City leaders meet with Frankfort water officials, discuss pipeline; initial estimate of cost is about $1.25 million

City Council Member John Holloway, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift
and Council Member Bruce Southworth posed for a picture during
their tour of the Frankfort water plant. (Photo provided by Vandegrift)

Midway city leaders held their first meeting yesterday with Frankfort Electric and Water Plant Board officials about the city's plan to build a pipeline to Frankfort, to replace Kentucky American Water Co. as its wholesale water supplier.

"All are in agreement that it is a very doable project with benefits to both entities," Mayor Gayson Vandegrift said in an email. "This was just an initial discussion, so we didn’t nail down absolutes, but we are going to continue moving forward with this project to potentially become a wholesale customer of the Frankfort Plant Board no later than 2025."

Vandegrift toured the Frankfort water plant with City Council Members John Holloway and Bruce Southworth. "All agreed that it’s very impressive," the mayor wrote. "While the current treatment facility was built in 1974, the only things that old are the concrete; they’ve been very diligent about continually investing in technology, most things in the plant are less than 20 years old, with a significant portion newer than 10 years."

The mayor said the next meetings "will involve more engineering and discussions of probable cost"of a 12-inch pipeline to the Frankfort system at Duckers. "Initial estimates are around $1.25 million. However, as previously mentioned, the FPB wholesale rate of $2.55 per 1000 gallons is significantly less" than Kentucky American, even more so since the state Public Service Commission recently gave the company 18.5 percent of the 21.5% rate increase it requested, Vandegrift said

The new rate will be $4.796 per 1,000 gallons. The current rate is $4.053, plus a tax of about 16 cents a gallon that is passed through to the Kentucky River Authority. The tax would apply to water from Frankfort, which also gets its water from the river.

'There are times when I feel like I'm spread too thin,' says Ouita Michel, who now has eight restaurants

Ouita Michel watched the start of the monthly community dinner at Midway Christian Church Monday evening.

By Collin Kruse
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Whether it be managing her eight restaurants or coordinating the supper program at Midway Christian Church, Ouita Michel always has a lot on her plate. Michel discovered in high school that she wanted to become a chef; little did she know that the skills she would inherit along the way would someday lead her to become a successful business owner and restaurateur.

After her time in cooking school, Michel took her first steps in the restaurant business in 2000, when she and her husband Chris purchased the historic Holly Hill Inn that would go on to re-open as
a fine-dining establishment in May 2001.

Michel had already decided that if she was going to have her own restaurant, that it would only use fresh local ingredients. “It’s part of our mission for our company to increase farm income in Kentucky,” she told the Midway Messenger, “because without a strong farming community it’s hard to be a great chef.” Over the last 18 years, Michel says, her restaurants have purchased $3 million in Kentucky meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

Photo from Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants

After Holly Hill Inn’s success, Michel gradually established what is now known as the Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants: The Midway Bakery and Cafe, Wallace Station Deli and Bakery in greater Midway, Windy Corner Market and Restaurant in Lexington, two Smithtown Seafood locations in Lexington, Glenn’s Creek Café at the Woodford Reserve Distillery outside Versailles, Honeywood in Lexington, and Michel’s newest restaurant, Zim’s Cafe and The Thirsty Fox in Lexington.

The restaurants Michel purchased kept their pre-existing names. Of the latest two she established, Honeywood, in The Summit at Fritz Farm, was named after Honeywood Parrish Rouse, who grew up in the house that is now the Holly Hill Inn; Zim’s, in the recently restored Fayette County Courthouse, is is named for Michel’s great-grandfather, Aaron Rufus Zimmerman.

Michel's first taste of the culinary business wasn’t the sweetest, but it would give her the formative experience needed to begin her career. Michel was offered a chef position at John Clancy’s, a New York seafood restaurant. Her first assignment was to fillet a fish, which she had never done before. With some help, she succeeded. “They stuck with me. Knowing what I know now I probably would’ve fired me,” she said. Her time at John Clancy’s was full of learning moments that would lead her to success.

Michel credits her time with the University of Kentucky’s debate team during college as an experience that would later prepare her for the challenges that she faces today. “It helped quite a bit. You have to do a lot of writing and research, which ended up helping me write my business plan. It helped me become an effective public speaker, it helped me with time management, and it gave me confidence too,” she said. In 1986, Michel’s senior year, the debate team won the National Debate Tournament, which she recalls as one of her proudest achievements. The win made Michel the second woman to win the title.

Now that Michel has eight restaurants, her biggest current challenge is maintaining the quality of their service and dining experiences. She has about 200 part-time and 50 full-time employees.

“There are times when I feel like I’m spread too thin,” Michel said, “but we have an excellent group of people running each restaurant, and my real job is to support them and their work.”

Michel said she has each day of the week planned out in advance, where she visits each one of her restaurants to hold staff meetings and to go over any other issues with the chefs.

When she isn’t checking up on her restaurants, Michel spends most of her time in Midway, where she’s either coordinating the free community dinner each month at Midway Christian Church or cooking in the Holly Hill Inn kitchen. Chris and Ouita Michel still live next to their first restaurant, where they have been for the last 19 years.

Looking back, Michel explains how her success came to be. “You have to be willing to work really hard. You have to use your hands, your head, and your heart all at one time.” She said, “It’s definitely not a desk job, but I never wanted that. You can’t be afraid to fail.”

The chef said she is done opening new restaurants for now, but hinted that a podcast and cookbook may be in the works. Her pace seems unlikely to lag. “Running a restaurant, you have to learn fast," she said. "With hard work and persistence, one thing led to another, and I never looked back.”

Jones fifth overall in state breeders' awards; in Midway ZIP code, he's first; KatieRich and Three Chimneys next

KatieRich Farms' big, new barn is a familiar sight to motorists on Leestown Pike east of Midway.

By Abbey Huffman and Al Cross
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Last year, thoroughbred breeders in Midway earned $615,319, or 4.3 percent of the $14.2 million total, from the state incentive fund that rewards breeders of Kentucky-bred horses, based on the horses’ winnings.

The big winner in Midway, and one of the biggest winners overall, was Brereton C. Jones of Airdrie Stud, who earned $202,745. He was the leading owner in partnerships that earned another $16,286.
Katie Rich Farms, just across the county line in Scott County, was second among individual breeders in the Midway ZIP code, earning $61,180.

Three Chimneys earned $42,153 and was leading owner in partnerships that earned another $29,210. Susie Shoemaker’s Lantern Hill Farm, just outside the Midway city limits, earned $39,742 plus $8,874.50 in partnerships as lead owner.

Other winners in the Midway ZIP code with more than $5,000 in awards were Paul Van Doren and Adreana Van Doren, $21,680; Jones’s son, Bret, $16,370; Sheltowee Farm and partners, $14,274; Russell L. Reineman Stable, $14,270; Hurstland Farm and partners, $12,240; Glencrest Farm, $10,685; Nicholas J. Sibilio, $10,175; and Elizabeth J. Valando, $7,090.

Brereton C. Jones

Among the long, overall list of breeders who put in for awards, Jones ranked fifth. First place went to Woodford County’s WinStar Farm, $285,300, not including $14,210 with partners; it was a partner in last year’s Triple Crown winner, Justify.

Calumet Farm was second in awards with $267,455, followed by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, $222,097; and Godolphin, $208,378.

Godolphin is the racing stable of the Maktoum family that rules the Arab emirate of Dubai. The crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, owns Shadwell Farm, which includes a large farm west of Midway on Leestown Pike (US 421); it received $97,048 in awards.

Close behind Jones’ $202,745 in the overall awards standings were Ken and Sarah Ramsey of Nicholasville at $190,952.

Nicholasville breeders’ total ranked close behind that of Midway breeders, with a total of $546,985 in awards. Lexington breeders received the most at $4,491,859. Breeders with Versailles addresses received $1,700,588. For the full spreadsheet, with Midway and some other breakdowns, click here.

Jones, as governor in 1991-95, was instrumental in establishing breeders’ awards, with the goal of maintaining Kentucky’s leadership in Thoroughbred breeding. The current program was adopted in 2005. Several other states have such programs.

The program started under Jones was funded by off-track betting revenues and was “much more restrictive,” said state Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, who write the 2005 legislation.
The main purpose of the program is to encourage owners and breeders to do business in the state, to ensure strength and growth of its thoroughbred industry. It also benefits Kentucky’s economy when owners and breeders breed and raise thoroughbreds in Kentucky.

To be considered “Kentucky bred” and eligible for awards, a horse must be foaled on Kentucky soil. The awards are distributed to those who board their mares in Kentucky from the first cover with a stallion to foaling. The final payments are based on the foal’s earnings on the racetrack. The fund receives 80 percent of the state tax on stud fees.

Photos from Midsummer Nights in Midway

Here are some photos by Messenger contributor Mary Massie from last night's Midsummer Nights in Midway event, sponsored by Midway Renaissance:

Young dancers on East Main Street, the north side of which was closed for the event

The Conch on the Half Shell band invited
participation from the audience.

Wagon Bones Barbecue came from Versailles.

Video of steam locomotive arriving on Saturday

Railroad scale model a big hit at Midway Heritage Day

People attending Midway Heritage Day on Saturday pretty much knew what the big steam engine would look like, but not necessarily what to expect from the old scale model of Midway, recently restored, with double tracks and trains. It was a pleasant, fascinating surprise, the culmination of a community project that reflected the spirit and heritage of Kentucky's first and still iconic railroad town.

The layout was done in the early 1980s by Laurine and William Grant, who donated it to the city in 2001. A few months ago, Midway Renaissance and several community volunteers joined forces to put it back in shape, and it went on display in the old bank building on East Main Street owned by Amy and Mike Stinnett, who erected a temporary partition to facilitate the display.

View is from north. Card on control box lists volunteers (left column) and sponsors (right column, with in-kind contributions)

Those who played key roles in the restoration included Tommy and Susan Kidwell, who provided the layout benchwork and material that formed the base of the project; and Jim Hoppin, who did the custom modeling of three additions to the layout: Midway Christian Church, the mansion at Parrish Hill Farm and the Kentucky Female Orphan School, now Midway University.

View from northwest shows Parrish Hill, added, in foreground.

"We've been working on it probably since the first of February," said Hoppin, whose experience with dollhouses made him the builder of the three additions. His wife Teresa also worked on the project.

Others listed on the display's volunteer-and-sponsor card were Tom Bensberg (engines), Thomas Bookout (details and supplies), Ron Chesser, Joel Damron, Charles Diamond, Midway Christian Church, Midway Renaissance, Steve and Julie Morgan, National Model Railroad Association Division 10, Bill Penn, Amy Perry, Christy Reaves, Brian Roslowski, Kenny Smith (photographic enhancements), Frank Stevenson (buildings and supplies) and Stew Winstanley (engines and rolling stock).

Model maker Laurine Grant, with hand on chin, watched the trains run from the far end
of the model with her daughter, Jeanine Lister of Winchester. (Photos by Al Cross)

Laurine Grant, who now lives in Winchester, said in an interview that her late husband was an N-scale (9 mm track width) railroad modeler, and they decided to build a model of Midway because one of their daughters lived in the town. They lived in Connecticut at the time but later moved to West Higgins Street in Midway.

Grant said the project took about two years, done in bits and pieces, starting with photographs of buildings when they were in town to visit their daughter. "If you are a model train person or a train person, Midway was the ideal place to model," she said.

Jim Hoppin

The model was the usual 4x8-foot module used in N-scale shows, in which modules are arranged in an oval and are connected by tracks over which trains run through them. The first step in restoring it was to make it an independent display, with its own trains.

That required a whole new base, which the Kidwells provided "Without them, we would have never had it," said Reaves, who is a model railroader and calls herself "the Midway train lady." The new layout had extra room, so the volunteers decided to add the three buildings Hoppin built.

Grant said, "I thought it was wonderful. They did a very good job. . . . It's tremendous. I was very impressed and very honored."

View from the west, with history of the railroad, which was established in 1833 and reached Midway in 1835.

Old steam engine, restored scale model of Midway with trains highlight Midway Heritage Day

It's Midway Heritage Day, and trains abound in Kentucky's first and still iconic railroad town. Chesapeake & Ohio Steam Engine No, 2716 arrived from Frankfort shortly after 9:30 and will be here until 1, when it leaves for Lexington, Winchester and Ravenna, its permanent home.

The other special treat of the day is the restored scale model of Midway, complete with the old double tracks and trains. More later on that, but here's a photo. More will appear later.

The day will include this evening with the second installment of Midsummer Nights in Midway.