KL May 2016

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Lucky Horses rescued and adopted Farm fresh produce

Transcript of KL May 2016

Page 1: KL May 2016

CELEBRATING THE ENERGY OF YOUR COMMUNITY

Class of 2016A+ GRAD PARTIES

MAY 2016 • KENTUCKYLIVING.COM

CELEBRATING THE ENERGY CELEBRATING THE ENERGY CELEBRATING THE ENERGY OF YOUR COMMUNITYOF YOUR COMMUNITYOF YOUR COMMUNITY

LUCKY HORSESRescue & adoption center

PICKIN’ TIMEFarm fresh produce

STEPS TO AHEALTHYHOME7

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EDITORIALEDITOR Anita Travis Richter MANAGING EDITOR Shannon BrockASSOCIATE EDITOR Paula C. Sparrow ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Ellie HobgoodCOPYEDITOR Madelynn ColdironFACT CHECKER Lori Brown PatrickCONTRIBUTORS Dave Baker • Byron Crawford Sarah Fritschner • Nancy Grant • Patrick Keegan Angie McManus • Shelly Nold • Brian OrmsLeslie Scanlon • Penny Woods

ADVERTISINGADVERTISING MANAGER Renee WilliamsADVERTISING SALES REP. Cynthia WhelanADVERTISING SALES REP. Monica PickerillADVERTISING SALES REP. Stephanie DumeyerSALES COORDINATOR Arlene Toon

PRODUCTIONSENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Penny KephartGRAPHIC DESIGNER Katy HurtLOCAL CO-OP NEWS COORDINATOR Tammy Simmons

KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF ELECTRIC COOPERATIVESPRESIDENT Chris Perry VICE-PRESIDENT STRATEGIC

COMMUNICATIONS Joe ArnoldCHAIRMAN David Kimbell VICE CHAIRMAN Mark StallonsSECRETARY/TREASURER Bob Berry

OUR MISSION STATEMENTKentucky Living is published to create a community of people who take pride in thinking of themselves as Kentuckians and as knowledgeable electric co-op members, in order to improve their quality of life.

TO CONTACT USWWW.KENTUCKYLIVING.COM

E-MAIL: [email protected]: (502) 451-2430 FAX: (502) 459-1611 U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232SHIPPING: 4515 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218

SUBSCRIPTIONS(502) 451-2430 CO-OP MEMBERS: To report address changes, please call your local co-op office.

ADVERTISING OFFICESP. O. Box 32170 (40232)4515 Bishop Lane (40218) Louisville, KY (502) 451-2430 FAX: (502) 459-1611E-MAIL: [email protected]

OUR NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVENational Country Market Sales Cooperative 611 S. Congress Ave., Suite #504 Austin, TX 78704 1-800-NCM-1181 • (512) 441-5200, FAX (512) 441-5211

AND NOW FOR THE LEGAL STUFFKentucky Living, Vol. 70, No. 5, (ISSN 1043-853X) is published monthly by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives Inc., 4515 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218. Periodicals Postage Paid at Louisville, Kentucky, and at additional mailing offices. COPYRIGHT, 2016, by Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives Inc. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $2.87 per year for members of co-ops that subscribe on a monthly basis; all others, $15 for one year, $25 for three years. NEWSSTAND COST: $2.95.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kentucky Living, P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232.

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MAY 2016 VOL 70 • NO 5

KENTUCKY CULTURE

42 WORTH THE TRIP To market, to market— the farmers market

46 EVENTSTake in Maifest in Covington, Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival in Midway, Grayson County Alliance Art in the Park in Leitchfield, battle re-enactments in Stanford and Sacramento, and much more

50 GARDEN GURUA perennial Mother’s Day

51 GREAT OUTDOORSFIshing, anyone?

52 CHEF’S CHOICEStrawberries galore

53 SMART HEALTH Teen vs. adult depression

54 KENTUCKY MARKETPLACE

56 SNAP SHOTMy graduate

57 KENTUCKY KIDS

58 BYRON CRAWFORD’S KENTUCKYKentucky’s covered bridges are coming alive again

DEPARTMENTS 6 KL ON THE WEB

7 YOUR COOPERATIVE COMMUNITYElections matter

8 COMMONWEALTHSArk opens soon, life’s unexpected experiences, energy rebates, and more

11 LETTERS

ON THE GRID

12 THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITYLearn about ENERGY STAR manufactured homes

14 GADGETS & GIZMOSSteaming away dirt

15 CUTTING COSTSSealing air leaks for comfort and savings

17 ENERGY 101How geothermal heat pumps work

18 CO-OPERATIONSGoing global to help communities grow

30A LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE NEWS

20Healthy HomesYour home should be a safe space. Learn how

to recognize and fix unhealthy air, radon, mold, and more.

26 Hiring a Home Contractor

Ten tips to make sure you hire the contractor who can

best meet your—and your home’s—needs.

32Cap, Gown, Diploma. Party!

COVER STORY Plan the perfect grad party to celebrate your

loved one’s big day. Try these custom cupcakes, shown

above, from Cakes by Camille, and other A+ party tips.

39Lucky HorsesKentucky Equine Humane Center saves horses

that need extra love and care, and shares how to adopt one.

ON THE COVER Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe in Louisville crafted this three-tier confection as an example of the perfect sweet treat for your graduate. See more at www.sweetsurrenderdessertcafe.com. Photo: Jolea Brown

32

2016 HOME IMPROVEMENT

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4 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

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MORE MARKETS

SEARCH

Roadside marketsKentucky has so many amazing roadside and farmers markets, like Poore’s Nursery & Farms owned by Russell and Patsy Poore, pictured, they can’t all possibly fit in this issue. Find more community estab-lishments in an expanded listing on our Web site. Photo: Julie Hall Photography

Get a fresh taste for the story by reading this month’s Worth the Trip on page 42.

HEALTHIER, HAPPIER

SEARCH

Head off health issuesThe National Center for Healthy Housing has a checklist, complete with cost estimates, that makes the process of preventing health issues in the home easier. Visit our Web site for the helpful checklist, then get a jumpstart by reading the feature story on page 20.

ENTER TO WIN

GIVEAWAY

Bourbon Bucket List GetawayDon’t miss out on a chance to win a fabulous Kentucky experience! Tour distilleries and stay the night in Lebanon, then in Bardstown. Visit KentuckyLiving.com and under “Submit & Share,” click on “Bourbon Bucket List Getaway.” You can’t win if you don’t enter, so enter today. Entry deadline is May 16.

BLUEGRASS STATE

SEARCH

Grass is bluer in KentuckyWriter Dana Benner isn’t from Kentucky, but that’s what makes her experiences here all the more interesting. Visit our Web site to read Benner’s takeaways and see photos from her visits to Bluegrass State staples like Cave Run Lake, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Shaker Village, and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm.

Contact Us• Questions, comments, letter to

the editor• Subscription • Advertising and editorial calendar• Submit story ideas• Freelancer inquiries

Submit & Sharewww. KentuckyLiving.comKentucky Living, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232. Submission should include your name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, and name of electric co-op.

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest

Home, safe homeWhat home improvement is on your list?

One word: Paint. Crack open a can and

grab a brush or roller—voila!—you can

easily transform a room in a weekend

(page 10). French yellow for me.

If planning a larger project, use our

10-point checklist (page 26) when hiring

a home contractor, whether installing a

new HVAC system or replacing flooring,

windows, or a new roof.

There’s also no better feeling than

knowing your home is safe (page 20). A

few years ago our daughter’s health con-

vinced us to have our home inspected.

Her allergies—and ours—are greatly

improved after installing an air exchange

system and in-line furnace HEPA filter.

Happy Derby Day on Saturday, May 7,

and Mother’s Day May 8. Party on (page

32) and congrats to all you graduates.

ANITA RICHTER, EDITOR

Check out the mobile-friendly Web site and digital edition

.com

6 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 7: KL May 2016

As I walked into the

U.S. Capitol recently to

meet with members of

Kentucky’s congressio-

nal delegation, I could not help

but marvel at the civics lesson

unfolding before me.

Among the thousands of

American citizens witnessing

past and present history under

the Capitol dome, were leaders of

Kentucky’s electric cooperatives,

eager to participate in our nation’s

representative democracy.

In a testament to the impor-

tant role our co-ops play

in communities across the

Commonwealth, all eight of

Kentucky’s members of Congress

met privately with our delegation.

It is a great privilege to advo-

cate for your concerns. But each

and every one of us shares an

even greater responsibility: to vote.

The “Co-ops Vote” campaign, just launched by the National Rural Electric

Cooperative Association (NRECA), is a nonpartisan effort to make sure the voice

of America’s 42 million electric co-op customers is heard.

“Co-ops Vote” aims to educate and engage all voters on important issues, such

as ensuring continued access to reliable electricity, promoting co-ops’ develop-

ment of innovative renewable energy

solutions, and expanding broadband

coverage throughout rural America.

Learn more at www.vote.coop.

It is the very essence of represen-

tative democracy. You don’t have to

travel to Washington, D.C., to partici-

pate. Your opportunity is as close as

your precinct and ballot box. Plan now

to vote on Tuesday, November 8.

CHRIS PERRY President/CEO

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YOUR COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY

Elections matterVotes from rural Americans can make the difference on Election Day

U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (R), center, met with the state’s electric co-op leaders in Washington, D.C., in February, including Pennyrile Electric co-op’s board member James Futrell, left, and President & CEO Greg Grissom. Whitfield is chairman of the House Energy Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power. He is retiring in January. Photo: Joe Arnold

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An ancient account from the

Bible and a one-of-a-kind

attraction come together on

July 7 in Williamstown.

The Ark Encounter, a sister

attraction to the Creation

Museum in Petersburg, is a

full-sized

reconstruc-

tion of Noah’s Ark that is more

than 500 feet long and 51 feet

tall (1-1/2 football fields long

and higher than a modern

four-story house), and cost

approximately $100 million to

build. When it opens, it will

be the largest timber-frame

structure in the United States.

President and co-founder

of the Ark Encounter Ken

Ham says visitors will be

in awe of its size. The ark

includes 132 realistic exhibits

that bring to life the biblical

account of Noah’s Ark. And

no ark would be complete

without animals, which have

been meticulously created by

hand from foam and metal.

Interestingly, the animals

on board the ark don’t look

the same as the ones we see

walking on Earth today. This

change, called speciation, is

one of the many educational

features of the attraction.

The venue will also have a

petting zoo, themed restau-

rant, and gift shop. Future

attractions will include a pre-

flood walled city, a Tower of

Babel, an amphitheater, and a

walk-through aviary.

“The vision goes back 30

years when I was a high school

science teacher in Australia,”

says Ham. “It is designed to be

family-oriented, historically

authentic, and environmen-

tally friendly.” Located near

northern Kentucky in Grant

County, they expect 1.4–2.2

million visitors in the first

year, an average of more than

100,000 per month.

Ark Encounter will be

open 40 days and 40 nights—

matching the biblical flood—

starting July 7, and then go

to daytime-only hours on

August 16.

Ark Encounter is located

at Ark Encounter Drive,

Williamstown. Directions,

more information, and tickets

are available online at www.

arkencounter.com or call

(800) 721-2298. Search “Ark

Encounter” to see a fly-over

and behind-the scenes videos

at KentuckyLiving.com.

—Debra Gibson Isaacs

COMMONWEALTHS

Encountering Noah’s Ark

energy efficıency

Avoid placing lamps

or TV sets near your

room air-conditioning

thermostat. The

thermostat senses heat

from these appliances,

which can cause the

air conditioner to run

longer than necessary,

says Energy.gov.

Ark Encounter construction, Williamstown, shown in March prior to the July opening in northern Kentucky. For perspec-tive, note the vehicle on the right that illustrates the size of the ark at 500 feet long and 51 feet tall. Photo: Answers in Genesis

COMMUNITY

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8 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 9: KL May 2016

CONGRATS TO OUR “BEST” WINNER Whitney Pennington, a student at Murray State

University, is the winner of our April “Best in Kentucky”

drawing for an iPad. She and parents Charles Ray and

Angie Pennington are served by Grayson RECC. Whitney

is excited to use her new iPad to take pictures and to help

with her homework. Congrats!

2016 energy incentives and rebates Are you looking to make energy improvements to your

home? Contact your local electric co-op to find out what

incentives are available to you.

Each cooperative offers different programs, many with

cash, rebates, or bill credits for upgrades you may already

plan to do this year—like sealing ductwork, adding insula-

tion, upgrading the heating and air-conditioning unit, or

replacing windows or your water heater.

In addition to these incentives, most co-ops also offer

low- or no-cost home energy audits to members. Audits

are a great way to learn where your home’s energy leaks are

lurking and how to make your home more energy efficient.

For an up-to-date listing of the most popular energy-

efficiency rebate programs and tax incentives offered by

Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, as well as from state

and federal resources, search “2016 energy incentives” at

KentuckyLiving.com.

Unexpected life experiencesDoesn’t it seem like small

DIY home renovation proj-

ects always turn into some-

thing bigger and more costly

than was planned? Usually

after numerous

return trips to

the nearest home improve-

ment store, one is left to

believe the adage that there

are no small jobs.

The heroine in

Mary Ann Taylor-

Hall’s novel, At the

Breakers (University

Press of Kentucky,

$24.95, www.

kentuckypress.

com), likely feels

the same way.

Jo Sinclair, a

woman who has

a penchant for making bad

relationship choices, is run-

ning from an abusive boy-

friend when she stumbles

upon a relic from her past,

an old inn where she stayed

as a girl with her family.

After spontaneously landing

a job to paint and redeco-

rate the whole inn for a little

more than room and board,

Jo realizes her life needs a

renovation as well. Along

the process, Jo comes face

to face with who

she has become. A

rough start with a

pregnancy at only

age 14 certainly

changed her plans

and catapulted her

into adulthood. Four

children later, she

feels she has achieved

little for herself and must

decide whether to embrace

change and adventure or to

be comfortable with sta-

bility and the knowledge

of what her life has taught

her. Each option bears a

cost and could hurt some-

one she loves. Each option

also presents the oppor-

tunity for a fulfilling life.

Which will she choose?

Taylor-Hall, born in

Chicago, raised in Florida,

and now living in Scott

County’s Sadieville, based

Jo’s story on the experi-

ence of a friend who spent

the winter on the New Jersey

shore, the setting of At the

Breakers, painting an old

hotel her brother had bought.

Taylor-Hall thought the story

would make a quick novella

but found it developed into

much more.

“The action seemed to

need more space to unfurl

itself—there were so many

people involved, all those

children, and history, and

men,” Taylor-Hall explains.

The end result is a gripping

drama that encompasses

forgiveness, love, self-

examination, and growth,

keeping the reader riveted

from page one.

—Penny WoodsJA

MES

BA

KE

R H

ALL

AUTHOR

Grayson Chairman of the Board Roger Trent presents the iPad to Whitney Pennington, with President and CEO Carol Hall Fraley. Photo: Julie Lewis

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Page 10: KL May 2016

COMMONWEALTHS

Home sweet rural home low-cost loansWhen you own the floors

you’re standing on, the walls

surrounding you, and the

roof over your head, you also

own great satisfaction from

the hard work

that resulted in

your home becoming yours.

Yet, with the American

Dream of homeownership,

comes responsibility for

maintaining and, inevitably,

repairing your own home.

USDA Rural Development’s

Home Repair Program is an

affordable way to keep your

home safe, accessible, and

energy efficient.

The program provides

low-income rural home-

owners a 1 percent inter-

est fixed-rate loan of up to

$20,000 for essential things

like leaky roof repairs,

improving accessibility, or

upgrades to heating and

cooling systems. Seniors age

62 and older, who cannot

qualify for a loan, may be

eligible for a grant of up to

$7,500, or a loan and grant

combination to make needed

repairs and improvements.

Last year, 475 Kentucky

rural homeowners were able

to make necessary improve-

ments to their homes they

did not realize they could

afford. Some installed new

smoke and carbon monox-

ide detectors or replaced old

insulation. Some widened

doors and added ramps.

One family from Hardin

County discovered they

were able to afford to make

safety and energy-efficiency

improvements with a 504

Home Repair grant. They

worked with the local Rural

Development office to make

it happen, and other families

throughout rural Kentucky

can too.

Being a homeowner is

hard work and a big respon-

sibility, but USDA Rural

Development wants to part-

ner with you to keep rural

American homes safe, acces-

sible, and energy efficient.

We also want to help home-

owners preserve the pride

in their homes. To learn

more, go online to www.

rd.usda.gov/ky, a local Rural

Development office, or call

(859) 224-7300.

—Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez

and Kentucky State Director Thomas G. Fern

COLORS OF THE YEARPantone Color Institute experts

recently announced its 2016 colors of

the year—Rose Quartz and Serenity. The

pale pink and almost baby blue palettes

are calming and lend themselves beau-

tifully to home décor as well as fashion,

housewares, packaging, and other

industrial uses.

According to Stephanie Pierce,

senior manager of the design studio

for MasterBrand Cabinets, “One of the

most exciting things about Pantone’s

new color of the year is that they have

seen fit to double it up. This being the

first time they have done this, it bodes

well for the positive thinking that color

is returning in full force.”

Pierce says, “For a few years

running our industry has seen white,

gray, and creams leading the way. Not

surprisingly, though, blue is starting

to come back as a strong contender

for accent color. With the multiple

ranges that blues play in, from soft

and serene to moody-dark tones, blue

is very appealing to most people in

both bathroom schemes and general

home décor. Pale shades such as Rose

Quartz and Serenity provide oppor-

tunities for subtle color inclusion to

accent those core colors like white,

khaki, and gray.”

Check out more photos featuring

2016 colors by searching “Pantone

2016” on KentuckyLiving.com.

HOME

One of two 2016 colors of the year named by Pantone Color Institute is Serenity, a pale blue that is “weightless and airy like the expanse of a blue sky, and offers a calming effect.” Serenity accents core colors like white, khaki, and gray. Photo: MasterBrand Cabinets

10 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 11: KL May 2016

KL book reviews give hopeThe road to becoming an author is

fraught with hardship and disappoint-

ment. Those who succeed are the ones

who did not quit, the professionals.

Your review section gives hope,

a little boost as we go along our way

hoping to build, to succeed.

You recently ran a review for my

newest book The Other Side of Heaven.

We have accumulated a number of

sales, and for that we are most grate-

ful to you and Penny Woods. On behalf

of all the authors you have reviewed,

I thank you, for the helping hand, for

the hope you bring.

Russell A. Vassallo, Liberty

Bourbon is not family friendlyWe were very disappointed with the

April issue. We subscribe individually

because the magazine is a family-

friendly publication. I am a pastor of a

Southern Baptist church and Kentucky

has been home to us for 46 years. We

ache for those who suffer regardless of

the circumstances. We have learned

that alcohol is a prominent player in

most domestic violence, teenage auto

fatalities, and a gateway to other drugs.

Bourbon, even though a very large

industry in Kentucky, is not family-

friendly. Look at the big picture of the

consequences of what you choose to

advertise or promote and ask, “Will

this enhance the lives of our readers or

could it be destructive?”

Tony Carson, Sonora

LETTERS

Please address letters to the editor

to: Letters, Kentucky Living, P. O.

Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232 or

e-mail by going to KentuckyLiving.

com and clicking on “Contact Us.”

Letters may be edited for style,

length, and clarity.

WRITE KL

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 11

Page 12: KL May 2016

Ordinary manufactured hous-

ing and old-fashioned mobile

homes are all too often

extreme energy hogs, with

high electric usages that put a real

strain on family budgets.

East Kentucky Power

Cooperative (EKPC), which gener-

ates and transmits electricity to 16

local electric cooperatives serving

people across 87 counties, has found

a way to change that.

Scott Drake, EKPC’s manager of

Corporate Technical Services, says,

“A large percentage of our distribu-

tion co-ops’ members live in manu-

factured homes.” These old homes

are often drafty with extremely high

monthly electric usages due to poor

construction methods. Drake says,

“We want to make sure those mem-

bers are comfortable and as energy

efficient as possible.”

Free upgrade to ENERGY STAREast Kentucky Power Cooperative

got together with the manufacturing

housing industry’s Systems Building

Research Alliance and Clayton

Homes, the nation’s largest manu-

factured housing builder, and the

local co-ops they serve to develop

a program that makes it easier for

homebuyers to upgrade to highly

efficient ENERGY STAR manufac-

tured homes.

Here’s how the program typi-

cally works: Orders for new manu-

factured housing to be installed

within the EKPC co-op territory are

flagged for an upgrade to ENERGY

STAR certification. The upgrade

in these new, all-electric homes

include a heat pump, plus better

insulation, and other construc-

tion choices for much better energy

efficiency.

Karen Combs, manager of

Member Services at Jackson Energy

Cooperative, headquartered in

McKee, says, “Working with East

Kentucky Power Cooperative, we are

able to offer a rebate that covers the

difference in price between a typical

manufactured housing unit and the

ENERGY STAR version of the same

floor plan and square footage home.

I think this will lead to more people

being willing to upgrade to an

ENERGY STAR home, because they

don’t have to pay for it themselves.

They don’t have the out-of-pocket

expense, and that makes doing the

upgrade possible.”

Combs points out that although

the incentive goes directly to the

manufacturer of the home, it’s the

co-op member who receives the full

benefit in the form of lower utility

usage every month.

There’s another community-

wide benefit for people who choose

an ENERGY STAR manufactured

home. Combs says, “Helping our

members use less electricity also

benefits the environment because

power plants do not have to produce

that extra energy.”

And there’s an even longer-term

benefit as well. EKPC’s Drake says,

“We’re supporting the cost of these

ENERGY STAR upgrades for our

member co-ops because it’s better

to use less energy than to have to

build another power plant.” That’s

not just good for budgets—it’s good

for the environment, too.

To participate in the program,

simply ask your manufactured home

sales person for more information on

how to upgrade to an ENERGY STAR

manufactured home—at no cost to

you in most cases—or contact your

local participating co-op for more

details. Additional information is

available online by searching key-

words “manufactured home

program” at KentuckyLiving.com.

Why choose an ENERGY STAR manufactured home?Incentive program and low-cost loan make new, all-electric home energy efficient and affordable NANCY GRANT

THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY

ON THE GRID

12 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 13: KL May 2016

SmartMH better loans, better homesA new program known as SmartMH

KY, launched one year ago, helps

homebuyers get connected with

lenders and other groups who can

provide assistance with down pay-

ments and low-interest rates on

mortgages for ENERGY STAR manu-

factured housing.

Stacey Epperson, CEO at

SmartMH KY, says, “We created this

alliance with the goal of changing the

market share of ENERGY STAR manu-

factured homes from being less than 1

percent each year to being 50 percent

of sales. During the first 10 months of

SmartMH KY, we’ve already increased

to 6 percent of the market so we’re

off to a good start.”

Epperson notes that the new pro-

gram isn’t just about market share

or lower monthly utility bills. It’s

about helping people reach their own

goals. “Buying a home is often the

single largest purchase for a family,”

Epperson says. “SmartMH KY is a

statewide effort to communicate to

homebuyers the value of buying an

ENERGY STAR manufactured home,

and being able to do it with a better

loan. Our program is about better

homes and better loans.”

SmartMH KY staff have been

explaining the value of ENERGY

STAR homes and the financing

options available to manufactured

housing retailers throughout the

state. “So far we’ve provided train-

ing and marketing support for 368

retailers and installers,” Epperson

says. “Our training covers how to

advise potential buyers about the

benefits of ENERGY STAR manufac-

tured housing and the best practices

for installing ENERGY STAR homes.

We talk about the importance of

things like sealed ductwork, better

insulation, and high-performance

windows, all the things that help

reduce utility bills.” KL

Energy journalist NANCY GRANT is a

member of the Cooperative Communicators

Association and the American Society of

Journalists and Authors.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer of manufactured housing, or considering trading in

an older model for something nicer, SmartMH KY can help you get the facts and figures

to make a decision for a low-cost loan. The program, managed by Next Step Network in

Louisville, can get you connected with retailers and lenders in your area who offer many

affordable options for qualified buyers of ENERGY STAR manufactured housing.

Visit the SmartMH KY Web site at www.SmartMH.org to read stories and watch

videos of people who are enjoying living in their new energy-efficient homes. Or you

can contact Megan Neff Sherehiy at Next Step Network, (502) 694-1976.

Donald and Brittney Jones, Campbellsville, members of Taylor County RECC, took advantage of programs offered for ENERGY STAR-certified manufactured homes for energy savings and homeownership. Photo: SmartMH KY

MORE INFO ON SMARTMH KY

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 13

Page 14: KL May 2016

GADGETS &GIZMOS

LESLIE SCANLON

Steaming away dirtChoosing the right cleaning machine

In the ideal world, no one would spill spaghetti sauce on the light carpet, and

the dog would never track in mud. Most of us live in the real world, however,

where a good machine could save the day after a spectacularly clumsy

moment or just the daily dirt intrusions of family life.

When choosing a steam cleaning machine, first consider the kinds of

flooring you have and what tools and equipment you already own. Although

vacuums pick up dirt and dust, they don’t remove stains. To fill in the gaps,

many consumers are turning to steam cleaners and mops—some of which are

intended for hard flooring such as vinyl or tile, some for carpet, and certain

models for both.

Note these two important cautions. Although some manufacturers claim

their steam cleaners are safe for laminate floors, some makers of laminate

floors disagree. Additionally, using a steam cleaning machine on ceramic tile

may temporarily soften the grout.

Comparing features

Many consumers think that instead

of simply shampooing carpets or

mopping floors the old-fashioned

way, using a steam clean machine

will penetrate more deeply to remove

allergens and dust mites. When

comparing steam floor cleaners,

pay attention to how long it takes

to heat the liquid to the maximum

temperature, and what that level is.

Hotter temperatures will likely clean

faster and perhaps kill bacteria more

effectively. Models with bigger water

tanks will likely have to be refilled

less frequently—but also may be

heavier to lug around, or haul up and

down stairs.

What’s best, plain water or

detergent? Some consumers with

allergies might prefer pure steam

cleaning, thinking that it’s better for

the environment not to use harsh

chemicals. Be aware that models

that use detergent instead of water

may say that the only detergent that

should be used is the brand specifi-

cally sold for that machine. Nearly

all steam cleaners, whether they

use water or added chemicals, have

removable pads that can be cleaned

in the washing machine.

How to get the best results

Make sure the model you’re consider-

ing is a good match for your type of

flooring. Many steam mops are meant

specifically for cleaning hard-surface

floors. Canister-style models some-

times also come with attachments that

can be used to clean other surfaces,

such as countertops, upholstery, or

mattresses. Some models come with

carpet-glider attachments, so the

machine can transition from a hard

surface such as tile to carpets or rugs.

And here’s an important cleaning

tip: remember to empty out the water

tank between uses to keep odors and

mineral deposits from building up.

SMART SHOPPER

Ease of use, fast mopping and quick drying time, as well as the ability to use water to clean hard surfaces are just a few reasons why people choose a steam cleaner. Photo: Eureka

TECHTIPS

14 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 15: KL May 2016

Sealing air leaks for comfort and energy savings I recently moved into a new home, and it feels drafty. I added weatherstripping to the doors and windows, but it doesn’t seem to have solved the problem. Are there additional steps I can take to increase comfort?—Rob J.

PATRICK KEEGAN

A ir leak openings in the aver-

age home can easily add up to a

2-foot-square hole: that’s like

leaving a window open all day,

every day.

While drafty windows and doors

are obvious sources of air leakage,

there are many other places where

air could be escaping or seeping in.

The average home leaks about half

of its air every hour through various

cracks and gaps. For example, holes

drilled into your walls, ceiling, and

attic for plumbing pipes and electri-

cal lines can be a major source of air

leakage. Outlet covers and recessed

lights can also have small gaps where

conditioned air can escape. Other

sources could be leaks in air ducts in

unheated spaces, fireplace chim-

neys, and attic access hatches.

The more leaks you can find and

seal, the more energy you’ll save—

and you’ll be more comfortable, too.

Outdoors, check for air leaks

where different building materials

meet (siding and foundation, chim-

ney), and where water lines and

outdoor faucets are located. Indoors,

check around electrical and water

service entrances, and attic hatches.

Locate leaks and fix ’emIf you’d like some help hunting for

leaks, check with your local elec-

tric co-op to see if they offer home

energy audits with a blower door test

that can pinpoint leaky spots.

Your next step is to seal up as

many of the leaks as possible. The

materials you need will depend

on what gap is being sealed. Your

co-op’s energy advisor, an energy

auditor, or the folks at your local

hardware store can help guide you to

the right products.

Small gaps, such as around outlets

or between baseboards and floors,

can be filled with caulk. Large gaps

and holes, such as around pipes, may

need foam insulation, foil insulation,

sheeting, or a combination of materi-

als. Match the type of caulk or other

material to the location where you’ll

be using it, either inside your home

or on the home’s exterior. After you

seal the leaks you’ll be more comfort-

able–and you’ll save money on your

monthly energy bill, too. KL

PATRICK KEEGAN writes on consumer and

cooperative affairs for the National Rural

Electric Cooperative Association.

The difference between air leaks and proper ventilation

A home that is sealed up too

“tight” can also have issues

with improper interior moisture

levels and indoor air quality. And

there’s a risk of a deadly buildup

of invisible carbon monoxide. It

is especially important that you

not plug up vents that bring in

outside air to a gas or propane

furnace or stove. Ask your elec-

tric co-op’s energy advisor how to

maintain safe ventilation.

AIRQUALITY

CUTTING COSTS

Did you know that windows and doors aren’t the only places air leaks occur? Josh Littrell, an energy advisor with East Kentucky Power Cooperative in Winchester, says you’ll be more comfortable in your home and have lower energy bills if you search for and seal even the tiniest leak areas, such as behind electrical outlets. Photo: Tim Webb

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 15

Page 16: KL May 2016

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Page 17: KL May 2016

ENERGY 101

How geothermal heat pumps workKeeping cool in summer, warm in winter

In the most common installation, a geothermal heat pump (GHP) system

uses a series of plastic pipes—called ground loops—filled with water that are

buried beneath the soil’s surface. At the proper depth, the earth’s tem-

perature is generally at a constant 50 degrees

Fahrenheit throughout the year, although actual

underground temperatures will vary locally by a

few degrees. The sealed pipes are connected to

geothermal heating and cooling equipment inside a home or other building.

Water circulating through the system carries heat to or from the

ground, depending on the season. During the summer months, unwanted

indoor heat is transferred to the water and then goes outside to the

ground for cooling by the earth. That cool water then flows in the other

direction through the GHP system to return to the inside of the home to

provide cooling.

During the winter months, the role of the earth is reversed. Instead

of chilling the water in the pipe system, it adds warmth. The earth’s heat

is transferred to the water circulating through the pipes and then flows

through the geothermal system’s loop into the building to provide indoor

space heating.

A less common, but still effective, geothermal heat pump system uses

the constant temperature of water in a well, a deep pond, or a lake instead

of the ground to change the temperature of the water circulating in the

sealed pipes.

Geothermal heating and cooling saves energy by reducing the amount

of fossil fuels needed in a conventional heating system or at a power plant.

Homeowners who install geothermal heat pump systems use 25 to 50

percent less electricity than conventional heating and cooling systems,

reports the Department of Energy. For more information, go online to

www.geoexchange.org.

The federal government currently offers homeowners a 30 percent tax

incentive toward the cost of a qualified geothermal heat pump system (10

percent for commercial buildings) if installed and in service before the last

day of 2016.

—Ted Clutter, The Geothermal Exchange Organization

ENERGY BASICS

Page 18: KL May 2016

CO-OPERATIONS

Going global to help communities grow DEBRA GIBSON ISAACS

MCKEE

WINCHESTER

GRAY, MCKEE, WINCHESTER

Cumberland Valley Electric, Jackson

Energy, and East Kentucky Power

Cooperative have come up with

a new approach for the coop-

erative principle “Concern for

Community” by encouraging more

Kentucky businesses to export

their products to other countries.

Increasing Kentucky’s exports cre-

ates new jobs and strengthens local

economies.

The three co-ops recently held

a seminar for local business leaders

and officials to provide information

on how to market products in for-

eign countries. Area business lead-

ers learned about state incentives

and grants, as well as international

outlets for their products, from

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic

Development executives.

Farmers RECC, Big Sandy RECC,

and South Kentucky RECC have also

hosted export seminars, and more

are scheduled around the state.

Morgan Pierstorff, project man-

ager with the Cabinet for Economic

Development, says the state’s

export initiative offers access to

grants that can help businesses

reduce their costs when they’re

looking to export.

“Think of us as a free consultant,”

Pierstorff says. “We can help provide

exposure for your products in inter-

national markets, as well as help you

target the right companies.”

Ron Roy, director of sales and

marketing of Highlands Diversified

Services, spoke about his com-

pany’s exporting success and how

state incentives helped him take his

products abroad.

Highlands, which was recently

acquired by Bear Diversified, makes

aerospace, automotive, and satellite

television products. The company

supplies millions of antenna sets for

major service providers each year.

Roy used the Cabinet’s STEP (State

Trade and Expansion Program)

grant program to help him explore

exporting.

The Cabinet is currently accept-

ing applications for STEP grants and

other programs. For more informa-

tion, go online to www.kyexports.

com. You don’t have to be a huge

manufacturer or large industry to

get help from the Cabinet.

For more information on all

programs available through the

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic

Development, go online to

ThinkKentucky.com. KL

GRAY

Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are hosting seminars across the state to encourage business owners to explore how exporting more goods and services to countries around the world can help local economies grow.

18 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 19: KL May 2016

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Page 20: KL May 2016

Healthy HomesKeep your home safe for the whole familyBY DEBRA GIBSON ISAACS

2016 HOME IMPROVEMENT

ISSUE

JUP

ITE

RIM

AG

ES

20 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 21: KL May 2016

Healthy HomesWe see our homes as safe havens, protected spaces. But even the nicest of houses can contain health hazards.

Fortunately, there are ways to

spot the hazards and minimize

or eliminate them.

Poor indoor air quality,

lead paint, fall hazards, mold:

conditions in your home—some

obvious, some hidden—can affect

your family’s health.

Consider these facts from

the National Center for Healthy

Housing:

• Air quality inside your home

can be worse than outdoors.

The second leading cause of

lung cancer—radon—is found in

many homes. Carbon monoxide

poisoning results in more than

200 accidental deaths a year and,

at much lower levels, causes flu-

like symptoms, which often go

undiagnosed.

• Twenty to 30 percent of the trig-

gers for asthma attacks are found

in the home.

• Excluding the automobile, the

home is the most frequent site

for accidents—falls, burns, and

poisonings—for children up to 19

years old. It’s also where older

adults fall.

• In homes built before 1978,

deteriorated lead-based paint

and the dust it creates are the

Page 22: KL May 2016

Look-alikesSome hazardous products look similar to items that

are safe and consumable. Sometimes the packaging is

almost identical in each case. Following is a list of hazard-

ous products and their safe look-alikes. While this list is

not all-inclusive, it should help you think about products

in your home that have dangerous look-alikes.

The next two stepsYou’ve accomplished the essentials. Your home is dry, clean, clutter-free, and well-

maintained. Here are two more ways to make your home even healthier.

Provide for a planned exhaust system Install a heat recovery ventilator. Also

known as mechanical ventilation heat

recovery, a heat recovery ventilator

captures the energy in exhaust air to

dehumidify it and capture the energy

used to heat or cool it. As the fresh

air comes in, it is tempered. The air is

healthier and there is also about a 40

percent decrease in energy usage. The

alternative is a properly sized dehumidi-

fication and fresh air supply system.

Kitchens and bathrooms should also

have exhaust ventilation.

Manage ventilation properlyIf radon gas is detected, install a radon

mitigation system. Instead of radon

coming into the home, it will go out

through a pipe in the roof.

Source: The National Center for Healthy Housing

Package look-alikes Powdered cleanser Parmesan cheese

Dog biscuits Animal crackers

Cat food Tuna

Product look-alikesRed cold tablets Cinnamon candy

Liquid pine cleaner Apple juice

Glass cleaner Blue fruit drink

Motor oil Honey

Antifreeze Lime or lemon-lime drink

Alcohol Water

Rat/mouse poison Sunflower seeds, candy, cereal

Antacid tablets Candy

Powdered pesticides Flour

Children’s vitamins Candy, gumballs

Detergent pods Candy

Chocolate laxatives Chocolate candy bars

Source: UK Cooperative Extension Service

Healthy Homes

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RT

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LSO

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FOTO

LIA

JUPITERIMAGES

STOLEG - FOTOLIA

ALI

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L - F

OTO

LIA

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22 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 23: KL May 2016

primary cause of lead poisoning,

which affects 535,000 U.S. children,

according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention. Other

sources include lead in drinking

water and occupational take-home

exposure from parents who work in

lead industries.

“A healthy home provides a safe

and healthy environment for every-

one who lives in that home,” says

Ashley Osborne, an Extension asso-

ciate for environmental and natural

resource issues with the University

of Kentucky. “Think about each

family member—adults, children, and

seniors.”

To keep your family healthier, the

National Center for Healthy Housing

has seven principles for healthy

homes and recommendations to

achieve them. (See sidebar, page 24.)

Before you make improvements,

however, you need to assess your

home, says David E. Jacobs, Ph.D.,

chief scientist with the National

Center for Healthy Housing, which

has developed a handy assess-

ment checklist (see more at

KentuckyLiving.com).

You can hire a home inspector, or

you can call an environmental ser-

vices company like Evergreen AES in

nStewart VanHooser, senior project manager/consultant at Evergreen AES Environmental Services in Shelbyville, takes a baseline sample of the outdoor air. The cassette in his hand captures mold spore samples to compare with indoor air samples he will take later and send to a certified lab for testing. Photo: Jolea Brown

n Don’t weatherize your home

without considering ventilation.

n Don’t power sand paint or burn

off paint without checking to

see if it is lead-based.

n Don’t try to treat mold yourself

if there is more than 10 square

feet of it.

n Don’t just use a pesticide. Try

integrated pest management

(IPM) instead. IPM is based on

denying pests a place to live and

eliminating their food sources.

Source: The National Center for Healthy Housing

A FEW DON’TS

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 23

Page 24: KL May 2016

Shelbyville, who will test your home

for mold and air quality issues. Senior

Project Manager/Consultant Stewart

VanHooser says, “We give you a full

report of our findings and recom-

mendations and can monitor your

contractor’s progress and re-test

afterward.”

“Each house is different,” Jacobs

says. “The first step is to determine

what the problems are for that par-

ticular house.”

Help close to homeCooperative Extension Service agents

in every county can help. They have

several programs to address many of

the common issues affecting homes

and human health.

Osborne says the key principles of

a healthy home are helpful for every

family member and are mostly a

matter of maintenance.

“Keep your home dry,” she

advises. “Any type of moisture can

lead to mold or pests. Also, keep it

clean. Clearing the clutter reduces the

potential for people falling. Making

needed repairs as soon as possible

decreases the likelihood of minor

issues becoming more major prob-

lems. Everything interrelates.”

Children need special consid-

erations, Osborne says, beyond the

familiar steps such as covering out-

lets, putting locks on cabinets that

contain hazardous materials, and

keeping electrical cords and clutter

from causing injuries and falls. One

overlooked issue is “look-alikes.”

Over-the-counter and prescrip-

tion drugs often have the shape and

bright colors of candy, Osborne says.

These include gummy vitamins,

antacids, and many detergent pods.

There are so many look-alike prod-

ucts that the Extension Service has

developed a list.

If you comply with these

seven principles, your home

will support your health, not

harm it.

DRY Damp houses provide

a nurturing environment for

mites, roaches, rodents, and

molds, all of which are associ-

ated with asthma and other

health problems.

CLEAN Clean homes help

reduce pest infestations and

exposure to contaminants.

PEST-FREE Recent studies

show a causal relationship

between exposure to mice

and cockroaches and asthma

episodes in children; inap-

propriate treatment for pest

infestations can exacerbate

health problems, since pesti-

cide residues in homes pose

risks for neurological damage

and cancer.

SAFE The majority of injuries

among children occur in the

home. Falls are the most

frequent cause of residential

injuries to children, followed

by injuries from objects in the

home, burns, and poisonings.

CONTAMINANT-FREE

Chemical exposures include

lead, radon, pesticides,

volatile organic compounds,

and environmental tobacco

smoke. Exposures to

asbestos particles, radon

gas, carbon monoxide, and

secondhand tobacco smoke

are far higher indoors than

outside.

VENTILATED Studies show

that increasing the fresh air

supply in a home improves

respiratory health.

MAINTAINED Poorly main-

tained homes are at risk for

moisture and pest problems.

Deteriorated lead-based

paint in older housing is

the primary cause of lead

poisoning, which affects

some 535,000 U.S. children,

according to the Centers

for Disease Control and

Prevention.

Source: The National Center for Healthy Housing

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF HEALTHY HOMES

24 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 25: KL May 2016

Seniors also need special atten-

tion, particularly when it comes to

falls. “In a given year, one in three

older adults can expect to fall,”

says Amy Hosier, Ph.D., an associ-

ate Extension professor with the

University of Kentucky Department

of Family Sciences and Cooperative

Extension Service. “Falls are the

leading cause of injury and injury-

related death among older adults.

Falls are also the leading cause of

nonfatal injuries and hospital admis-

sions for trauma among older adults.”

About half of falls happen in the

home. “Older adults may be at higher

risk at home because of poor lighting,

tripping hazards such as loose carpet-

ing, or the misuse of chairs or stools

in the kitchen to reach things on high

shelves,” Hosier says.

She suggests checking for safety

by walking through each room and

around the outside of the house.

Many of the preventive measures

are easy to implement. For exam-

ple, Hosier recommends that seniors

keep a cellphone or cordless phone

on their person in case they fall or to

keep from getting up too quickly and

rushing to get to the phone.

Breathe easyAnother big factor in keeping your

home healthy is improving indoor air

quality. “Contaminants can be con-

centrated in indoor air,” says Roberta

Burnes, environmental education

specialist with the Kentucky Division

for Air Quality. According to the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,

indoor levels of some air pollutants

may be two to five times higher than

outdoor air.

Even smart home improvements

can have undesirable health conse-

quences on air quality.

“Over time, homes have become

more energy efficient—a good thing,”

says Jacobs, the scientist with the

National Center for Healthy Housing.

“But if energy efficiency is not cou-

pled with proper ventilation, it can

lead to worse air quality indoors than

outdoors. Homes still need some

fresh air coming in.”

A lot of improving indoor air qual-

ity is common sense, Burnes says.

“Change furnace filters regularly,”

she says. “Keep up with general dust-

ing and sweeping; a lot of people are

sensitive to dust mites. Carpeting and

plush toys are havens for dust mites.

Keep these to a minimum unless you

can keep them regularly cleaned.”

Mold is a natural fungus that

exists in many forms, indoors and

outdoors, Burnes notes. “Inside the

home, mold is only a problem if you

have a moisture problem. Air condi-

tioners and dehumidifiers can help

with that,” she says. The EPA recom-

mends keeping the indoor humidity

level below 50 percent.

Whether it is air quality or any

other aspect of a healthy home, all

the experts agree on one point: start

now and systematically address each

of the issues. Then your home can

help keep you healthy. KL

nFar left, VanHooser checks his test equipment before entering the house, where he will be checking humidity levels and other crucial indicators.

Inside the house, VanHooser checks temperature and humidity throughout the home looking for conditions favorable to mold growth. He inspects the furnace, checking filters, humidifier, and looking for maintenance issues.

Far right, this cassette attaches to a pump and catches mold spore samples to be identified and measured in a certified lab. Photos: Jolea Brown

ONLINE

Prevention checklistAs with many other health issues,

prevention is a key in maintaining a

home that doesn’t present risks to your

health. The National Center for Healthy

Housing has a checklist, complete with

cost estimates, that makes this process

easier. Go to www.KentuckyLiving.com

and search for “Head off health issues.”

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 25

Page 26: KL May 2016

When it’s 100 degrees outside and your air conditioning won’t kick on, it’s tempting to call

the first—or cheapest—contractor you can find. But

that can be a mistake.

“I hate to say it, but in the world of contract-

ing there’s a lot of scams out there, and a lot of scam

artists. It’s buyer beware, and a lot of times your

cheapest price is not going to be your best one,”

advises Jeff Hinkley, a Farmers RECC member and

general manager at HVAC Services in Glasgow.

It’s best to do your homework first—before an

emergency strikes—and to have a list of reputa-

ble contractors on hand for when you need them,

says Tim House, executive director of the Kentucky

Association of Master Contractors (www.kyamc.

com), which represents about 800 plumbing and

HVAC contractors across the state.

Wondering how to sort the reputable contrac-

tors from those who aren’t? Here are some simple

strategies:

1RESEARCH THE COMPANY ONLINE: Look to

make sure the contractor has a local address

and has been in business for more than three

to five years to avoid fly-by-night operations,

House suggests. “Finding out how long the company

has been in business is a good way of determin-

ing how likely it is that they will still be in business

(in a few years’ time) if any problems come up,”

agrees Don “Kat” Kurapkat, a Nolin RECC member

and project manager with Knight’s Mechanical, a

plumbing and HVAC company based in Cecilia. Look

for proof of membership in industry associations as

another good sign that the business is reputable.

“You’re not going to spend money to belong to an asso-

ciation unless you take this business seriously, you’re

in it for the long haul, and you care about the good of

the customer,” says Hinkley.

2CHECK TO SEE IF THE CONTRACTOR IS LICENSED IN KENTUCKY AND THAT THE LICENSE IS VALID. Kentucky requires state-

approved licenses for electricians, plumbers,

and HVAC contractors, a designation that certifies

these contractors have passed requisite industry

exams and field experience criteria. Additionally,

contractors in these trades are required by law to

publish their license number on any print advertising

they do, including on the side of their work trucks. You

“...treat the process of getting estimates more like a job interview rather than shopping for a product...you need to be comfortable enough to voice your opinions and concerns.”

How To Hire A Home ContractorA

NTO

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FOTO

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2016 HOME IMPROVEMENT

ISSUE

26 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 27: KL May 2016

Checking off the requirements and spotting the red flagsBY ROBIN ROENKER

can go online to the Kentucky Department of Housing,

Buildings and Construction’s Web site to check the

status of any Kentucky plumbing, electrical, or HVAC

company’s license number at https://ky.joportal.com/

License/Search.

3PLANNING A HOME REMODEL OR ADDI-TION? LOOK FOR REGISTERED BUILDERS OR REMODELERS THROUGH YOUR LOCAL HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION. Kentucky

does not license building contractors. However, build-

ing and remodeling contractors who achieve status as

a registered builder or remodeler through their local

Home Builders Association must meet several levels of

eligibility criteria, including membership in their local

HBA, at least two years’ full-time industry experience,

proof of workers’ compensation and liability insurance,

continuing education hours, and more. See full details

at www.registeredremodelerky.com. “The requirements

for being a registered builder or remodeler are some of

the basic things that homeowners should look for, when

looking for someone to come in and do a project on

their home,” says Bob Weiss, executive vice president of

the Home Builders Association of Kentucky.

1-800-305-5493www.simplesaver.coop

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How To Hire A Home Contractor

>>CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 27

Page 28: KL May 2016

Bid a project extremely low—far below any other bids you receive. That can be a sign that they are not licensed or insured, says Tim House, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Master Contractors.

Ask for a large portion of the money for a job—say, 50 percent or more—up front. Some scam contractors use this tactic to collect and then never show up to perform the work.

Refuse to provide references.

In the case of builders or remodelers, tell you they don’t use subcontractors. “If plumbing lines are being changed or electrical work is being done, then legally they have to use licensed plumbing or electrical subcontractors for that portion of the job,” explains Jim Stegman, president of Stegman Construction Company in Newport. So if a builder or remodeler tries to claim during a bid process that they’ll do it all, “they’re not doing it right,” he says.

AVOID CONTRACTORS WHOC

AIR

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ICS

28 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 29: KL May 2016

This is NOT a playground

When the Studer boys, Aaron and Brett, were 5 and 8 years old, they didn’t know about the green metal boxes in the back corner of their yard. While playing outside one day, Brett found one unlocked and opened it up. Then, Aaron put a stick inside.

There was a loud explosion, and Aaron suffered second and third degree burns to his face. Fortunately, there were no permanent scars.

The family knows the situation could have ended tragically and are working with Safe Electricity’s “Teach Learn Care TLC” campaign to help educate others.

Safe Electricity wants you to know what electrical service boxes are and how to keep yourself and others safe.

• Recognize that these boxes contain electrical equipment.

• Respect the equipment and the boxes. Do not open, tamper with, or obstruct access to them. • If there is any damage, such as a hole or broken lock, immediately report it to your utility.

Learn more, and see their story at:

Kentucky’sTHIS AD PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Safe Electricity 0516.indd 1 3/28/16 2:39 PM

Page 30: KL May 2016

4ASK FOR PROOF OF INSURANCE. “Getting copies of insurance—proof of

both workers’ compensation and general

liability insurance—would be at the top of

my list if I was on the other side of the fence, looking

to hire a contractor,” says John Moss, owner of

Eagle Construction in Hopkinsville and a member of

Pennyrile Electric. “It is so worth it to have that piece

of paper in your file, just to know you’re covered” if a

worker is hurt while at your home, Moss says.

5GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. “When we

do a proposal, we do a line-by-line, itemized

proposal, as well as a written scope of work

to be performed. So that way, there’s no

question between parties about the work that’s going

to be performed or not,” advises Erika Bledsoe, a home

comfort advisor with Monthie Mechanical Inc., an HVAC

company based in Lexington.

6TREAT THE CONTRACTOR SEARCH LIKE AN INTERVIEW PROCESS. You want a

contractor who’s willing to ask you questions

and listen—one who takes notes about your

needs, and makes you feel like you’re being heard,

Bledsoe adds. “I wish more homeowners would treat

the process of getting estimates more like a job inter-

view rather than shopping for a product,” she says.

“You are going to be entering a working relationship

with your contractor, and you need to be comfortable

enough to voice your opinions and concerns. And you

need to trust that when you need them, they will be

there.”

7BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE WORK YOU WANT. If you have three contractors come in

to offer a bid on a room addition, for example,

you’re likely to get estimates that vary widely

unless you’ve given each remodeler a very specific

outline of the size of the room and all its specifica-

tions, all the way down to the type of windows and

floor covering you want. “Otherwise, if you just say, ‘I

want to add on a new living room, can you give me a

bid on that,’ you’re going to get prices that are apples

and oranges and lemons. They are not going to be the

same. Unless you have all the specifications listed out,

you really can’t have a competitive bid process,” says

Jim Stegman, president of Stegman Construction

Company in Newport.

8Get references from past customers—and be sure to follow up with them. Reputable

contractors “will actually like giving you ref-

erences if they’re proud of the work they’ve

done,” says Weiss. Often, talking with references or

even asking your own friends and family for refer-

rals can shed light on a contractor’s style of work and

ability to resolve any problems that may arise down the

line. “I’ve been in business for 20 years and all of my

business is from word-of-mouth referrals,” says Moss.

“I may not be known as the cheapest guy, but I’ve been

known to go back five years after a job and fix a little

something that might be wrong, and there’s no charge

for that. It’s a matter of pride. People know I’m going to

be here if anything should happen.”

9SEARCH OUT THE COMPANY’S RATING THROUGH SITES LIKE YOUR LOCAL BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING,

BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION. Since 2014, the

KDHBC has been more actively investigating consumer

complaints against HVAC, plumbing, and electrical

contractors, says Tina Quire, assistant director of the

agency’s Engineering Division. Homeowners can call to

lodge a complaint against a contractor in these fields

or to inquire whether any administrative enforcement

action has been taken against a contractor or company

that holds an electrical, HVAC, or plumbing license.

Two caveats: be aware that sites that rely on customer-

submitted evaluations can sometimes be unreliable.

Competitors occasionally post false complaints about

their rival companies, says Hinkley. Also, when check-

ing the BBB rating, don’t just look at the letter-grade

score. “If the company has an A rating, but that’s after

having to settle 90 complaints, then that could still be

a red flag,” Bledsoe says.

10GET MULTIPLE BIDS, BUT DON’T BE TEMPTED TO ALWAYS GO FOR THE CHEAPEST OPTION. “The lowest price

is not always best. Whenever possible,

I’d encourage homeowners to get three prices, so

you’re going to see a low price and a high price. Usually,

the best scenario is you’re going to go with the one in

the middle,” House says. KL

>>CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

30 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 31: KL May 2016

LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 9/1/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

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Page 32: KL May 2016

Whether you’re hosting a kindergarten bash for a bunch of boisterous 5-year-olds or a sophisticated college soirée, with the proper preparation and planning, your graduation party is sure to get an A+.

PARTY!BY AMY COBB

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PARTY!CAP, GOWN, DIPLOMA.

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 33

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All across the state, another

school year winds down for the

summer. Diplomas are being

awarded. Graduation caps

tossed high in the air. And 2016 grad-

uates everywhere are marching to the

traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Now, for many families, there’s still

one thing left to do—celebrate! These

tips from our readers and from the

pros will help get your party started.

Party for threeSince fourth grade, college student

Colleen Ohler has been friends with

Katie Post and Katie Grinnell. These

fellow Girl Scouts celebrated one

another’s accomplishments through

the years. In 2012, they celebrated

another achievement together: their

high school graduation from the local

area homeschool group called FAITH,

an acronym for Families Acquiring

Instruction Through Homeschooling.

Instead of three separate gradu-

ation parties, the young women

decided to combine efforts and throw

one big bash. They opted for an out-

door event complete with volleyball,

Frisbee, and an evening bonfire.

When planning a graduation

party, Colleen’s mom, Tamara Ohler,

suggests involving the graduates.

“Find out what they truly want,” she

says, “and then do it, if it’s possible.”

Tamara also says sharing tasks

among several families, like choos-

ing a menu and decorating, makes

planning a group party easier. And of

course, splitting costs doesn’t break

the grad party budget.

But perhaps what the Ohlers

most appreciated about the group

party was the event’s slower pace.

“The girls actually got to spend a

whole day just enjoying themselves,

because they didn’t have to rush off

to another party and another party,”

Tamara says.

Colleen, who was a 2012 Nolin

RECC scholarship recipient, is gradu-

ating magna cum laude this month

from Murray State University. To cel-

ebrate, she’s planning another group

party with the three roommates she

met her freshman year as a Racer.

This party’s going placesWhen Deana Cowles planned her

daughter’s 2013 Bowling Green High

School graduation party, she kept

Haley’s future plans in mind. “We

knew that her major was political sci-

ence, and she was interested in polit-

ical affairs,” says Deana. “So we did a

travel theme.”

The Cowleses began by rent-

ing a pavilion at nearby Covington

Park. Deana decorated with many

repurposed items from home. Books,

globes, and maps already on hand

were turned into centerpieces. She

wrapped the tables in brown paper

and zigzagged maps across them to

create table runners. “It was real

low-budget. It didn’t look like it, but

it was,” Deana says.

One clever idea involved creating

a “table” by pairing a common travel

item with another from the kitchen.

“I put vintage suitcases positioned

on four souvenir coffee mugs,”

says Deana. The mugs, from differ-

ent tourist destinations, became the

“feet” of the luggage table.

Perched in the center were citro-

nella candles in champagne glasses

topped with glass ceiling fan globes.

They cast a warm glow at dusk as

the kids watched movies on the

inflatable theater and snacked on

goodies from nacho and popcorn

bars, with mix-ins like pretzels,

peanuts, and M&M’s.

The homemade photo booth was

a popular party hangout. An old

ONLINE

GET A VISUALNeed more ideas for your graduate’s

party? Visit our Web site for two videos

from party-planning vendors, plus take

a virtual tour of Jordan Hill Farm in

Richmond—a popular venue.

“Keep it personal, and remember that (the party) is about your child.” —Diana Jenkins, PennyrileElectric member and party-planning mom

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window frame with a curtain served

as the backdrop, and cutouts attached

to skewers were used as props. “I left

out a camera, and let the kids go at

it,” says Deana. “They had a ball.”

Picture this partySouth Kentucky RECC member

Marisa Dungan decorated her

in-laws’ Pulaski County business,

Crown Party Rental & Sales, in

purple and gold for daughter

Lauren’s 2013 graduation from

Somerset High School.

“We also did the cake and cup-

cakes to match her school colors,”

says Marisa, who encourages involv-

ing others with party planning, par-

ticularly when it comes to the menu.

For Lauren’s party, instead of a heavy

meal, family and friends brought a

variety of appetizers like pigs in a

blanket and meatballs on skewers—

what Marisa calls “fun food.”

nTop left: Cakes by Camille in Campbellsville created this cake for a soon-to-be Murray State graduate. Photo: Shanon Camille O’Banion

Top right: Katie Post, left, and Colleen Grinnell celebrate their mutual homeschool graduation party in 2012. Colleen will graduate magna cum laude from Murray State this month. Photo: Tamara Ohler

Bottom left: Laura Dungan from Nancy, whose 2013 graduation party featured her Somerset High School colors. Photo: Marisa Dungan

Diana and Nathan Jenkins congratulate their son Christopher after handing him his diploma and gradu-ating him from homeschool. Photo: Susan Driskill

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Many of Marisa’s other grad party

tips are photography-related. She

suggests an uncluttered background

for taking photos. Drapes served as

Lauren’s backdrop, but, Marisa says,

“Even if you have a solid-color sheet,

you can hang that up. It will look

good in a picture.”

Each guest had a picture taken

with Lauren. Obviously, they were

special keepsakes from the day, but

Marisa also had something else in

mind. “We printed a 4 by 6 photo of

each guest posing with the graduate

to put in their thank you card,” she

explains.

Because capturing the moment

through photos is such an important

job, Marisa says someone should be

the designated photographer. “You’ve

either got to be prepared to do it

yourself, or get a volunteer.”

Finally, she advises dress-

ing comfortably and remembering

to just have fun: “That’s the most

important part.”

Personalized partyLast May, busy Belton homeschool-

ing mom and Pennyrile Electric

member Diana Jenkins took on a

new role: party planner for her son

Christopher’s high school gradua-

tion, held at the Jenkinses’ church,

Browder Missionary Baptist Church.

Diana involved the whole family

and many friends in celebrating his

accomplishment.

Christopher marched down the

aisle in his cap and gown as his sister

Emily played Pomp and Circumstance

on the piano. An uncle said the

opening prayer; Christopher’s dad,

Nathan, gave an inspirational speech;

and close family friend Dr. Mary

Carver gave the commencement

address. Before Nathan and Diana

awarded Christopher his diploma,

Emily returned to the piano for a duet

with youngest sister, Amber.

The girls’ surprise performance of

Rascal Flatts’ hit My Wish moved the

audience and Christopher to tears.

“This was actually their idea,” says

Diana. “They wanted it to be their gift

to him.”

Once Christopher’s tassel was

turned, the party moved to the fel-

lowship hall, where a memora-

bilia table displayed his childhood

treasures, like school scrapbooks,

basketball and fishing items, and

a handmade quilt from his grand-

mother. While sipping lemonade and

enjoying appetizers and cake, guests

signed an autograph book, leaving

messages for Christopher. Friends

from their homeschool co-op han-

dled the reception duties.

Looking back, Diana says she

minimized graduation celebration

stress levels by preparing early and

working together as a family. She also

recommends talking to others who

have experience, and borrowing dec-

orations to keep costs down.

Diana also offers this party-plan-

ning advice: “Keep it personal, and

remember that it is about your child.”

A graduation is a milestone celebration.

But it can also be overwhelming. To

avoid grad-party planning overload and

to keep your bash on track, check out

this checklist:

t Circle the date on your calendar. The

sooner, the better.

t Jot down a guest invitation list.

t Set a budget, and then stick to it.

t Select a venue, whether at home or a

by-reservation location.

t Choose a party theme, keeping the

grad’s interests in mind.

t Decide on entertainment options:

music, games, movies, etc.

t Plan the menu, while remembering

your budget. Finger foods or pizza

keeps it simple. A catered event

means less stress.

t Order the cake. Cupcakes and cake

pops are a hit with the younger crowd.

t Assemble photos and other memora-

bilia to add a personalized party touch.

t Enlist a few family members and

friends to help with decorations.

t Designate a photographer (if you

haven’t hired one), leaving you free to

mingle with guests.

It’s party day! Now relax. Seriously.

And enjoy celebrating your graduate’s

success.

PLAN YOUR GRAD PARTY LIKE A PRO

n The LOFT adds a trendy vibe to its rustic, historic location in downtown Russellville with features like this wall decorated in chalkboard art. Photo: Lisa Haley-Miller

Page 37: KL May 2016

Looking for the perfect venue, caterer, or baker for your special graduate? Here are just a few from across the Commonwealth.

1Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe1804 Frankfort Ave.

Louisville, KY 40206

(502) 899-2008

www.sweetsurrenderdessertcafe.com

Facebook: Sweet Surrender Dessert

Cafe

This award-winning dessert cafe is

known for its desserts, like the three-tier

graduation cake on this cover. Catering

is available. Call for more information.

2Eagle Lake Convention & Expo Center1008 Eagle Lake Drive

Lawrenceburg, KY 40342

(502) 859-0999

www.eaglelakeconventioncenter.com

Facebook: Eagle Lake Convention &

Expo Center

Offers all-day, no-time-limit rentals

for The Ballroom, seating up to 350

guests, and The Grand Ballroom,

seating up to 650. Four package

options and event coordinator avail-

able. No catering restrictions.

3Cakes by Camille

108 S. Court St.

Campbellsville, KY 42718

(270) 469-5769

www.cakesbycamille.com

Facebook: Cakes by Camille

Serving custom cakes, cupcakes,

and cake pops since 2010, with

a newly opened retail location in

2016. Check Web site and Facebook

for cake decorating classes offered

throughout the year.

4Kentucky State Parks(502) 564-8110

www.parks.ky.gov

Facebook: Kentucky State Parks

With locations across Kentucky, state

parks offer a variety of venue options,

from picnic tables beneath covered

pavilions to indoor conference rooms.

Explore each park’s Web site, then

contact the park for more information.

5Thompson Catering & Special Events

121 Hud Road

Winchester, KY 40391

(859) 745-2019

www.partyky.com

Facebook: Thompson Catering &

Special Events

Catering, tents of all sizes, tables

and chairs, 30 inflatables to choose

from, concessions, carnival games,

DJs, photo booths, and more.

6Southern Springs Events835 Long Ford Bridge Road

Cadiz, KY 42211

(270) 522-4295

www.southernspringsevents.com

Facebook: Southern Springs Events

Located on a secluded 10-acre farm

with three landscaped ponds for photo

opportunities. The Event Barn accom-

modates 200 guests for banquet-style

seating, allowing room for a dance

floor and food service area. The Drake

Room accommodates up to 75 guests.

Packages include use and setup/break-

down of tables and chairs.

7 LaDonna’s Catering

835 W. Laurel Road

London, KY 40741

(606) 309-3187

www.ladonnascatering.com

Facebook: LaDonna’s Catering

In business for 15 years, offers full-

service catering both on- and off-

site. Specializing in corporate events

and weddings.

8The LOFT-Downtown Russellville280 E. 4th St.

Russellville, KY 42276

(270) 348-5105

Facebook: The LOFT Downtown

Russellville

Two-story, all-inclusive, rustic venue

that seats up to 80 guests. Besides

tables and chairs, antique china, stem-

ware, silverware, linens, and a large

selection of floral arrangements are

available.

9The Peppermint Owl6201 Woodville Road

Bandana, KY 42022

(270) 816-6318

Facebook: The Peppermint Owl

120-year-old hardware store turned

custom event facility, featuring original

cabinetry, hardwood floors, and tin

ceiling.

For information on more suppliers,

including additional venues and cater-

ers, go online to KentuckyLiving.com

and search for “graduation parties.”

Supply side

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 37

Page 38: KL May 2016

Party like a proDo you want to throw the ultimate

graduation party? Keep these ideas

from the professionals in mind as you

plan, and your bash will rise straight

to the top of the class.

To secure your party’s venue date,

Southern Springs Events Manager

Melanie Noffsinger recommends

booking as far in advance as possible.

“Usually most schools have gradu-

ation ceremonies around the same

time, which means many people will

be looking for places to host a party

on or around the graduation date,”

Noffsinger says.

If it turns out your top venue

choice is already booked, don’t

stress. Mike Thompson, manager of

Thompson Catering & Special Events

in Winchester, says, “It’s hard to beat

your own back yard, especially if you

have room for a tent and/or inflat-

able. You’ll save money and look like

a professional party planner.”

Thompson also suggests deter-

mining a budget and ensuring guests

are well-fed. Lisa Haley-Miller,

owner of The LOFT-Downtown

Russellville, agrees. “You don’t want

your guests to leave hungry,” she

says. “If you have family members

that want to bring in a couple of

appetizers, that really helps with

the costs.”

When it comes to selecting a

cake, Cakes by Camille owner Shanon

Camille O’Banion says a school colors

theme makes a great choice. Another

idea is a sculpted cake, such as one in

the shape of a school mascot.

Cupcakes or cake pops are

easy options for younger gradu-

ates. “There’s no cutting and serv-

ing, and no need for plates or forks,”

says O’Banion, adding, “Kids love

cupcakes.”

For any graduation celebration,

staying calm is important, according

to Summer Graves, manager of The

Peppermint Owl in Bandana. “There’s

always a hitch in the giddy-up.

Nothing’s ever going to be perfect,”

she says. “Just have fun, and get your

party on!” KL

The voice of experience:

If your graduate’s bash

was one to remember,

share your family-friendly

party planning tips or

ideas at Facebook.com/

KentuckyLivingMagazine

If your graduation celebration has

stretched your budget, don’t stress

about renting a professional photo

booth. Instead, make your own! These

ideas will get you started.

SET THE SCENE For photos that pop,

turn an old door, window, or privacy

screen into a backdrop.

Don’t have any of these things? Hang a

curtain or large swath of fabric to create

a classy look, or keep things fun with

colorful streamers or balloons. A chair,

stool, or bench adds flair, plus extra

seating, to any photo booth.

THE RIGHT PROPS ARE TOPS Whether your grad is into band, art, or

sports, personalize your booth by adding

props that represent those unique inter-

ests. Use cardstock for printing letters to

spell your grad’s name or school initials,

and numbers for the grad year.

For a funky vibe, recycle old picture

frames in a variety of sizes and colors.

Chalkboards and dry-erase boards let

partygoers write their own special mes-

sages to the graduate.

There’s no going wrong with wearable

props, like hats, jewelry, or silly glasses.

SAY “CHEESE” To make sure all of

your guests get in on the photo booth

action, be sure to add a sign, point-

ing them in the right direction. Don’t

forget to take a photo of guests with

the graduate to include in thank-you

notes later.

A photo booth can be as elaborate or

as simple as you can imagine. The main

thing is, have fun. And smile!

PICTURE-PERFECT PHOTO BOOTHS

n Rachel O’Hara set up this guest table at her daughter Taylor’s graduation party in 2014 at the Josephina Event Venue in Dry Ridge. Personalized details set the mood for the celebration. Photo: Rachel O’Hara

38 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 39: KL May 2016

IT’S IRONIC—IN FACT IT’S DISGRACE-FUL—THAT THE STATE KNOWN AS THE HORSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

has so many horses that are abused, aban-

doned, or neglected. Then factor in the

people who sometimes, through no fault

of their own, are no longer able to care for

their horses; if they aren’t aware of a horse

rescue, the horse could easily end up in a

slaughterhouse.

That’s where the Kentucky Equine

Humane Center, or KyEHC, comes in.

Established in 2007 on 72 acres of roll-

ing pasture in Nicholasville, the Center

provides a refuge for horses of all breeds.

KENTUCKY EQUINE HUMANE CENTER HELPS NEGLECTED HORSES WHEN NO ONE ELSE CANBY PAULA SPARROW

Shaq, left, was surrendered by an owner who could not care for him. He arrived several hundred pounds underweight, with multiple abscesses in his front feet that took months to heal. Mystery is a miniature horse who was born at the Kentucky Equine Humane Center (KyEHC) to an abandoned miniature mare. Mystery and Shaq have each been adopted. Photo: Virginia Madelung

Page 40: KL May 2016

Housing approximately 50 horses at

any given time, they come from a

myriad of situations, with one thing

in common: they were lucky enough

to be placed at KyEHC.

Karen Gustin, the Center’s exec-

utive director, is passionate in her

mission to save as many horses as

she can.

“What we’re adamant about,” she

says, “is that we never turn away a

horse in an active crisis. Sometimes

we get a heads-up that a horse will

need to be brought here in the near

future, but if we get a report about a

horse that’s starving or being abused,

we don’t wait: we arrange to get that

horse to the Center immediately.”

While this is an all-breed horse

rescue, the Center maintains a

population of at least 50 percent

Thoroughbreds because there are so

many of that breed in need. The rest

are a mixture of paints, Saddlebreds,

Standardbreds, a draft cross, and

even a mule.

Getting a horse ready for adoptionHorses come from all over the state—

some are abandoned and unwanted,

some are from owners who can no

longer care for them. Often these

horses are left to fend for themselves;

many don’t make it. Karen and her

staff also work with county shelters

that don’t have facilities for horses.

Others come from individual owners

reaching out for help.

Spitting Image, a 20-year-old

horse, is a good example of the types

of situations the Center deals with.

“Spitting Image was part of a

hoarding/neglect case in Woodford

County,” Karen says. “More than

30 horses were starved, neglected.

There were at least 10 dead horses

in the barn. We were able to take in

six horses, and rehab them all. That

was an emergency situation.” The

remaining horses were rescued by

another organization.

Another recent emergency hap-

pened in Mercer County, a case that

received extensive media coverage

involving neglected stallions.

“We’ve got three of them,” Karen

says, pointing to a paddock. “They

could use a few more pounds, but

they’re in much better shape.”

Not every situation is as horren-

dous, but sad nonetheless. Noah is

a 16.2-hand draft cross who came

in when his owner passed away and

needed a home.

“Noah’s our gentle giant,” Karen

notes as she pats the long neck of

this palomino-colored horse. “We’ll

be trying him under saddle soon and

see how he does. He has Cushing’s

disease, which is chronic but we are

hopeful is manageable in his case.

He’s a great horse.”

Every horse that comes to KyEHC

is assessed for individual mental and

physical needs. They must come with

a current negative Coggins (equine

infectious anemia), but the Center

will provide farrier care, dental work,

and vaccinations. The horses are

placed in separate paddocks accord-

ing to their needs, as well as match-

ing personalities.

“We keep a horse as long as it

takes,” Karen points out, “whether it’s

months or even years. We get them as

ready as we can for adoption. We want

them to have a solid foundation.”

Adoption of these horses is the

goal, so if a horse has not been started

under saddle, a staff trainer teaches

each horse the basics in walk, trot,

and canter. Desensitizing props such

as ramps and coops are used to help

horses not be so easily spooked.

Trainer Olivia Dixon takes par-

ticular pride in the education given

to these horses: “There are few places

where horses in dire need, of any

breed, can go for rescue, medical

or nutritional rehabilitation, as well

as training, so that they can liter-

ally arrive near death and leave as a

healthy, well-educated horse ready

for their new forever home.”

“We don’t finish the horses,”

Karen stresses. “You won’t get a Pony

Club horse ready for the show circuit,

but you will get a horse that’s ready

to learn the discipline you’re inter-

ested in, and many go on to very suc-

cessful competitive careers.”

Training is important, Karen

notes, because 98 percent of adopt-

ers want a rideable horse. Those who

are not rideable are called companion

horses: they are suited for people who

want a pet horse, or need a compan-

ion for a lone horse.

nCoors is an off the track (former racehorse) Thoroughbred gelding who is currently available for adoption from the KyEHC. Photo: VIrginia Madelung

Another lucky horseA Thoroughbred named Lewis, meant

for the racetrack, turned out to have

little racing talent. He was sold, and

dropped off the radar. What happened

to him? Read Paula Sparrow’s Creature

Comforts column, “Lewis: The King of Antebellum Farm,“ at KentuckyLiving.

com. The twist? He was originally

Sparrow’s own horse.

40 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 41: KL May 2016

Reno, a Saddlebred, is a per-

fect example of a companion

horse. Karen’s face lights up as she

approaches him.

“Here is the clown of the farm,”

she says, smiling. “He’s like a dog,

always wanting attention. He was

an owner-surrender. He came with

an old neck injury that eventually

made it impossible for him to graze,

roll, or walk properly. He’s had a

lot of laser light therapy and chiro-

practic work, plus proper nutrition,

and can now be a regular horse. He’s

not balanced enough to be rideable,

but his personality and charm make

him an excellent companion horse.

Reno needs a person just like a person

needs a horse.”

Interested in adopting?Potential adopters are carefully and

extensively screened, and must agree

to several conditions before taking

a horse home. The horse cannot be

bred or raced, and regular vet checks

must be reported. If all goes well the

first year, the horse is fully turned

over to the new owner.

As for adoption fees, “That is

based on the horse’s capability,”

Karen says, “not what we’ve put

into the horse. It costs about $500

a month per horse for care and staff

salaries, but adoptions generally run

from $300 to $600.”

With those kinds of costs, it’s a

constant battle to keep the fund-

ing coming in. Karen gives much of

the credit to grantors such as the

Thoroughbred After Care Alliance,

Brennan Equine Welfare Fund, Equus

Foundation, Thoroughbred Charities

of America, Churchill Charities,

Turfway Park, the ASPCA, and

private donations. You can easily

donate to the Center at www.kyehc.

org/donate-money.html, or write

them at P.O. Box 910124, Lexington,

KY 40591.

Running the Center is incred-

ibly labor-intensive, but the staff

members obviously love their jobs.

As Karen notes, “You get to give

that critical care when they need it,

knowing without that care the out-

come would be very different. We lit-

erally get to see horses transformed.”

Julie Cooper, the Center’s barn

manager, agrees: “There’s great sat-

isfaction in helping horses, physi-

cally and mentally. You have visible

evidence of your success.”

As Olivia notes, “At the end of

the day we get to say, ‘We made a

difference, we fixed

something that

needed fixing.’”

Perhaps the

Center’s philoso-

phy says it all: “We

give horses a second

chance when often,

no one else can.” KL

nDolly, left, is an abandoned mare who came to the KyEHC from eastern Kentucky in foal to Pippa, a filly who was born at the KyEHC in 2014. Both Dolly and Pippa have since been adopted. Photo: Virginia Madelung

THINKSTOCK

Page 42: KL May 2016

April showers brought May

flowers and lots of them—

in hanging baskets and in

ready-to-plant containers.

Those showers also yielded blooming

strawberries, broccoli, and cabbage.

And before long, sweet corn, toma-

toes, and green beans will be ready to

pick, too. At these farmers markets,

you can find all of this and more.

Poore’s Nursery & Farms“It started out as more or less a

hobby,” Russell Poore says of the

Russellville farmers market he and

wife, Patsy, opened in 1960.

Now a fourth-generation, family-

run farm in Logan County, much

of the business’ longevity can be

attributed to the Poores’ commit-

ment to selling quality products at

reasonable prices, as well as their

unique operation method—the

honor system. Market customers

pay for produce by simply slipping

their money into a wooden box on

the counter, allowing the Poores

more time to tend to their 7-acre

orchard and seven greenhouses. It

also enables them to embark on new

ventures, like experimenting with

growing early tomatoes in bags in a

high-tunnel greenhouse this year.

Last fall, they began grow-

ing several acres of kale and col-

lard, turnip, and mustard greens, all

for the recently opened Champion

Petfoods USA in nearby Auburn, the

first United States location for the

Canadian dog and cat food com-

pany. “They’re using a lot of local

ingredients,” says Poore, who also

serves as chairman for both the

Kentucky Farm Bureau Certified

Roadside Farm Market Program

and Horticulture Commodity

Committee. “Some of their recipes

call for these greens.”

Whether raising produce for people

or for pets, Poore is especially proud of

the way his family works together to

make locally grown foods available for

others. “We’re family-oriented, and

we enjoy what we do,” he says.

Dennison’s Roadside MarketNearly 22 years ago, Kathy and Paul

Dennison, owners of Dennison’s

Roadside Market in Horse Cave,

were approached by a Hart County

WORTH THE TRIP

To market, to marketNo, not this little piggy, but to buy farm-fresh produce at a local farmers market

AMY COBB

GLENCOE

RUSSELLVILLE

HORSE CAVE

KENTUCKY CULTURE

SOMERSET

Poore’s Nursery & Farms owner Russell Poore takes a break from working in the fields of his Logan County farm to enjoy some watermelon with great-grandson Tanner Kash. Photo: Julie Hall Photography

42 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 43: KL May 2016

Extension agent about grow-

ing tomatoes commercially.

Once the tomatoes ripened,

Kathy says they didn’t all

meet the cooperative’s needs

for “a perfect palm-sized

tomato.” Some were too

red, too green, or too large.

So Kathy placed the toma-

toes on a front-yard picnic

table. They soon began sell-

ing by the pound and by the

bucketful.

Customers then asked the

Dennisons to sell even more

homegrown produce, so they

expanded their market by

building onto the side of a

tobacco barn on their farm.

“That’s when we started

growing different varieties of

different things,” Kathy says.

Today, besides selling

homegrown fruits and veg-

etables, the Dennisons sell

other locally made prod-

ucts, such as Penn’s country

ham, Kenny’s Farmhouse

Cheese, and Chaney’s Dairy Barn ice

cream. They also feature handmade

goods like brooms, wooden bowls

and Amish baskets, and even lawn

furniture like swings, gliders, and

rockers.

Kathy says Dennison’s sells

quality products at a fair price,

adding, “We don’t want to sell

anything that we wouldn’t buy

ourselves.”

Established in 1996, the Kentucky Farm Bureau

Certified Roadside Farm Market program began

as an initiative to help farmers market their fruits

and vegetables directly from roadside markets to

consumers across the Commonwealth. Now in its

21st year, it encompasses 89 member markets in 61

counties. Look for the cornucopia logo sign at certi-

fied markets. For more information, visit www.kyfb.com/roadside or on

Facebook, Kentucky Certified Roadside Farm Market Program.

FARM FRESH—AND CERTIFIED

An upcycled, tomato red door-turned-chalkboard invites you to explore the hanging baskets, perennials, and bedding plants in one of the five greenhouses at Dennison’s Roadside Market in Horse Cave. Photo: Dennison’s Roadside Market

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 43

Page 44: KL May 2016

Besides offering some of the freshest fruits and vegetables around, a trip to the farmers market is a fun, family experience everyone can enjoy. Be sure to stop by these markets we’ve handpicked just for you. All are Kentucky Farm Bureau Certified Roadside Farm Market members and feature Kentucky Proud products.

Beech Springs Farm Market4776 Old Boonesboro RoadWinchester, KY 40391(859) 744-2868Facebook, Beech Springs Farm MarketOpen May–Oct., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; noon–5 p.m. Sun.

Cates FarmState Route 425 BypassHenderson, KY 42420(270) 823-6150www.catesfarmky.comFacebook, Cates Farm Corn Maze and ProduceRoadside market open June–Aug., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; closed Sun.

Dennison’s Roadside Market5824 S. Jackson Hwy.Horse Cave, KY 42749(270) 786-1663Facebook, Dennison’s Roadside MarketOpen April–Dec., 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; noon–5 p.m. Sun.

Devine’s Farm & Corn Maze623 Talmage-Mayo RoadHarrodsburg, KY 40330(859) 613-3489 www.devinescornmaze.comFacebook, Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin PatchOpen May–Oct. May–Aug., 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; closed Sun. Sept.–Oct., open to public Fri.–Sun. only; school field trips by appointment during the week.

Fannin’s Vegetables2140 Hwy. 460 WWest Liberty, KY 41472(606) 743-3343Facebook, Fannin’s Vegetable FarmOpen May to mid-Oct., 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri.; 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sat.; closed Sun.

Gallrein Farms1029 Vigo RoadShelbyville, KY 40065(502) 633-4849

www.gallreinfarms.comFacebook, Gallrein FarmsOpen April–Oct., 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 p.m. Sun. Bakery, café serving lunch Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Hail’s Farm3115 Hwy. 461Somerset, KY 42503(606) 274-0011Facebook, Hail’s FarmOpen May–Oct., 9 a.m.–7 p.m., 7 days a week.

Hinton’s Orchard & Farm Market8631 Campbellsville RoadHodgenville, KY 42748(270) 325-3854www.hintonsorchard.comFacebook, Hinton’s Orchard & Farm MarketOpen April–Dec. Spring hours 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; also open Sun. 1–6 p.m. July–Oct.

Poore’s Nursery & Farms5486 Morgantown RoadRussellville, KY 42276(270) 542-4828Facebook, Poore’s Nursery & ProduceOpen April–Nov., 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; closed Sun.

Steepleview Farm10365 U.S. Highway 127 NorthGlencoe, KY 41046(859) 643-3339www.steepleviewfarm.netFacebook, Steepleview FarmMarket/restaurant hours: May-Nov., 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday onlyFarm stand/honor system: Open 7 days per week, May-Nov.

Hail’s FarmIf you’re traveling through Pulaski

County this summer and your taste

buds are hankering for fresh sweet

corn and tomatoes, head right on

over to Hail’s Farm in the big red

barn on state Highway 461 near

Somerset.

Hail’s Farm owner Orville Hail Jr.

says he’s been farming nearly all of

his life. But it was in 2005 when he

first opened the red barn doors and

began offering a variety of fruits and

vegetables to the community. “We’ve

got about anything,” Hail says,

adding that he and his family raise

nearly 40 acres of produce on their

farm about 4 miles from the market.

“That’s a whole lot of produce.”

Hail takes pride in offering con-

sumers just-harvested produce

straight from his fields each day. “We

pick the corn in the morning, so it’ll

be fresh,” he explains. “If you pick

corn in the afternoon, it won’t be

good.” Beans, cucumbers, and other

crops are also handpicked daily.

Something else Hail values is

affordability so that everyone can

enjoy homegrown produce. “We

try to keep the prices down where

people can buy it,” he says.

Above, from left: At Hail’s Farm, located on Highway 461 in Somerset, corn, tomatoes, and green beans are picked fresh each morning. Photos: Amy Hail

The federally funded Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is commit-

ted to gaining market access for farmers, as well as to improving nutrition of

Kentuckians ages 60 and over by providing better access to fresh fruits and

vegetables. For eligibility information and income guidelines, visit www.kyagr.com

and search “Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.” Note: Vouchers provided

on a first-come, first-served basis.

HELPING SENIORS AND FARMERS

44 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

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BLGC_KYLiving-1-6PgAd-2016 Final.indd 1 3/16/16 1:03 PM0516 Bright Leaf.indd 1 3/18/16 9:15 AM

Steepleview Farm “Why don’t we do something we know

and love?” Marc and Harriet Carey pon-

dered that question when they first

thought of opening a business on their

Owen County farm. They had fed their

family with fruits and vegetables they’d

raised themselves for 30 years, so they

began exploring the possibility of sharing

their homegrown produce with others.

After visiting other farmers markets

across the country, the Careys returned

home and opened Steepleview Farm in

2014. With their commitment to offer-

ing fresh, wholesome pro-

duce, Marc says the products

they raise are 100 percent

non-GMO (genetically modi-

fied organisms), as well as

pesticide-free.

The Careys are also dedi-

cated to ensuring patrons

have access to homegrown

products that aren’t read-

ily available elsewhere, such

as exotic herbs, lettuces, and

peppers. They sell heirloom

tomato pasta sauce and honey apple

salsa, made from the Careys’ own reci-

pes. “We’re testing the market,” Marc

says. “We’re really trying to find out

what works and what doesn’t.”

One thing that is definitely work-

ing for the Careys is their Upper Texas

Smokehouse at Steepleview. Here,

customers can dine on backwoods-

style, hickory-cooked pulled pork or

wood-fired artisan pizzas, based on

the Vera Pizza Napoletana method,

which mandates very strict guidelines

for both ingredients and prepara-

tion technique, focusing on the crust

rather than the toppings.

Marc says, “People have really

taken to the idea that when they come

to the market, they’re not just coming

to get tomatoes and corn. They’re

coming to get fed an uncommonly

good meal.” KL

AMY COBB, a freelance writer and member

of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and

Illustrators, enjoys writing fiction and non-

fiction for children and adults.

Many Kentucky roadside and

farmers markets are also

certified Kentucky Proud. To

find out what it takes to earn

the Kentucky Proud designa-

tion, visit www.kyproud.com.

KENTUCKY PROUD

At Steepleview Farm in Owen County, owners Marc and Harriet Carey value transpar-ency, and they invite customers to view their farming process from spring planting to harvest season. Here, Marc Carey transplants rosemary and sage seedlings, two of the many vari-eties of herbs they grow. Photo: Harriet Carey

Page 46: KL May 2016

EVENTCALENDAR

Francisco’s Farm FestivalMidway Renaissance hosts

Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at

Midway University on May 21–22,

where 100-plus artisans set up

booths for the juried event. Eclectic

food concessions, live music,

children’s booth with activities.

Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday;

10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday. Free

admission; $5 per car to park. For

details, call (859) 846-6046 or go

online to www.franciscosfarm.org.

Art benefit Jewelry, metal works,

textiles, paintings, and

more, plus internationally

acclaimed artist and native

son Larry Elmore highlight

Leitchfield’s Grayson

County Alliance Art in the

Park, May 21-22 at James

Beville City Park. Proceeds

from the juried fine arts

and crafts show benefit the

Grayson County Alliance,

which helps residents with

limited resources. Free

admission. Hours each day:

10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more

information, call (270) 589-

1425 or go online to www.

gcaartinthepark.org.

Spring in MainStrasseMaifest in Covington’s MainStrasse Village

on May 13–15 is crammed with arts and

crafts, German and international foods and

beverages—including a beer garden—live

entertainment, and a midway and its kiddy

version, the kinderplatz. Chalk it up on

Saturday with the Street Chalk Art Contest.

Free admission. Hours: 5–11:30 p.m. Friday;

noon–11:30 p.m. Saturday; noon–9 p.m.

Sunday. For information, call (859) 491-0458

or go online to www.mainstrasse.org.

Lines of battleIn the Siege of 1777, a handful of early Kentuckians

fended off British Army-backed Native Americans at

Logan’s Fort. The inaugural commemoration of the

battle is May 20–21 near downtown Stanford. Site

opens 2 p.m. Friday, with re-enactments at 11 a.m. and

3 p.m. Saturday. Period crafts and demonstrations,

music, and speakers. Admission $5, under 12 free.

For more info, call (606) 365-4547 or go online to

www.stanford-lincolncountytourism.com. May 20–22

also marks the annual re-enactment of the Civil War

Battle of Sacramento in downtown Sacramento in

McLean County, shown above. On display this year:

a replica of the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley.

Admission $7.50, students $5. For more details, call

(270) 792-5300 or go online to www.battleofsac.com.

46 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 47: KL May 2016

SUN MAY 1

Fishing for Kosair Kids (502) 773-0866 Taylorsville Lake, Taylorsville.

FRI MAY 6

Pioneer Power Tractor & Engine Show (502) 558-4067 Through the 7th. Point Park, Carrollton.

Family Adventure Weekend (800) 325-1711 Through the 7th. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs.

Jim Beam’s Perfect Mint Julep Party (502) 543-9877 Jim Beam American Stillhouse, Clermont.

Kentucky Derby Weekend (859) 527-3454 Through the 8th. Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond.

Spring Campers Yard Sale (606) 330-2130 Through the 7th. Levi Jackson State Park, London.

Gypsymoon Marketplace (270) 393-2111 Through the 7th. Highland Stables, Bowling Green.

Derby City Brewfest (602) 418-6554 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville.

Walk on the Wildside: Float Your Boat or Sink Your Duck (270) 826-2247 John James Audubon State Park, Henderson.

Unbridled Eve Derby Gala (502) 894-9768 Galt House Hotel, Louisville.

SAT MAY 7

Charlotte’s Web (270) 442-7723 Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah.

Derby Dash 5K Run/Walk (859) 363-2093 Williamstown Baptist Church, Williamstown.

Antique Tractor Show (606) 416-6080 Community Park, Shopville.

Plant Fair & Spring Fling (270) 259-3492 Grayson Co. Middle School, Leitchfield.

Tygart Creek Paddle Excursions (800) 325-0059 Also the 14th. Olive Hill.

Natural Bridge Hoedown (606) 663-2214 Also the 14th, 21st, 28th. Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade.

Shaker Music (800) 734-5611 Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg.

Ward Hall Open House (859) 396-4257 Through the 8th; also 28-30. Georgetown.

Ghost Hunt (859) 384-3522 Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union.

SUN MAY 8

Mother’s Day (800) 272-0152 Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven.

Mum’s Day at the Garden with Family & Friends (270) 852-8925 Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, Owensboro.

Mother’s Day Celebration (859) 384-6617 Jane’s Saddlebag, Union.

EVENT CALENDAR

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Page 48: KL May 2016

Grayson Lake Paddle Trip (800) 325-0059 Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill.

Mother’s Day Buffet (800) 325-2282 Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, Burkesville.

Mother’s Day Brunch & Dinner Cruises (502) 574-2992 Belle of Louisville, Louisville.

TUE MAY 10

TCB for Elvis Fan Club (502) 969-1700 Bardstown Rd. Frisch’s, Louisville.

Second Tuesday Tea (859) 623-9178 White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond.

THU MAY 12

Pokey LaFarge (270) 926-7891 International Bluegrass Music Museum, Owensboro.

NMCA Bluegrass Nationals (270) 781-7634 Through the 15th. Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green.

FRI MAY 13

Maifest (859) 491-0458 Through the 15th. MainStrasse Village, Covington.

International Bar-B-Q Festival (270) 926-1100 Through the 14th. Owensboro.

Gala of the Unexpected (270) 442-8856 Through Aug. 9. The National Quilt Museum, Paducah.

Birchfield’s Magic Circus (606) 768-2350 Montgomery Co. High School, Mt. Sterling.

Behind the Beam (502) 543-9877 Jim Beam American Stillhouse, Clermont.

Spring Festival (502) 649-8497 Through the 14th. Mt. Washington.

LowerTown Arts & Music Festival (270) 908-0090 Through the 14th. Paducah.

Spring Camper’s Yard Sale (859) 527-3454 Through the 14th. Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond.

SAT MAY 14

American Girl Tea (859) 583-1716 Grand Theatre, Lancaster.

Second Saturday (270) 765-2175 Elizabethtown.

Crawfish Fest (859) 321-2293 Paris Landing, Paris.

Kentucky Gourd Art Show (877) 765-8594 Through the 15th. Spencer Co. Elementary School, Taylorsville.

Girl Scout Day (800) 272-0152 Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven.

Train Robbery (800) 272-0152 Through the 15th. Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven.

I’m a Dam Runner 5K Run/Fun Walk (270) 465-4463 Green River Lake, Campbellsville.

Great Saltpetre Cave Open House (606) 453-2991 Through the 15th. Mt. Vernon.

Strawberry Festival (270) 772-4612 Through the 21st. Adairville.

48 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 49: KL May 2016

KENTUCKY CULTURE | EVENT CALENDAR

Bourbon Excursion (866) 801-3463 My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, Bardstown.

Night Glow Golf Tournament (270) 362-8658 Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Gilbertsville.

Exploring with all the Senses: Animals in the Back Yard (502) 899-2213 American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville.

Hike-A-Thon (606) 337-3066 Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Pineville.

The Amazing Tour Is Not on Fire (800) 775-7777 Kentucky Center, Louisville.

SUN MAY 15

Family Event (270) 302-2755 Joe Ford Nature Center, Owensboro.

FRI MAY 20

Fridays After 5 (270) 926-1100 Through Sept. 2. Owensboro.

Yard & Plant Sale (270) 233-5658 Through the 21st. Joe Ford Nature Center, Owensboro.

Art in the Park (270) 259-4000 Through the 21st. James Beville City Park, Leitchfield.

Bourbon Open Golf Tournament (502) 349-6542 Through the 22nd. Kenny Rapier Golf Course, Bardstown.

Battle of Sacramento (270) 782-8699 Through the 22nd. Sacramento.

Summer Nights (502) 348-4877 Bardstown.

The Time Jumpers (800) 765-7464 Renfro Valley, Mt. Vernon.

Jessamine Co. Beef Cattle Cookout (859) 608-6295 Through the 21st. Tractor Supply, Nicholasville.

SAT MAY 21

ART in the ALLEY (270) 734-5131 Greensburg.

GreenFest (859) 266-1572 Bluegrass Greensource, Lexington.

SpringFest (270) 369-6188 Glendale.

Pennyrile Classic Car Club Cruise-In (270) 886-5710 Hopkinsville.

Bluegrass on the Banks (270) 926-1100 Smothers Park, Owensboro.

Taylor Survivors ACS Relay For Life Motorcycle Ride (606) 636-6173 Pulaski Co. Park, Nancy.

’40s Day (800) 272-0152 Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven.

Dine by Rail (800) 272-0152 Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven.

Bloomfest & Spring Plant Sale (502) 955-8512 Bernheim Forest, Clermont.

Civil War Living History Event (800) 298-9105 Civil War Fort at Boonesboro, Winchester.

Wine Festival & Art/Craft Show (859) 384-6617 Through the 22nd. Jane’s Saddlebag, Union.

Oxford Antique Market (502) 370-7268 Georgetown.

Bark in the Park (859) 734-3314 Harrodsburg.

Kids to Parks Day (270) 677-2327 Columbus-Belmont State Park, Columbus.

Kids to Parks Day (270) 335-3681 Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe.

Kentucky Defenders 5K (606) 561-7117 Burnside Elementary, Burnside.

Kids to Parks Day (606) 337-3066 Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Pineville.

Jessamine Co. Quilters Quilt Show (859) 887-1292 Christian Church, Nicholasville.

THUR MAY 26

The Veep (270) 442-2510 McCracken Co. Public Library, Paducah.

Abbey Road on the River (888) 568-4784 Through the 30th. Louisville.

NASCAR Fan Weekend (859) 527-3454 Through the 30th. Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond.

FRI MAY 27

Kentucky Flea Market Memorial Day Spectacular (502) 456-2244 Through the 30th. Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville.

Memorial Day Celebration (606) 330-2130 Through the 30th. Levi Jackson State Park, London.

SAT MAY 28

Red Barn Farm Museum (859) 472-6761 Butler.

Somernites Cruise Car Show & Cruise (606) 872-2277 Somerset.

BBQ, Blues, & Bikes Festival (270) 982-2209 Elizabethtown.

Beach Party (800) 325-1711 Through the 29th. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs.

Chamber Music Festival of the Bluegrass (800) 734-5611 Through the 29th. Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg.

Whiskey City Cruisers Car Show (800) 638-4877 Bardstown.

Backyard Concert Series (502) 732-4384 General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton.

Memorial Day Celebration (270) 259-2735 Leitchfield.

Blood Drive (859) 527-3454 Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond.

Summer Fun Saturday (270) 335-3681 Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe.

Spring Trade Days (859) 527-3131 Through the 29th. Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond.

Cornbread Festival (606) 348-7314 Mill Springs Park, Monticello.

Fleur de Flea Vintage Urban Market (502) 533-2688 Waterfront Park Plaza, Louisville.

Pickin’ in the Park (270) 926-1100 Smothers Park, Owensboro.

TUE MAY 31

Tuesdays for Seniors (270) 335-3681 Through Aug. 30. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe.KL

How to submit your eventEvents are published as space allows, must be submitted at least 90 days in advance, and include a telephone number for publica-tion. To submit an event online, go to www.KentuckyLiving.com and select Events, or send your info to Kentucky Living, Events Editor, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232, or fax to (502) 459-1611.

To view a comprehensive listing of events, go to www.KentuckyLiving.com and select Events. You can search by month, city, or event. Published events are subject to change. Please call ahead to confirm dates and times.

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 49

Page 50: KL May 2016

GARDENGURUSHELLY NOLD

A perennial Mother’s Day This year, give her a plant to enjoy for years

What better way to spend a beautiful spring day like Mother’s

Day than by giving the gift of perennial flowers? Perennial

flowers by definition are herbaceous plants that have a life cycle

that lasts more than two years. From a gardener’s perspective,

this is good because you don’t have to physically plant them

again each year and your investment will last for many years.

WHEN SELECTING PERENNIAL FLOWERS in the garden

center they may not be as showy or as colorful as many of the

annual flowers, but your gift will keep on living and giving in your

mother’s, grandmother’s, or friend’s garden. So this time shop

with your heart and not your eyes.

TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR perennial flower selection easier,

here are a few that bloom or flower for incredibly long periods.

BERGENIA, BRUNNERA, EPIMEDIUM, hellebores, and

Solomon’s seal don’t have giant flashy flowers, but their beauty

is apparent yet gentle, peaceful, and welcome in a variety of

garden spaces.

YOU CAN’T GO WRONG by

selecting Caryopteris or Russian

sage. These blue flowering peren-

nials grow 3 feet or so tall and

bloom most of the summer. They

are also incredibly versatile and

tough. These two are a favorite

with most gardeners and all the

pollinators such as bees. They

are valuable and welcome as they

support our essential tiny garden

creatures.

IF YOU PREFER PERENNIALS that grow like groundcovers, peren-

nial geraniums and Ceratostigma,

or plumbago, are a perfect choice.

Each has beautiful, almost flawless

foliage that over time will fill small

garden spaces. Sweet small flowers

will cover the foliage, forming a sea

of color.

FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE BOLD AND BRIGHT flowers,

choose one of the many varieties

of astilbe, coreopsis, echinacea,

or rudbeckia. These perennial

flowers have strong growing

habits and flower profusely, so

even if you plant just one you

won’t be disappointed. You may

even decide to plant more. Happy

Mother’s Day and happy spring to

all who enjoy gardening.

SHELLY NOLD is a horticulturist

and owner of The Plant Kingdom.

Send stories and ideas to her at The

Plant Kingdom, 4101 Westport Road,

Louisville, KY 40207.

SH

ELL

Y N

OLD

SH

ELL

Y N

OLD

HARDY PLUMBAGO

SEDUM MR. GOODBUD

HARDY BEGONIA

GAILLARDIA ARIZONA

50 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 51: KL May 2016

Fishing, anyone?Hatchery Creek is the latest hot spotDAVE BAKER

Nature can take millennia

to carve the perfect trout

stream from the landscape. In

Kentucky, it only took con-

tractors 18 months.

Hatchery Creek, a newly built

man-made stream that draws its

cool waters from the depths of Lake

Cumberland, opens for fishing this

month.

What was once a stream flow-

ing through a muddy, deep gully

in Russell County has been trans-

formed into more than a mile of

pristine creek with boulders, gravel

bottoms, and wetlands on its flanks.

“Hatchery Creek will not be

like fishing in a swimming pool,”

says Mike Hardin, assistant direc-

tor of fisheries for the Kentucky

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Resources. “There are lots of sub-

merged stumps, logs, and places for

fish to hide. It’s full of all the habi-

tat that a fish would want.”

Local residents Larry Gillock and

Jeff Powers first proposed rerout-

ing the outflow from the Wolf Creek

National Fish Hatchery—where all

the trout stocked in Kentucky are

raised—from a drainage creek into

a specially built meandering stream

through the valley below Lake

Cumberland’s dam. Their proposal,

made more than a decade ago,

never gained traction because there

wasn’t money to build it.

The idea didn’t die. Years later,

officials began considering Hatchery

Creek as a Mitigation Fund project.

Companies or developers who fill

in streams or wetlands can pay into

a special fund to mitigate the loss

of these areas. Kentucky Fish and

Wildlife manages the fund to pay for

projects designed to decrease sedi-

mentation flow into streams and riv-

ers—a leading source of habitat loss.

An interagency review team,

including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, and Kentucky Division

of Water, considered Kentucky Fish

and Wildlife’s revised version of the

stream plan in 2009. The $1.85 mil-

lion project would not only signifi-

cantly reduce the amount of mud

flowing into the Cumberland River,

but its entire cost would be picked

up by the Mitigation Fund.

Biologists and engineers with

these agencies partnered with

contractors Ecogro, Ridgewater

and Stantec. Water first flowed

into the new stream in November

2015. Within days, trout from the

Cumberland River were already

migrating into its waters.

If the design works as planned,

trout might be able to reproduce

in Hatchery Creek—a rarity in

Kentucky. “We built this creek in

such a way that trout can spawn,

but we won’t know whether they’ll

spawn successfully until it actu-

ally happens,” says Dave Dreves,

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife fisheries

assistant director. KL

DAVE BAKER is editor of Kentucky Afield

magazine, with the Kentucky Department

of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Visit www.

kyafield.com or call (800) 858-1549 for more

information.

See drone overflights of

Hatchery Creek online at www.

fw.ky.gov. Search under the

keywords “Hatchery Creek

drone,” then scroll down.

INSIDER TIPS

GREAT OUTDOORS

Murray State University Professor Michael Flinn holds a 23-inch rainbow trout found in Hatchery Creek during sampling conducted in March 2016. Photo: Bethany Mulhall

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 51

Page 52: KL May 2016

Strawberries galore Berries liven up salads and cakes

SARAH FRITSCHNER

TRISH VANMETER , along with husband,

Danny, and family who live in Clarkson,

says, “The craziness starts in April.”

That’s when strawberry season begins.

Though the VanMeters grow a wide range

of produce, from broccoli and beans to

pumpkins and peppers, they are probably

best known for their fresh strawberries

that ripen sometimes as early as April 3.

Many family cooks might think the cra-

ziness comes every

day at dinnertime

if they had to cook

for a family of 11 as

Trish does. To cook

for that many, Trish

keeps it simple and

calls for backup.

While she makes her lasagna three or four

pans at a time, it’s an easy process that

uses ground beef, commercial spaghetti

sauce, noodles, and cheese. During the

growing season, “the most produce we use

is what we can pull straight from the field

and use. When you’re busy that’s all you

have time for.” That means sliced toma-

toes, fresh strawberries, and a lot of salads.

Trish freezes whole strawberries that

can be used out of season, when life is

a little less crazy. Her strawberry cake

has been made many times for gifts and

special meals. One year she and her daugh-

ters made it into cupcakes and packaged it

with VanMeter strawberry jam. “It makes a

nice little gift,” says Trish.

VanMeter Family Farms is at 164 Old

Peonia Loop, Clarkson. Reach them at

(270) 242-9056.

Strawberry Cake1 white cake mix3-oz package strawberry Jell-O1⁄2 C water1 C oil4 eggs 1⁄2 C frozen strawberries, thawed (if

fresh, add a few extra)

Icing1 lb. powdered sugar1⁄4 C softened butter 1⁄2 C frozen strawberries, thawed

To make the cake: Heat oven to 325°. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Combine cake and Jell-O in a medium bowl. Add oil and water and beat briefly to mix. Add 1 egg at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in strawberries. When strawberries are broken up, pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely in pan.

To make the icing: Combine sugar and butter in deep bowl and beat to blend in butter. Add strawberries and keep beating until icing is smooth. Spread on fully cooled cake. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

SARAH FRITSCHNER coordinates

Louisville Farm to Table, a program bringing

more Kentucky-grown food into local homes,

restaurants, and institutions.

CHEF’S CHOICE

Go to KentuckyLiving.com, search for “Trish VanMeter” for cooking tips.

Strawberry-Feta Spinach SaladRecipe by Sarah Fritschner

1⁄3 C sugar1⁄3 C vinegar1⁄3 C vegetable oil1⁄2 tsp dry mustard1⁄2 tsp salt1⁄2 tsp paprika1 clove garlic, minced1 pint strawberries8 oz feta cheese, crumbled1 1⁄2 pounds (or so) washed salad

greens

Combine first 7 ingredients in a jar, close tightly, and shake to dissolve sugar (this dressing will keep for weeks refrigerated). Hull and slice strawberries. Place greens in a large bowl and toss with dressing to taste. Sprinkle with berries and feta cheese. Serves 12.

SPRING SALAD

KA

SEY

INM

AN

PH

OTO

GR

AP

HY

ED

IS C

ELI

K

52 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 53: KL May 2016

SMART MOVES

Teen vs. adult depressionPay close attention to your teenager’s symptoms—depression is more than just occasional mood swings

DR. AMY LYNN MEADOWS

Adolescence is a time of many tran-

sitions: increasing independence,

maturity, and hormonal changes

may predispose many teenagers to

occasional mood and impulse fluctua-

tions. However, some teenagers expe-

rience more than just normal mood

changes. According to the American

Academy of Child and Adolescent

Psychiatry, about 5 percent of children

and adolescents may have depression at

any given time.

Some depression in adolescents can

have similar features as depression in

adults, with complaints of sadness and

crying. In contrast to adults with depres-

sion, however, adolescents can also com-

plain of being “bored” or not enjoying

activities they used to enjoy. They may

begin to draw away from friends and

family, or increasingly isolate themselves

in their room. Parents might notice irri-

tability and anger.

Occasionally, teens will have thoughts

of death or make statements about kill-

ing themselves when they are depressed.

Sometimes these thoughts and feel-

ings become apparent through posts on

social media like Facebook. Depression is

diagnosed when these difficulties begin

to impair a teenager’s functioning. For

instance, if teens show worsening perfor-

mance in school, refuse to participate in

activities, or have more problems at home

in addition to mood changes, they may

have clinical depression. Since teenagers

with depression might not complain of

being “sad,” sometimes their behavior is

confusing to school, peers, and family.

Causes and treatmentScientists believe depression is caused by

both biological and environmental fac-

tors. That means some teenagers could

have a higher risk of developing depres-

sion if a parent also has a mood disor-

der, like depression or bipolar disorder.

At-risk adolescents can also develop

depression after a stressful life event,

such as neglect or abuse, medical con-

cerns, death of a close relative, or after

experiencing bullying.

Effective treatments are available for

adolescent depression. After evaluation,

recommended treatments can include

individual therapy, family therapy, or

antidepressant medication. Combined

treatment (therapy and medication)

is often the most effective. Lifestyle

changes, such as prioritizing good night-

time sleep, moderate exercise, and seek-

ing out positive social support, can also

have a role in recovering from depres-

sion. Parents or teens can ask their physi-

cian about how to find a qualified mental

health professional for further informa-

tion on diagnosis and treatment. KL

DR. AMY LYNN MEADOWS is director of the

Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison

program at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

SMART HEALTH

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WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 53

Page 54: KL May 2016

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54 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 55: KL May 2016

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Page 56: KL May 2016

UPCOMING SNAP SHOT THEMES July Editor’s choice: submit your favorite Deadline May 16August Class trips Deadline June 17

MORE SNAP SHOTS! See if your photo was chosen to be posted on our Web site at WWW.KENTUCKYLIVING.COM

GO TO WWW.KENTUCKYLIVING.COM to submit photos and see additional themes. TO SEND BY

MAIL Include your name, address, phone number, name of your electric co-op, photographer’s name, and any details. Identify people left to right and their relation to you. Mail to Kentucky Living Snap Shot, list theme title, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232. Include a stamped, self-addressed enve-lope to return photos. Photos with people work best. Do not send color laser prints.

pSO EMBARRASSED Faith Murphy, with parents Christina and Sean Warner, just wants graduation to be over. Photo by Lizzie Murphy, Cynthiana, members of Blue Grass Energy.

tNOW WHAT? Landon Wells is an official graduate of preschool. Photo by Jennifer Wells, Oak Grove, member of Pennyrile Electric.

qON HER WAY Molly Flanagan is a 2015 graduate of Morehead State University. Photo submitted by Joanne Flanagan, Edgewood, member of Owen Electric.

SNAP SHOT

my

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56 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 57: KL May 2016

Did You Know?Our fingernails take

four to six months to

grow from base to tip.

Take your own reusable flatware and containers with you for lunch instead of using disposable plastic items.

Tip submitted by Mason Glass, age 5

What washes up on very small beaches?

Microwaves!

Submitted by Canaan Thomas, age 9

Win a T-shirt!Send us your Green Team Tip, and if it gets printed, we’ll send you a free

CFL Charlie T-shirt! Submit your best tip for conserving energy, in 50 words

or less, online at www.kentuckyliving.com/contact.

It’s a JOKE!

Save water by washing your bike or car

with a bucket of water and a sponge

instead of using a hose.

A running hose can waste

up to 6 gallons of water

per minute, but filling

a bucket only uses a

few gallons.

The Ohio River forms the

northern border of the state

of Kentucky, contributing

to its unique shape.

The river is 981 miles long and the average depth is 24 feet.

It also has a wide variety of fish, approximately 150 species, and

provides drinking water for millions of people.

Car wash conservation

KENTUCKY KIDSCamping If you are planning on a camping trip this summer, bring a waterproof tent. Practice setting it up before you leave so you can use it quickly during your trip.

State It!OHIO RIVER

Green Team Tip

When our body gets

hotter than the average

normal temperature of

98.6ºF, our brain sends

a message to our body

telling it to sweat. We

have special glands in

our skin that produce

sweat. It leaves through tiny

holes in the skin called pores.

When the sweat hits the open

air, it evaporates. As the

sweat evaporates off

our skin, we cool down.

In the hot summer months

we need to be sure to drink

plenty of water so we won’t get dehydrated.

Submit your favorite joke to www.kentuckyliving.com/contact. If it gets printed, we will send you a free gift!

WHY DO WE SWEAT?

?

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M AY 2 0 1 6 57

Page 58: KL May 2016

BYRON CRAWFORD’S KENTUCKY

A bit of where we came fromKentucky covered bridges coming alive againBYRON CRAWFORD

Lovers of Kentucky’s covered bridges will

be pleased to learn that the state’s lon-

gest timbered span still in existence—

the Beech Fork Bridge in northwestern

Washington County—is being restored.

Work begins this spring on the picturesque

210-foot-long structure, often called the

Mooresville or Mount Zion Bridge, which was

built soon after the Civil War and carried traf-

fic on KY 458 until it was bypassed in 1977.

Beech Fork is one of only 13 authen-

tic covered bridges remaining in Kentucky

where once there were well over 700.

Washington County alone had at least 18

covered bridges within its boundaries, and

shared five others with neighboring counties Anderson

and Nelson, according to Walter Laughlin, co-author of

Kentucky’s Covered Bridges.

If the old bridge could talk, it certainly would include

a story remembered by Roger Hahn of Mt. Washington,

about his brother, David, and two friends from Louisville

who were driving out to meet some girls from nearby

Willisburg many years ago.

The driver from the city was evidently unfamiliar with

covered bridges and mistook the bridge for a barn in the

middle of the road. When he suddenly swerved left to

avoid the “building,” the car went tumbling down an

embankment, coming to rest on its side against a small

tree beside the Beech Fork River. All three boys escaped

serious injury, if not humiliation.

Despite much confusion over the years as to who built

the Beech Fork Bridge, Dale Salmon of the Mt. Washington

Historical Society says his search of old records in

Washington County indicates that the two-span burr arch

truss was built by brothers Henry J. and William P. Barnes of

Mt. Washington, and that the bridge was completed in 1871.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places,

the bridge has long been a popular subject for artists and

photographers, and a favorite local landmark. During the

early 1980s, after flooding damaged the bridge’s pier, the late

Richard Hamilton, a retired Washington County highway

contractor, donated his time and equipment to make repairs,

using sandstone that had been quarried in 1895.

Current repairs are being done by Arnold M. Graton

of New Hampshire, who Yankee Magazine called “the man

who saves covered bridges.”

“Most of the timbers that we’ll be working with are

original to the bridge, primarily poplar and oak, and we

can probably re-use or leave in place 70 percent of it,”

Graton says.

Kentucky Heritage Council architect Jen Spangler

Williamson notes that, wherever possible, the bridge’s

original fabric and historic integrity will be preserved.

Since 2004, when Graton first came to Kentucky

to help with restoration work on the Goddard Covered

Bridge in Fleming County, he has returned to Kentucky to

work on the Cabin Creek Bridge in Lewis County and the

Johnson Creek Bridge in Robertson County.

“I think it’s important to save them for the same

reason it’s important to save the memory of your folks,”

says Graton. “We need a little bit of where

we came from.” KL

BYRON CRAWFORD is Kentucky’s storyteller— a

veteran television and newspaper journalist known

for his colorful essays about life in Kentucky. E-mail

him at [email protected].

58 K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G • M AY 2 0 1 6

Page 59: KL May 2016

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Page 60: KL May 2016

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