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

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

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

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

Iron Horse Half Marathon to be run Sunday morning

Map shows mileages, water stations and direction of travel. First half of course is purple; second half is red.

The annual Iron Horse Half Marathon will be run through and near Midway, starting at 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16. Spring Station Road, Stephens Street and Weisenberger Mill Road will be closed, except for local traffic access, along the marked route from 7:30 to 11:30. The start and finish will be on North Brand Street. Organizers say all activities should be over by 12:30 p.m.

The increasingly popular race primarily benefits the Woodford Humane Society, which provides most of the volunteers along the 13.1-mile route. It is sponsored by John's Run/Walk Shop and Saul Good Restaurant and Pub of Lexington. Questions about the race can be directed to coordinator Chuck Griffis at chuck@johnsrunwalk.com or (859) 335-1818.

Forum for City Council candidates tomorrow night at 7

Candidates for the Midway City Council in the Nov. 8 election will participate in a forum at Midway University at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13.

The six council seats are being sought by seven people, all of whom have agreed to participate: Council Members Steven Craig, Kaye Nita Gallagher, Sara Hicks, Bruce Southworth and Libby Warfield, and non-incumbents Steve Simoff and John McDaniel II. Council Member Dan Roller is not seeking re-election.

The forum will be held in the Duthie Auditorium in the Anne Hart Raymond Building. It is sponsored by the Midway Women’s Club and the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce. A reception for candidates and the public will be held in the lobby from 6 to 7 p.m.

Each candidate will get three minutes to introduce themselves, then all candidates will have two minutes to answer questions submitted by community members. Questions for the candidates can be emailed to Don Vizi at the Chamber of Commerce: woodforddirector@gmail.com.

Another forum with the same schedule and format will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, for higher offices. Invited are U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and his Democratic challenger, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray; U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, Democratic challenger Nancy Jo Kemper, state Rep. James Kay and Republican challenger Daniel Fister. Those who had responded favorably as of Oct. 1 were Kemper, Kay and Fister.

Intergovernmental panel recommends removing Versailles bypass from planning objectives, but not plan

By Marjorie Kirk

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Representatives from Midway, Versailles and the Woodford County Fiscal Court have proposed changes to goals and objectives approved by the county Planning Commission, including removing the Versailles bypass project.

State Department of Highways map

Midway City Council members Daniel Roller, Libby Warfield and Sara Hicks met with three members of the Versailles City Council and three Fiscal Court magistrates Oct. 4 to discuss contentious items in the goals and objectives for the county’s comprehensive plan, which the planning commission approved Sept. 8 by a vote of 5-3.

The intergovernmental group proposed that the objective specifying the bypass expansion read more generally: “Pursue projects that minimize traffic on main streets and narrow residential streets including, but not limited to an alternative route,” which could be the bypass.

References to the bypass remain in the details of the plan, Council Member Dan Roller noted after the meeting when asked why Versailles representatives were willing to accept the change.

Traffic congestion in Versailles has been the impetus for the bypass project, which Gov. Matt Bevin removed from the state’s road plan during budget cuts early this year.

The planning commission has one member from Midway, Rich Schein, who argued during its September meeting that the bypass, as well as other projects, should be left out of the goals and objectives. He said building the bypass was not the desire of people in Woodford County, and that it would bisect the county’s main parks.

Schein reiterated his objections Monday as the Midway City Council held a public forum on the commission’s plan, which it had sent to the local legislative bodies for approval.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift commended Schein and the other dissenters. “It is bizarre to me that the commission passed these goals and objectives when all three bodies immediately realized there was a problem and they would have to come back and fix it,” he said. “That leaves me scratching my head.”

If the bypass is built, traffic would be diverted from Versailles, but at the risk of increasing traffic on Midway Road, US 62. Possible northern ends of the bypass include going directly into Midway Road, a bit farther north on Frankfort Road (US 60) or the intersection of the existing bypass and US 62. Representatives from Midway object to putting more traffic on narrow Midway Road. 

“I don’t support doing so without trying other sound suggestions which to date have been ignored and which might avoid dumping the problem on their next-door neighbor,” Vandegrift said.

One transportation objective proposed by the commission calls for planned to “discourage thru tractor-trailer traffic from certain routes, including downtown Versailles and Midway Road.” The intergovernmental panel proposed that the objective be to “discourage and divert” big trucks from both roads.

The panel also found issue with one of the objectives for general land use and development, which called for “justified expansions” of cities’ urban services areas rather than the current “some limited adjustments.” In its written report, the panel said that “was replacing one unclear term with another.”

Magistrate Mary Ann Gill proposed that the objective be “Manage the location of the urban services boundaries to meet the needs of the cities, considering the community as a whole.” The panel reported that it did not reach a consensus on that point, and Vandegrift said it will need to meet again.

Vandegrift said the creation and success of the intergovernmental panel would be a step toward his goal of collaborating and meeting with the Versailles City Council and the Fiscal Court on a regular basis. The panel included half of each city council and three of the nine Fiscal Court members. He said Versailles officials like the idea but at least some magistrates do not. 

John Holloway, bridge builder, leads the way for improvements at Walter Bradley Park

Story by Marissa Beucler
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

John Holloway isn’t even Midway’s park manager yet, but has already made his mark with the construction of a pedestrian bridge and otherimprovements in in Walter Bradley Park. The bridge is complete and a ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

“Many people kept saying they would love to have a bridge to connect the north and south sides of town,” Holloway noted.

The community has wanted this bridge over Lee Branch for a very long time, and Holloway brought a full skill set to the project.

As a theatre professor at the University of Kentucky for 33 years, he has design, layout and carpentry skills that helped him design and reshape areas of the park as well as establishing Friends of the Park, a committee to help with the work.

Holloway and his bride of five years, Patty Holloway, relocated from Lexington to Midway because it was equidistant between their two workplaces. Both have volunteered in Midway, which brought the couple into helping with the park, starting with cleanup jobs about a year and a half ago.

“He is very valuable and represents great qualities about Midway,” said Mayor Grayson Vandegrift. He said Friends of the Park is an efficient team that completes tasks to benefit the community.

Vandegrift said he and his Citizens Advisory Committee came up with the idea of a park board that would include an unpaid manager to look after the park, and “John was sort of the obvious choice.” Vandegrift said he will appoint the board soon.

Estimates for a bridge had run as high as $60,000, but Holloway said it could be done for $7,000 to $8,000 and the city council budgeted $10,000 for park improvements. Friends of the Park has raised another $4,000 through private donations and grants. The materials cost half of the estimated budget, and the labor was done by city employees already on the payroll.

Holloway’s eagerness for the project helped him connect with other beneficial volunteers. Consulting geologist Gina Morris was able to get very quickly the Army Corps of Engineers permit to build in a flood plain and span the creek. Morris said working with Holloway has been a tremendous experience for her. University of Kentucky students and Jayoung Koo, assistant professor of landscape architecture, also helped by creating designs for park improvements.

The community members who contributed to the project have all volunteered at the Walter Bradley Park for several years, Morris said. “I have been around the park for 15 years now and I walk my dog everyday there. I can’t wait to walk my dog across the bridge rather than the corner street.”

The entrance at the foot of Gratz Street has its first sign. Paths built by Holloway and volunteers are visible.

A long-neglected cemetery near the creek got a cleanup, a sign and a low rock fence to protect it. 

Merchants raise booth fees, hire a festival coordinator

By Alexandria Kerns

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway Fall Festival will see some changes next year despite this year’s success.

According to Leslie Penn, co-owner of the Historic Midway Museum Store and treasurer of the Midway Business Association, the festival brought in $15,000 from booth rentals this year, which a gain of $3,000 from last year.

Elisha Riddle (Facebook photo)

Kenny Smith, president of the association, has been in charge of the Fall Festival the past two years. Smith has decided to step down from this position.

Elisha Riddle, a social-media marketing consultant, was chosen to take over the festival by the three members of the association who attended its regular monthly meeting Wednesday. Smith said that he would assist Riddle with the job.

“I don’t know how anyone could fight this since it is not going to cost us anything. It’s really a no-brainer to me,” MBA member Steve Simoff said.

The money to pay Riddle will come from a $25 increase in booth prices for the next year, to $200 per space. Food vendors will see a $50 increase, to $225. Smith said these prices are similar to those charged by the Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival which charges $225.

Smith also suggested that Riddle get a percentage of the money that she raises from sponsorships.

Riddle said she is excited to take over the festival next year, but does not think she will be making any major changes.

“We;ll stick to all the same basics, and Kenny is going to be coaching me so I make sure it’s done the way that the merchants want it done,” said Riddle. “It’s been successful in the past so I want to keep it that way, obviously.”

Midway University's four-year nursing degree program is re-accredited through 2024

By Matthew Hunter

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway University’s baccalaureate nursing program recently won re-accreditation through 2024.

This followed a visit in February from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, which granted the accreditation. According to ACEN, one of the factors nursing programs need to uphold in order to be accredited is exhibiting a “quality program.”

“Accreditation through ACEN is voluntary and recognizes educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality,” said the dean of Midway’s School of Health and Sciences, Dr. Barbara Kitchen.

Midway’s RN-BSN program, which has been accredited since 1992, is for registered nurses who want to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing. The program, one of just five accredited baccalaureate programs across Kentucky, provides graduates a smooth transition into more advanced course work.

According to Midway’s nursing site, the curriculum combines general-education classes with professional nursing theory, critical thinking and practicum experiences all while preparing students for the job market.

“Students receive classroom theory, learn skills in the nursing skills/laboratory and must pass ‘check-off’ evaluation of skills,” Kitchen said when asked how Midway’s nursing students are prepared for the field. “Then [they] have extensive clinical experience in hospitals throughout the program.” 

Midway’s nursing program, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last spring, prepares students for nursing careers immediately following graduation. According to Kitchen, 97 to 100 percent of graduates in the program receive appropriate jobs with their nursing degrees. There are 18 students in the RN-BSN program now.

In the ACEN findings, Kitchen was noted as a strength of the program.

Kitchen has approximately 50 years of nursing experience and has been at Midway for 15 years. In 2004 she was named the chair of nursing and in 2015 she was named dean. She was also recognized as one of 50 distinguished graduates at the University of Kentucky’s celebration of National Nurse Practitioners Week.

“The experience of the nurse administrator and respect that college administrators and faculty campus-wide expressed for her are reflective of her commitment to quality and excellence, which has resulted in a culture of faculty availability and service to students," ACEN said.

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Stivers, vice president of academic affairs at Midway, said commended the nursing faculty and staff for their work: “Reaccreditation from ACEN affirms that our student-centered approach to nursing produces outstanding clinicians and leaders who are sought after by employers.”