Winners of Woman's Club Holiday Decorating Contest

These lighted and decorated windows at 219 W. Higgins St. earned it the Best Christmas Spirit award.

The Midway Woman's Club has announced the winners of this year's Holiday Decorating Contest. Here they are, with nighttime photos and a video by the club's Amanda Glass and Genie Graf:

Special 2019 15th Anniversary MWC Holiday Décor Judging Award – 129 W. Bruen

Best Wreath – 231 Johnson St. (right)

Best Front Door – 111 Coach Station

Most Whimsical Lights – City Hall, 101 E. Main

Most Fun Decorations – 109 S. Gratz

Most Colorful Display – 318 N. Winter

Most Animated Display – 238 W. Stephens

Best Outdoor Tree – 120 E. Higgins (right)

Best Daytime Display – 332 S. Winter

Best Indoor Tree – 136 Carriage Lane

Best Spirit of Woodford Co. – 100 Carriage Ln.

Best Traditional Decorations – 217 N. Turner

Best Business – Goose & Gander, 133 E. Main

Best Decorated Porch – 238 W. Higgins

Best Decorated Yard – 225 E. Higgins

Best Decorated Shed – 219 S. Turner

Best Decorated Fence – 112 Old Towne Walk

Best Decorated Gate – 116 Coach Station

Best Overall Design – 219 Cottage Grove (below, day and night)

Newton Street to be closed at intersection with Dudley Street at 3:30 today due to flooding, cold temperatures

The outlet through Midway University is at lower right. (Google base map)

Newton Street will be closed at its intersection with Dudley Street at 3:30 today due to flooding of Lee Branch and cold temperatures, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announced via email at 1:45 p.m.

"Because of floodplain runoff from the recent heavy rains, and the falling temperatures, a dangerous, icy condition at the bend on Newton St. where it meets Dudley has caused us to make the decision to close Newton Street at 3:30 p.m. today," Vandegrift wrote. "It will reopen at 8 a.m. tomorrow, and at this time we do not expect any further trouble occurring from this."

The mayor said Newton Street residents won't be cut off; they "will be able to leave their homes by using the back entrance to Midway University," and going through the campus to East Stephens Street. "We’re thankful to Midway University for allowing our residents to exit through campus," he wrote. "Let me know if you have any questions."

State reschedules lane closure for drainage work at railroad overpass: tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Google base map

The state Transportation Cabinet has rescheduled its closure of a lane on Leestown Road at the railroad overpass 1.65 miles east of Midway for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

The closure is necessary for shoulder work and ditching operations, presumably to resolve a drainage issue near the overpass. The work was postponed from the original date of Monday, Dec. 16, due to inclement weather. The state has posted portable signs warning of possible ice on the highway.

The lane closure will be in effect at Woodford County milepoint 16.15 of US 62, near the overpass and Davistown Road. "All work, and closures are subject to change depending on weather, emergencies, and other factors beyond the control of the Department of Highways," the cabinet's news advisory says.

Weisenberger Mill Bridge scheduled to open Dec. 23, contractor says; state not willing to promise that

The new bridge structure was placed Nov. 25. (Image from
video shot by Phil Weisenberger, from Weisenberger Mill )

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announced near the end of last night's City Council meeting that the new Weisenberger Mill bridge could open to traffic before Christmas, months earlier than long thought.

Vandegrift said he had heard from "state officials" and Scott County Magistrate Chad Wallace that "unless something just terrible happens, unexpected, Weisenberger Mill bridge will be open by Christmas Day."

That brought cheers in City Hall, because the bridge has been closed for safety reasons since July 1, 2016, and its replacement has been delayed by environmental and historical considerations. The new bridge was expected to open by May, but construction has proceeded quickly.

Asked if the bridge could be open by Christmas, state Transportation Cabinet District 7 spokeswoman Natasha Lacy said in an email this morning, "There is a possibility for this. However, I will not send out an advisory until we receive final word from the contractor." Asked how long before traffic opening  the advisory would go out, she said "We do not know at this time because of the inclement weather."

UPDATES: The state contractor, Louisville Paving Co., has posted signs saying that the bridge will be open to traffic Dec. 23. Lacy said Wednesday morning, "The contractor did set up variable message boards with the date of the 23rd. However, guardrail work has not been completed. I will send a news release when we (the District 7 Office) are confident that the road/bridge will be open to motorists."

Half of council likes idea of helping form neighborhood associations, half does not; mayor says to watch video

If more neighborhood associations are formed in Midway, it won't be with the help of the city government, with the possible exception of some individual City Council members.

That was the upshot of the main discussion at Monday night's council meeting, when neighborhood-association advocates asked the city for help in planning boundaries and identifying initial leaders.

Council Members Stacy Thurman, John Holloway and Sara Hicks, who sit on one side of the council table, were supportive; Council Members Logan Nance, Bruce Southworth and Kaye Nita Gallagher, who sit on the other side, said the city shouldn't be involved.

Thurman said neighborhood associations would give a greater voice to "parts of Midway that don't really have a voice or use their voice as much other parts," but Gallagher said, "I kind of think it's segregation, to a certain degree."

Mike Adams of Versailles, president of the countywide Council of Neighborhood Associations, said "The idea is to give people a voice, not segregate." Joyce Evans of Midway, a CONA board member, said "We don't feel like anyone has to belong to one association or another."

Southworth said, "I don't see anything on here that we need to do." Nance said, "If people want more governance, let them have more governance."

Evans distinguished between homeowners associations, which can be "about restricting what you can do with your property," and neighborhood associations, which are voluntary. Northridge Estates, with about 125 homes, has a homeowners' association that also functions as a neighborhood association; Campusgate has a neighborhood association that is inactive, Evans said.

Dottie Cordray of the Gayland subdivision in southwest Midway said it doesn't have a neighborhood association, contrary to a written report to the council, "but might be interested" in forming one. The subdivision has about 24 homes.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, "I've never seen the table so evenly divided" between the council members. He suggested that the council defer the matter until constituents could watch the discussion on Facebook, in a video created by a new recording device that produces a higher quality video than those on the Midway Streaming Government Meetings page. That page will still be used for the recordings, but the meetings won't be live-streamed, at least until more internet bandwidth becomes available.

In other business, the council:

• Heard first reading, without comment, of the ordinances it has worked out to crack down on blighted property. Vandegrift has said he wants second reading and passage at the council's next meeting, on Jan. 6.
• Voted to let Vandegrift proceed with drafting a budget amendment that would delay the sewer cleanout and repair project on the east side of town, buy a $72,000 backhoe (through a state-government price contract) to replace one that has broken down, and get some of the needed money from the streets and cemetery budget lines. Vandegrift said he expected to have first reading of the amendment Jan. 6.
• Approved an encroachment permit for White Dog Trading and Storage, which is building whiskey warehouses along Georgetown Road. Vandegrift said the company's retention basin would be a permanent water feature that "would literally beautify Midway Station."
• Heard Marcie Christensen, chair of the Greenspace Commitee of Midway Renaissance, report that the committee was being revived hopes to deal with a range of environmental and sustainability issues, and is "just a kind of think tank" that is interested in knowing what residents would like it to do.
• Approved an event permit for the Frozen Rails 5K/10K Run/Walk from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on New Year's Day. Organizers said they are expecting 300 to 400 runners, who will use West Bruen, South Turner and East Stephens streets (continuing out Spring Station Road for the 10K). The fourth annual event will raise money for the Midway Ministerial Association.
• Heard that the Iron Horse Half Marathon wants to stick to its new schedule of the Sunday morning of the Midway Fall Festival, about three weeks earlier than the old schedule, but no longer use Gratz Street, which could interfere with the festival and traffic to churches.

Lane of Leestown Road at railroad overpass near Midway WON'T close today for work, state says

UPDATE: The work and the lane closure have been delayed "due to inclement weather," the Transportation Cabinet said this morning. (The original item was published Friday.)

Google base map

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet advises motorists of a lane closure planned for Leestown Road (US 421/US 62) for shoulder work and ditching operations Monday, Dec. 16 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The location, at US 62 milepoint 16.15 in Woodford County, is near the railroad overpass 1.65 miles west of the Midway city limits. The area has had drainage issues for some time and signs warning of possible ice were placed recently, apparently after a motorist slid into a guardrail.

"All work, and closures are subject to change depending on weather, emergencies, and other factors beyond the control of the Department of Highways," the cabinet's news release says.

City Council to hold anti-blight ordinances' first reading, hear request to help create neighborhood associations

The Midway City Council agenda for Monday, Dec. 16, includes first reading of two ordinances that Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and the council have drafted to crack down on blighted property. You can read the proposed code-enforcement ordinance here and the proposed amendment to the nuisance ordinance here.

Judy Offutt, left, and Joyce Evans proposed to the council in March
2017 that it help create neighborhood associations. Mayor Grayson
Vandegrift liked the idea but some council members were skeptical.

Other than usual items, the agenda includes a presentation from from Marcie Christensen about a greenspace committee, and one about neighborhood associations from the presidents of the city's two associations (Dottie Cordray of Gayland and Harvey Couch of Northridge Estates); Joyce Evans, a member of the county Committee of Neighborhood Associations; and CONA President Mike Adams.

The written report from Evans says they will ask the council to help establish neighborhood associations in Midway by drawing preliminary boundaries, selecting preliminary representatives and developing a timeline for establishing the associations. More information about CONA is on its Facebook page; the report and other details on agenda items are in the council meeting packet.

The agenda also includes an event permit for the Frozen Rail 5K and 10K races to be held Jan. 1; a discussion about the Iron Horse Half Marathon, which was rescheduled this year for the Sunday of the Midway Fall Festival; and a budget amendment.

All council and committee meetings are open to the public. Council meetings start at 5:30 p.m. on first and third Mondays at City Hall, 101 E. Main St.