally known place to eat close to the gas station, and could draw people into Midway.

The grand prize of the development is a hotel. A gas station and a McDonald’s would bring Midway that much closer to obtaining a hotel, which Bozarth has said is a primary goal of development for Midway.

A hotel nearby could bring more people into Midway and make the town more of a gateway for Woodford County, which has bed and breakfasts but no hotels – and thus little revenue from the lodging tax that is used for tourism promotion.

So, the Shell Station may have been a big stepping stone for the interchange area, playing a pivotal role in helping make something out of Midway Station, perhaps making the city's “failed industrial park” a success after all.

Pipeline plan is halted, but area landowners remain wary

By Kayla Pickrell

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

The halting of a proposed natural-gas-liquids pipeline that would stretch across Kentucky and through part of greater Midway left some landowners relieved but wary.

“The general feeling is that everyone is cautiously optimistic,” said Corlia Logsdon, creator of www.StopBluegrassPipeline.us. “We do feel that the announcement is good news for those of us who were concerned about our families, neighbors and our homes.”

The Bluegrass Pipeline, planned to run from West Virginia to the Gulf Coast, posted a statement from representatives Bill Lawson and Michael McMahon saying that the project is on indefinite hold. The reason given was because the customer base for natural gas liquids on the coast was not large enough to build on the planned route. “Bluegrass Pipeline appears to be a project that’s ahead of its time,” they said.

Part of a Q and A on the pipeline website said, “While we are not investing additional capital in this project at this time, we continue to seek customers for this project and still believe the Bluegrass Pipeline project is the best long-term solution in the marketplace for moving this resource to market.”

If Bluegrass Pipeline does not exercise its options for easements within the three-year term of the option, the easement will expire.

In late March, a Kentucky judge ruled that natural-gas-liquid pipelines cannot use eminent domain to obtain land rights from Kentucky landowners. The Q and A said that ruling, which is being appealed, did not affect the decision.

Opponents rallied against the pipeline, while supporters stood strong for the benefits it would grant them and their communities. Those who granted easements to the company were given non-refundable money and will not be asked to return it, the pipeline representatives said.

The pipeline has closed its local offices, but Lawson and McMahon said they want to maintain a close connection with Kentucky communities: “We value the relationships we have built and plan to stay connected to the communities, providing updates on the project as needed and keeping an open door for continued dialogue.”

Logsdon and those in her organization, Stop the Bluegrass Pipeline, do not believe the war is over.

“We will be safe for a little longer,” she said. “However, we also believe very strongly that this project could be revived in the future and that we cannot stop working to get safeguards in place to protect Kentuckians' property rights from corporate abuse of eminent domain by companies that are not in public service.

“Clearly, we have much work to do, and I am confident our group will continue working to protect our natural resources that we all depend on for life and livelihood.”

The pipeline representatives wrote, “We spent more than a year listening and talking with communities all along the route. We learned much about each and every community we interacted with.  That is why we know that this project while ahead of its time is needed to advance the manufacturing revolution in this country, which is creating thousands of jobs and advancing energy independence.”

'Time to Talk' event set for tonight has been postponed

Tonight's “Time to Talk” event, sponsored by the Woodford County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy board, has been postponed due to the inclement weather that is expected to arrive in Versailles this evening. Many of the event’s speakers are emergency personnel and others are traveling some distance to speak at the event. The ASAP board said these presenters' safety and the safety of those in attendance "is of the utmost importance, therefore we are postponing the event to a later date, which will be announced soon. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

Midway native Loretta Crawford is remembered as one who overcame big obstacles to help others

By Darius Owens
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Loretta Crawford

Loretta Crawford was an uplifting woman who helped others and gave back to her community. She spent most of her 54 years in a wheelchair, but served as a guide to everyone who needed her assistance, said those who knew her.

Crawford passed away on Easter Sunday, April 20. A visitation and funeral service were held Saturday at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Midway.

“She was more of an inspiration for those who felt worthless,” Tony Owsley, a childhood friend, said in an interview.. “She still had the strength to give it to those who felt weak. She was a beautiful person, and had a beautiful soul.”

The ambience of the church during the visitation was peaceful, yet engaging. The pews were filled with Crawford’s friends, family and admirers, who were kind and neighborly as they gave her son and the rest of the family their condolences.

“Her nickname was Booweezy growing up,” said Janet Owsley-Williams, another childhood friend and Tony Owsley’s cousin. “She always had a smile on her face no matter what, even by her being in her wheelchair. She never let that get her down.”

For most of her youth, Crawford lived in Midway. She was born in Versailles and graduated from Woodford County High School. She spent most of her adult life in Lexington but she was well remembered in Midway; Mayor Tom Bozarth noted her passing at the start of last Monday’s city council meeting.

Crawford experienced two life-altering events when she was a teenager that paralyzed her from the waist down. According to her son Andrew, the first occurred when she was 15 and was accidentally shot by her father. The other incident happened a year later after she recovered; she was thrown through the windshield of a car driven by a friend.

These two compounding incidents caused her to be permanently bound to a wheelchair, but the people who loved her say she lived her life positively and served to guide people during their own journeys as well.

“My mother was my hero, my inspiration,” Andrew Crawford said. He was an offensive guard for Bryan Station High School, where his mother served as the team mom and played basketball for the University of Kentucky Lady Wheel Cats.

Crawford worked for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for 18 years in several positions, including caseworker and budget analyst, and was a communications officer before retiring in 2006. Her obituary said she helped many people achieve professional training and employment, which made her a valuable asset to the Lexington community.

“She always wanted to raise a good son,” says Kelley Coffey, friend of one of Loretta’s sisters since childhood. “She was very pleasant to be around, and she always had words of wisdom.”

According to her son, Loretta had a kidney removed five years ago, and this led to some complications. After years of fighting the issues in her respiratory system, unfortunately, she could fight no longer.

Besides her son, Crawford is survived by biological father, Joe Taylor, and her paternal father, Al Snell. So do seven siblings – Marcus, Glen, and Norman Crawford; Brenda Reed (Mike); Marcella Morton (Alex); Paul Jackson, and Mary Snell. Other survivors include aunts Helen Washington and Mary Crawford, and her nephews, nieces, family, and friends.

At the funeral, Elder William C. Wright quoted 2 Timothy 4:7, in which Paul the apostle says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” and Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil…” Wright said God places barriers, or valleys, in our lives for us to overcome them.

“Not only did she have the encouragement and support from her loving family … not only did she draw continuously from the wells of friendship that she formed throughout her life,” Wright said, “but through it all, she realized that she was never alone, because she had a comforter that is the Holy Spirit … ”

Loretta Crawford overcame incredible obstacles, and managed to be there for others. She was loved by many and will truly be missed.

Leaks and lines: Council debates water-bill adjustment policy, OKs engineering work for Higgins Street project

By Miranda Sergent

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Water leaks and lines were the main topics of discussion at Monday evening’s city council meeting.

After months of discussion, a new ordinance has been drafted to govern water bill adjustments, and the council is planning to replace water lines on Higgins Street with federal money loaned by the state.

Adjusting the bills of property owners who have large leaks has been a headache for the council for some time. This ordinance would allow adjustments for farms, which don’t qualify for them now because they are not on the sewer system. The ordinance is also designed to help city officials decide if a property owner actually needs an adjustment.

The council wants property owners  to be able to have an adjustment if the leak is not their fault. The ordinance was drafted to discourage negligence and will only allow one adjustment in a 12-momth period, based on proof of repairs completed by themselves or a plumber.

Most of Monday’s discussion dealt with whether a leak qualifying for an adjustment would have to be underground, as the original draft of the ordinance said, or could also be a leak inside the home, as requested by Council Member Dan Roller.

Council Member Sara Hicks said, “We don’t want to reward negligence.” Council Member Sharon Turner asked, “What if someone fills their pool up and says they had a high water bill?" Regardless of how the ordinance is written, she said, “People will do whatever they can do to find a loophole.”

Nevertheless, the council tentatively agreed to include any leak on the customer’s side of the meter.

More changes were made to the draft, including that decisions on adjustments would be made by a sewer and water committee, instead of the mayor. Josh Salsburey, who was sitting in for city attorney Phil Moloney, said he would have a redraft for the council to consider Monday morning at the council's special meeting Bozarth's proposed budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The council approved a contract with HMB Professional Engineers of Frankfort for work on the Higgins Street water project, contingent on approval of the loan by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.

The contingency was included at the behest of Council Member Bruce Southworth, who expressed reluctance to obligate the city before the grant was approved. Bozarth urged approval, saying, “This is an opportunity, and Midway needs to take advantage of it for the improvement of the water lines.”

HMB’s water/wastewater division manager, Chris Stewart, said there will be three phases of the project. Phase 1, on the western section of the street, would connect all homes to the six-inch line serving fire hydrants and run an extension to an existing three-inch line. Phase 2, between Winter and Gratz streets, would remove a two-inch line and connect with a three-inch line. Phase 3, from Gratz Street to Brand Street, would add a six-inch line at the end of the street.

HMB has estimated the project cost, including engineering, administrative and environmental work, to be around $214,050, Stewart said. The estimated construction cost will be around $146,000. Stewart said he estimated that the loan would cost all water customers in the city an average of $1.67 a month on their bills, but KIA may calculate a lower cost, which the city would follow.

On an active construction project, Stewart said he would contact the contractor on the handicapped ramp project on East Main Street to correct some largely cosmetic problems with the work.

The council approved use of nearly $30,000 in leftover housing funds for materials to build a Habitat for Humanity home at 218 N. Winter St. The money comes from federal funds Midway recaptured from Habitat home occupants who moved out before their homes were fully paid for. 

Doug Searcy of Woodford County Habitat for Humanity said the group has built eight houses in Midway and is also planning to building a 10th one at 209 Stephens St. He said, “I appreciate the cooperation of the council and hope I see you as volunteers out there helping to build the house on North Winter Street.”

The council heard first reading of an ordinance to return to industrial zoning 43 acres in Midway Station that were among the tracts rezoned as residential several years ago. Bozarth said he wants to have a second reading and approval of the ordinance during Monday morning’s special meeting.

The property, owned by the Woodford County Development Authority, is under consideration by major industries. "We're very excited about it," said Dick Murphy, the attorney for developer Dennis Anderson. EDA Executive Director Craig McAnelly said after he left the meeting that the prospective sale of the property did not depend on speedier-than-usual rezoning.

The council approved Bozarth’s request to place five military flags, one for each branch of service, behind the veterans’ monument in the cemetery.

Turner announced that an event called “Time to Talk,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 28 next Thursday at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System office in Versailles, will discuss heroin issues in Woodford County. Also, Turner said this Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day. To drop off old or unneeded prescriptions, go to the Woodford County Courthouse in Versailles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bozarth would like to merge cities' street units into county road department, but Judge-Executive Coyle says no

By Miranda Sergent
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

One of the longest, roughest winters in many years reminded Kentuckians that roadway maintenance is a huge priority in small Kentucky communities. Midway has had some challenges and changes on that front lately, and outgoing Mayor Tom Bozarth has ideas for an even bigger change.

Bozarth has an emerging idea that he thinks will better the town of Midway. He wants to merge the city’s street department with Woodford County’s road department. He says he doesn’t understand why the county has three road departments and he thinks it would be logical to merge them into one.

“The Woodford County Road Department has the equipment and capabilities and it could save Midway and Versailles money for our taxpayers,” Bozarth says, adding that the quality and level of service would greatly improve for all three jurisdictions. The county has a road engineer.

Bozarth’s plan has several supporters, but not County Judge-Executive John Coyle. He says the City of Midway would benefit from the merging of road crews, but the county would not.

Bozarth says the Midway road crew has done a good job maintaining the city’s streets, but if merged with the county crews,  work could be more efficient and more resources could be available. He said no one in Midway should have to lose their job in a merger.

Midway mayoral candidates Sharon Turner and Grayson Vandegrift, both on the city council, say they are interested in looking further into the idea of merged road services if elected.

Vandergrift says, “I like the idea of looking into merged services in certain cases so that Midway can save the taxpayers money and avoid duplicating services.”

Turner said the idea is worth researching, and thinks the merger of the police departments into the Versailles force, and the emergency management agreement among the governments, both work well.

Midway-area Magistrate Larry Craig agrees that merged services could be a great idea. “Anytime you can do away with the duplication of services, it can be beneficial,” he says. “You might spend the same amount of money, but efficiency would go up. Merged services doesn’t mean you cut the budget necessarily, but you get more for your dollar.”

Craig said Woodford County road crews have better equipment than the City of Midway, and adding the cities’ equipment and workers would only improve the services. He said that if the county could develop a contracting system for the road crews like it has done for the police department; in the long run money will be saved.

Coyle, who is running for re-election without opposition in the May 20 Democratic primary, disagrees. He and Bozarth clashed over road matters when Midway became a fourth-class city, like Versailles, Coyle and the Fiscal Court stopped clearing snow in the city.

“The court and I felt we must treat both fourth class cities alike so we no longer need to clear the roads inside the Midway city limits,” he said. The city has hired a private contractor for show clearance at a cost of about $20,000.