Architects give Rex Cecil award for service to profession

Retired architect T. Rexford "Rex" Cecil of Midway has received the Oberwarth Gold Medal from the Kentucky Society of the American Institute of Architects.

The award is made "to recognize and honor an individual member who has displayed a long-standing commitment to the betterment of the profession and well-being of architects in Kentucky, and who has dedicated extraordinary time and talent to this end," an AIA Kentucky press release said.

Cecil's resume says he has been a registered architect for 44 years, with broad experience in building design, including "technically complex medical facilities and from new facilities to the complete restoration or renovation of the historically significant." In the administration of Gov. Brereton Jones in 1991-95, he managed facilities and employees for the Finance Cabinet, as well as design and construction activities. He was executive director of the Kentucky Board of Architects from 2005 until early this year.  He and his wife Gay live on Old Frankfort Pike.

Kentucky American wants Midway to pay 21.5% more for water; mayor says he will object, calls hike 'absurd'

Kentucky American Water Co. is asking the state Public Service Commission for rate increases, including a 21.5 percent in the fee for wholesale customers such as the City of Midway. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told the Midway Messenger that he would oppose the increase.

"I will absolutely be speaking publicly against this rate increase," Vandegrift said in an email. "It is absurd for them to ask for another rate increase right now."

Kentucky American last filed for rate increases in 2016. The PSC gave it about half what it sought; for the company's direct residential customers, that was a 9.2 percent hike. Midway's water system did not pass the increase along to its customers. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to do that again," Vandegrift said.

At its meetings in December, the outgoing City Council is to consider an ordinance that would reduce sewer fees by 2515 percent, because the city has reduced its sewer expenses with an early payoff of the bond issue used to build the wastewater treatment plant. Vandegrift said he has changed the cut from the original 25 percent on the advice of Council Member Bruce Southworth, chair of the Public Works and Services Committee, but still hopes for an additional cut to make the total 25 percent.

The sewer and water funds are separate, but billed together. "On average, the sewer bill is about 35 percent of the overall bill, when you factor in garbage too," Vandegrift said. In August, the council increased garbage rates 15.4 percent for residential customers and 29.6 percent for businesses, passing along increases from contractor Rumpke Waste & Recycling.

The increase for Kentucky American would be the company's sixth in 11 years, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The PSC process includes public hearings, and takes six months to a year.

The company says it is spending more than $100 million improving its system and needs a rate hike to cover those costs. “These investments are necessary to maintain and enhance service, water quality, system reliability, and fire protection capabilities for customers while still keeping the cost of water service for most residential customers at about a penny per gallon, usually their most affordable utility bill,” it said in a news release.

“We have approached infrastructure replacement in as proactive a way as possible,” Kentucky American President Nick Rowe said, “but more investment is still required in order to address the continual need for system renewal.” The news release listed "major capital projects," including work at the company's largest treatment plant, on the Kentucky River in Fayette County and "the replacement of 9.5 miles of aging water pipes in the region since the last rate increase took effect in 2016." It didn't say where those were.

“In addition to focusing on these and other capital improvements, we are committed to containing operational and maintenance expenses as much as possible, too, in order to keep rates affordable for our customers,” Rowe said. “We have done this by implementing efficiencies and leveraging technology throughout our operations. We will continue to work toward becoming even more efficient without sacrificing the safety of our teams or the level of service we provide.”

Council committee to consider water fee requests

The Public Works and Services Committee of the Midway City Council will meet at City Hall at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, to discuss requests for a water-bill adjustment and for an exception to the fee for reconnecting service after five years. All council and committee meetings are open to the public.

Rex Cecil, who owns the vacant building at 123 E. Main St., made the latter request to the City Council last week. Cecil said he closed his architectural practice that was in the building in 2005, and turned the water off in 2009. The fee for restoring service after five years is $850.

Woodford County Judge-Executive John 'Bear' Coyle found dead on his farm, after apparent heart attack

John "Bear" Coyle

Woodford County Judge-Executive John Coyle, who was about to retire after three four-year terms at the head of county government, died unexpectedly at his farm on Troy Pike south of Versailles today. Coroner Ronald Owens said the cause appeared to be a massive heart attack.

Coyle was 63. His chosen successor, state Rep. James Kay of Versailles, said Coyle's wife, Mary Don Coyle, discovered him about 2:30 p.m. "He had gone out to feed some ponies he kept for his granddaughters, and never came back in," Kay said.

Coyle was farming in his home Nonesuch community in 1985 when Loren "Squirrel" Carl, then a county police detective, ran for sheriff and put him on his ticket as a deputy.

"I just took a liking to him, when I would go to the Nonesuch store," Carl recalled in an interview. "John was my friend and one of the hardest-working guys I had. . . . I always called him John-boy."

Coyle's better known nickname, "Bear," came in 1987, when he took an anti-drug message to an elementary school, "carrying a stuffed toy bear to engage the children," Kristy Robinson Horine reported in 2015 for the Blue Grass Area Development District. "Coyle says the bear’s uniform and hat matched his own, even down to the badge. One small child in the front row latched onto the resemblance and declared to Coyle, 'You look just like him! I’m going to call you Bear.'"

When Carl was in his third term, he resigned to work in the state attorney general's office for Ben Chandler of Versailles, and "I was able to get John appointed sheriff," Carl said. "Nobody ran against him when he was sheriff. . . . He was very personable, very likeable."

When Democrat Joe Gormley didn't seek re-election as judge-executive in 2006, Coyle ran, won the primary and general elections, and was re-elected in 2010 and 2014, both times defeating Republican Bobby Gaffney. The second race was closer, 54 to 46 percent, and Gaffney carried five precincts, including rural Midway.

“He was a gentleman and a class act,” Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said. “We disagreed on policy quite a few times, but there was never a cross word between us when we saw each other. On Midway Station, we worked particularly well together, and he’s part of the reason for the success we’ve seen there. My heart goes out to his family.”

Kay said Coyle surprised him on April 7, 2017 by calling him to his courthouse office and telling him that he wasn't going to run again and that Kay would be "a great judge-executive." Kay said Coyle's support "did make it a much better shot" for Kay, and no one else in either party filed for the office. Kay will take office Jan. 1 unless Republican Gov. Matt Bevin appoints him to fill the vacancy.

Kay said Coyle will be remembered for his "steady leadership, his common-sense approach to good government; he always did the right thing, or what he believed the right thing to be. . . . He was a great steward of taxpayers' money and he left the county with a nearly $5 million surplus."

Besides his wife, Coyle is survived by four sons: Andrew (Kristin), Roy (Katherine), Matthew (Jordan) and John Paul; and three granddaughters: Ella, Sloane and Mallory.

Visitation with the family will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Versailles United Methodist Church, 230 Paynes Mill Rd. Those wishing to pay respects may also do so at the church Friday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at which hour funeral services will be conducted at the church. Officiating will be Tim Noel of Troy Presbyterian Church, with eulogy from County Attorney Alan George and comments from retired Judge Anthony Wilhoit.

County offices will close at 1 p.m. Friday for the services.

Burial will be in the Versailles Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Spurgeon Chapman, Glenn Carter, Charles Melvin Carter, Kip Gillespie, Charles Withers and David Sutherland. Honorary pallbearers will be all Woodford County magistrates, Loren “Squirrel” Carl, Wayne “Tiny” Wright, John Wilhoit, Jerry Lancaster, Ronnie Durbin, Alan George, Gordie Shaw, James “Flea” Kay, Sr., James Kay, Kenny Tilghman, Mark Molla, Randy Redmon, Sandy Redmon, Clifford Ray Bradley and the staff of the second floor at the Woodford County Courthouse.

Memorial donations may be made to Troy Presbyterian Church, 11021 Troy Pike, Versailles, KY 40383 or the Food Pantry for Woodford County, PO Box 1066, Versailles, KY 40383, where Coyle was planning to concentrate his efforts in retirement. For the full obituary from Blackburn and Ward Funeral Home, click here.

Message from the mayor: We can cut sewer rates 25 percent and still improve the system

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway

Upon hearing of our proposed 25 percent sewer rate cut, a citizen asked a great question that’s important to answer. They said, “Why not keep sewer rates the same and use that money for infrastructure?” My answer is pretty simple: because we can do both. Governments too often use taxes as a way to cover for their inefficiency and waste. If a business did this, they’d have no customers left. That’s not to say that government should run like a business, but it can use a lot of the same principles to achieve what’s best for our citizens.

My No. 1 objective in my second term is infrastructure, and we already have a plan in the works to camera and clean out all of the old sewer lines in town, which will give us invaluable information and make those lines more functional immediately. From there, we’ll continue to use the large general fund surpluses we’ve accumulated (and which are projected to grow) to decide what sewer project we should do next. Our sewer fund is as healthy as it’s been in years, so why not make the present more comfortable while we plan for the future. After all, isn’t that the goal of government?

On top of that, we’re about to re-launch our sidewalk program on a larger scale than our pilot program a couple years ago, and we’re planning more road paving in the spring. We just finished extensive storm sewer work that has already shown improvement in heavy rains, and we plan more down the road.

Taxing shouldn’t be a Democrat vs. Republican issue. A government should never tax citizens more than it needs to. It is no longer necessary for our citizens to pay exorbitant sewer fees; we can ease that burden somewhat and still improve our infrastructure for the future.

Make no mistake, my plan is harder on the government. We’ll have to work harder, plan smarter, and continue to be efficient and mindful. But that’s our job -- to work harder every day to make the lives of our residents better.

I want to thank that good citizen for their thoughtful question and reflection of the issues. It’s that kind of citizenry that makes our city so special.

Santa Claus comes to Midway via RJ Corman Railroad

Santa Claus arrived in Midway this morning at 11, right on time, via the RJ Corman Railroad. A crowd waited for him on both sides of the tracks, and a long line of parents and children lined up to see him at the old Thoroughbred Theater building. Santa's visit was sponsored by the Midway Business Association. We got no still photos of Santa, just video, and technical difficulties have prevented posting video here, but we have a short one (about 30 seconds) on our Facebook page. For a one-minute video of the train's approach into town, click here.

Christmas tree and other city lights are lit

The annual lighting of the city Christmas tree and light poles on Main Street was held tonight. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift led the crowd in carols before and after the lighting. Santa arrives tomorrow at 11 a.m. (In the video, a car makes the turn onto westbound Main Street just as the tree is lit.)