December 2024-January 2025 | Kentucky Monthly Magazine

THE REINDEER FARM

42 Drawing for Fun and Thought

Kentucky man finds gratification— and national exposure—as a cartoonist

all-female group attracts filmmakers to the Bluegrass State with personalized

The Reindeer Farm, photo by Rebecca Redding

kentucky kwiz

Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see page 10.

1. To form the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky, a delegation of settlers met with Chief Tishomingo of which “civilized tribe?”

A. Iroquois

B. Chickasaw

C. Cherokee

2. In which year was Murray’s James Hornbuckle appointed Kentucky’s first Black fire chief?

A. 1962

B. 1982

C. 2002

3. More than 10 political parties have been recognized in the Commonwealth’s history, including the Whig and Jacksonian parties. Which party lasted from 1835 to the mid-1840s?

A. Locomotion Party

B. Toleration Party

C. Loco Foco Party

4. Marion Mitchell Morrison (18451915), the grandfather of which popular movie star, was born in Pine Bluff, just east of Pooch Hollow in Caldwell County?

A. John Wayne

B. Tom Mix

C. Gregory Peck

5. Most people today assume Murray State University athletes have always been nicknamed the Racers, but among such names as the Big Blue Netters, Hosses, Horses and Blue Hounds, they were known by which moniker now employed by another Kentucky school?

A. Cardinals

B. Thoroughbreds

C. Wildcats

6. Car ter County’s Mary Elliott Flanery was the first what?

A. Journalist to write about the Kentucky legislature

B. Woman elected to the state legislature south of the MasonDixon line

C. First public school teacher to make a living playing rummy

7. Ironmaster Nannie Kelly Wright of Catlettsburg was, at the time of her death in 1946, considered what?

A. The most outspoken woman on antitrust legislation

B. The richest woman in the world after Queen Victoria

C. The female Great Gatsby

8. When State Treasurer James William “Honest Dick” Tate absconded with nearly $250,000 of the state’s money in 1888, he disappeared without a trace, leaving his wife, Lucy, and daughter Edmonia behind. Last heard from in 1890, Tate is believed to have died in which Asian country?

A. China

B. Indonesia

C. Japan

9. Edward Austin Burke, who absconded with $2 million of Louisiana’s state funds, was born in Louisville. He fled to which Latin American country?

A. Bolivia

B. Brazil

C. Honduras

© 2024, VESTED INTEREST PUBLICATIONS

VOLUME TWENTY-SEVEN, ISSUE 10, DECEMBER 2024/JANUARY 2025

Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

Hal Moss Associate Publisher + Business Editor

EDITORIAL

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Rebecca Redding Creative Director

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Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor

SENIOR KENTRIBUTORS

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BUSINESS AND CIRCULATION

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KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $25 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Frank Martin, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan.

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Readers Write

Similar Experiences

I might not read every story in Kentucky Monthly, but I always read the trivia, recipes and Steve Vest’s column. It’s always interesting, and a lot of humorous things that I have experienced are similar to his.

One similar experience is about his wife telling him, “Help me or get out!” My wife, Barbara, was still working when I retired in 2000. One day, she was backing out of the garage on her way to work, and I was in my easy chair by the open window. I hollered out: “Have a good day.” She said, “Kiss my a**. Have supper ready when I get home!”

We have been married 50 years as of Nov. 30 and raised two wonderful kids.

I enjoy Mr. Vest’s work and the magazine.

J.R.

Harris, Louisville

Save the Pollinators

When I read Walt Reichert’s gardening column, I wondered if he had heard of homegrownnationalpark. org, a group that encourages home gardeners to convert their gardens to native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowering plants to combat the effects of climate change.

Two major hurricanes made landfall in Central Florida this fall. The first devastated Western North Carolina. Meteorologists and climate scientists agree that these severe forms of weather will increase in the future. The primary reason is the warming temperatures of the oceans and the Gulf of Mexico, where those last two hurricanes originated.

Can we do anything? Yes. The first is to lobby for a national end of coal-fired

power plants. The second thing is to get rid of dieselpowered equipment, especially lawnmowers, trimmers and blowers, which create more carbon release into the atmosphere than cars. This warms the air and water. The third is to plant only native plants.

Perhaps the best reason to plant only natives is that they create biodiversity in the form of bees (which are responsible for 70 percent of our food supply— including animal feed), butterflies, hummingbirds and birds. Our food supply depends on these pollinators.

Humans are dependent on pollinators for our food, and for the last 50 years, we have done a lousy job of preserving them.

Sandra Keeney, Lancaster, born in Cincinnati but reared in Casey County

We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly.com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

Kentucky Monthly’s annual gift guide highlights some of the finest handcrafted gifts and treats our Commonwealth has to offer.

travel

Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you. And when you do, we want to see it!

Hardin County residents Geoff and Deborah Walden enjoyed a vacation in Key West, Florida, where they visited the southernmost point of the continental U.S.

scotland

Bob and Kat Sholly of Cadiz showed off their Kentucky Monthly at Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle in Scotland on their way from London, England, to Oslo, Norway. Though she may have been tempted, Nessie didn’t take the bait.

Dr. Sinan and Molly Badrawy of Peterborough, New Hampshire, are pictured in front of GarAnat Hotel, Granada, Spain. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Molly has a a daughter, Isabel, who attends UK.

MAG ON THE MOVE

florida

south carolina

Judy and Rich Fifield and Rosemary and Lew Miller of Lexington traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they enjoyed beautiful decorations, lights and Christmas shows.

niagara falls

While on a cruise of the five Great Lakes, Mike Berry of Louisville took his issue of Kentucky Monthly to Niagara Falls. “It’s not Cumberland Falls, but Niagara Falls is still pretty impressive!”he wrote.

nantucket

While touring the islands of New England, Barbara Payne of Barbourville stopped for a breather with Mr. Rogers near his former summer home (Crooked House) on Nantucket.

ireland

Marilyn Compel, left, of Lauderhill, Florida, and Darla Reed-Harp, right, of Georgetown prepared to head out for a jaunting cart ride to Ross Castle in Killarney, Ireland.

SO MUCH CHRISTMAS

From the moment you enter the resort, Christmas joy is everywhere – take a selfie with one of dozens of glittering trees, grab a Christmas treat, and marvel at the spectacle that is ICE!, where Frosty the Snowman comes to life in stunning ice sculptures.

Nov. 8 - Jan. 4 • ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland�com

TM & © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. & Classic Media, LLC. Based on the musical composition FROSTY THE SNOWMAN © Warner/Chappell.

florida

Visiting St. Augustine, Florida—the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States—were, from left, Joan McKinney, Teresa Elmore and Connie Wilson, all from Campbellsville.

italy

On a Saveur the Journey culinary adventure to Northern Italy were Jaci Williams and Toni Rodgers of Lexington, Aaron Schorsch of Berea (owner of Saveur the Journey) and regional guide and culinary expert Federica Capozzi

Alan Farmer of Lexington brought a little bit of Kentucky to Mooney Falls at the Havasupai Reservation near Grand Canyon National Park while on a backpack trip with the Sheltowee Trace Association.

florida

Mike Leising and Candy Hasenstab of Fort Thomas visited friends and family in Fort Myers Beach. There has been a lot of rebuilding since hurricane Ian damaged the area in September 2022.

arizona

morocco

Patricia Hawkins of Madisonville sat on a throne used in Hallmark Channel’s movie The Ten Commandments while staying at Le Berbère Palace in Ouarzazate, Morocco. Several movies have been filmed in Ouarzazate.

south africa

Merle and Cindy Heckman of Walton traveled to South Africa with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce on a tour that included Victoria Falls.

Joe, Boone and Kaye Hendricks of Russellville stopped by the world-famous Trevi Fountain on their visit to Rome.

north carolina

Maysville residents George and Sharon Lightner and their grandson, Luke Curtis, traveled to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, where they checked out the Wright Brothers Memorial.

submit your photo

Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your high-resolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly.com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.

missouri

Glenda Ferguson, a subscriber from Paoli, Indiana, visited the George Washington Carver Birthplace and Monument in Diamond, Missouri.

KWIZ ANSWERS

1. B. Former Kentucky Gov. Isaac Shelby and Gen. Andrew Jackson negotiated the treaty with the Chickasaw Nation; 2. B. Chief Hornbuckle retired in 1991; 3. C. The Loco Foco Party was a short-lived faction of the Democratic Party; 4. A. The Duke, who was born Marion Robert Morrison in 1907 in Iowa; 5. B. The Kentucky State University Thorobreds; 6. B. Flanery, a journalist and suffragette, was elected in 1921 to represent Boyd County; 7. B. Wright married into the iron business and took advantage of a market crash to buy an Ohio furnace and 12,000 surrounding acres for less than $20,000. She lost her massive wealth in the 1929 stock market crash; 8. A. According to “those who should know,” he died in China; 9. C. Burke had obtained mining concessions through a friendly relationship with the Honduran president, a 2012 Clemson University thesis reported.

Just Desserts

by Kentucky Monthly Magazine

BY LAURA YOUNKIN

The Living Christmas Tree

People love the sense of community and connection to others of the Christmas season. The First Baptist Church Somerset celebrates its community and faith this season with a living Christmas tree, a tree-shaped structure decorated with greenery and lights with tiers on which singers stand.

First Baptist has had the tree as part of its holiday celebration since 1974. As the church observes its 225th anniversary, the living Christmas tree is part of the celebration.

David Pendley, church administrator and traditional worship leader, has been a member of First Baptist for 36 years and has been in charge of the tree since he started his job 18 years ago. He enjoys the work. “A lot of people say their Christmas doesn’t start until they see the living Christmas tree,” he said. “I feel humbled and proud that I’ve been able to continue the tradition.”

from 1,600-2,000 people to attend over the two days.

Pendley started selecting songs for the show in June. He asks for input but has the final say on the songs to be included. He makes sure to cover a wide range of styles—from traditional carols to country gospel to contemporary.

family of Somerset, as the church moved into a new, larger sanctuary.

The community event extends to audience participation. “In the middle of the program, we invite the congregation to sing,” he said.

Choir members cover a wide age group, with singers ranging from teenagers to those in their 80s. “I think two of them sang on the very first [living Christmas tree event],” Pendley said.

The performances this year are Dec. 14 and 15 at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church Somerset, 128 North Main Street. Admission is free.

Pendley includes the community throughout the organizing process, which starts in June. While many of the 65 singers required to fill the tree sing in First Baptist’s choir, “I’ve opened [the singing] up to the community,” he said. He estimates that 10-12 guest singers participate each year, and no auditions are required.

“The church will be full,” Pendley said of the performances. He expects

Around that time, he also starts lining up the orchestra. “I still use a live orchestra instead of ‘canned music,’ ” Pendley said. A nephew who plays with the Lexington Philharmonic locates and books the musicians. Many of the orchestra members are part of the LexPhil.

Rehearsals begin in September and continue weekly. This year, the tree will be constructed in the church sanctuary the week of Dec. 2 to “give us a week and a half to practice on the tree,” Pendley said.

The same structure, which is built like half a cone with steps on each side in back, is used each year. The present structure was purchased and donated to the church in 1990 by the Jasper

One singer loves to perform at the tree’s top each year. “Not everyone likes being that high,” Pendley said, as the tip nearly reaches the ceiling. The singer, Dr. Elaine Wilson, doesn’t mind the height. “She’s always my star,” Pendley said.

Pendley is grateful for the hundreds of volunteers each year who move and assemble the tree and cover it with greenery and lights. Volunteers handle the sound and media—from hooking up microphones to projecting lyrics on a screen. Others are greeters at the performance, and volunteers handle hospitality and keeping folks fed. “There are so many parts and so many people involved,” Pendley said.

Pendley said this year will be his last. “I’ve done it long enough,” he said. It may be a cliché, but the show will go on. First Baptist will continue to spread its gospel through song, according to Pendley, and the community appreciates the Living Christmas Tree.

“They can’t wait for this year’s presentation,” he said.

For more information, visit fbcsomerset.org

BEREA COLLEGE IS

BRAVE. BOLD. BOUNDLESS.

Since 1855, Berea College has made a high-quality, debt-free education a reality.

BEREA COLLEGE IS

the state’s highest-ranked institution.

Only Kentucky institution among 54 nationwide with a 5-star rating from Money magazine :::: #1 for educational access (New York Times, Sept. 7, 2023) :::: #1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges for lowest student debt (U.S. News & World Report, 2024) :::: #1 Liberal Arts College (Washington Monthly, 2024)

BEREA COLLEGE IS

invested in students of high potential and limited resources.

Free tuition :::: No-loan package for funded housing and meals :::: Free medical and dental clinic :::: Free laptop

:::: Paid internships :::: Professional clothing funds ::::

Subsidized study abroad :::: Gift of $500 upon graduation to begin post-college life.

Explore ways you can support our extraordinary mission at: berea.edu/giving/funding-opportunities

photo by Anna Joines

Traditional and Tasty

Harrodsburg’s Beaumont Inn serves as a classic example of Southern hospitality in the Bluegrass State. Constructed in 1845, the primary building originally housed a young women’s college before it was sold to Glave and Annie Bell Goddard , who transformed it into an inn that opened in 1919. Beaumont Inn today is owned and operated by the Dedman family, descendants of the Goddards. Inn visitors will be enchanted by the elegantly appointed main dining room and a menu that has changed little over its century in business.

Cornmeal Batter Cakes

SERVES 4-5

(2 CAKES PER SERVING)

1 cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening

1. Sift together cornmeal, baking soda and salt.

2. Add beaten eggs to dry mixture, and then stir in buttermilk. Beat until smooth.

3. Dip tablespoonfuls of batter onto a hot griddle greased with bacon drippings or shortening. Let batter cakes brown on the bottom, then turn quickly and lightly to brown on the other side.

4. Serve with brown sugar syrup.

Brown Sugar Syrup

2 pounds light brown sugar

3 cups cold water

1. Stir together sugar and water, mixing well.

2. Bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes. Do not stir after placing over the heating element, as stirring or agitation will cause syrup to go to sugar.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

SERVES 15-20

¼ cup flour

1¼ cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons butter

¾ pound cream cheese

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

½ pound grated fresh Parmesan cheese

¾ pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained

9 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

22 ounces artichoke hearts, chopped

1. Combine flour, milk, heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and lemon juice in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Heat, but not to boiling.

2. To a sauté pan, add onion, garlic and butter. Sauté until onions are translucent.

3. Remove flour and milk mixture from heat, then stir in sauteed onion and garlic.

4. Add cream cheese, Swiss cheese and Parmesan, and heat until cheeses have melted.

5. Add spinach, bacon and artichoke hearts. Stir well.

Recipes and images courtesy of Beaumont Inn.

6. Pour into a serving dish. Serve warm with pita chips or crackers.

Kentucky Hot Brown cooking

MAKES 1 SANDWICH

2 toast points

2-3 slices roasted turkey

2/3 cup chopped country ham

2-3 slices tomato Mornay sauce

2 slices bacon, cooked

1. In an individual-portion (8- to12ounce) baking dish, arrange toast points at the bottom. Cover with 2 or 3 layers of sliced turkey.

2. Sprinkle with chopped country ham. Top with slices of tomato and ladle Mornay sauce over to cover completely.

3. Bake in 450-degree oven approximately 10 minutes or until hot, bubbly and lightly browned.

4. Place slices of bacon on top and return to the oven for 2 minutes.

Beaumont

SERVES 15-20

1 18.25-ounce box lemon cake mix

1 3-ounce box lemon gelatin mix

¾ cup water

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine cake mix and dry gelatin mix. Mix together water, vegetable oil, lemon juice and eggs. Add this to the dry mixture, mixing well.

3. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until done when tested.

Icing for Lemon Cake

1 3-ounce box lemon gelatin mix

½ cup hot water

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups powdered sugar (sift before measuring)

1. Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add butter and sugar.

2. Punch cake full of holes using a drinking straw and pour icing over top of cake while cake is warm.

Inn’s Corn Pudding

SERVES 10-12

½ level cup flour

4 rounded teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups white whole-kernel corn or fresh corn cut off the cob

4 eggs

4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Stir flour, sugar, salt and butter into the corn.

3. Beat the eggs well and stir them into the milk. Stir egg and milk mixture into the corn and pour into a pan or baking dish.

4. Bake for about 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes.

5. Stir vigorously with long-prong fork three times, approximately 10 minutes apart, while baking, disturbing the top as little as possible.

to the Tune

Tune in to your taste buds.

Tune in to music legends.

Tune in to youradventurousside.

Tune in to quaint downtowns.

Tune in to celebrations.

Tune in to festivalseason.

Tune in to Kentucky bourbon.

Tune in to weekend energy. our Bluegrass roots.

Tune in to watertherapy.

Tune in to Mother Nature.

Tune in to enchanted forests.

Beaver Dam, Central City, Greenville, Hancock Co., Henderson, Madisonville, McLean Co., Muhlenberg Co, Ohio Co., Owensboro, Union Co., Webster Co.

Reindeer Kentucky

in

Bowling Green is home to the first reindeer farm in Kentucky open to the public

PHOTOS BY REBECCA REDDING

the reindeer encounter

Visitors can make antlered friends at The Reindeer Farm in Bowling Green, a family farm owned and operated by Jessica and Russell Anderson. One of the highlights is a meet and greet with the 10 reindeer that reside there.

In the encounter, groups of guests are allowed inside the reindeer enclosure, where they will learn more about Santa’s trusty sidekicks and can pet and stroke the reindeer, plus take photos with them, making not only new friends but also treasured memories to last a lifetime.

2024 events

DECEMBER 1

Live Chainsaw Carving by Glowing Jacks

DECEMBER 6

Elf on a Shelf Day

DECEMBER 7

Grinch Day

DECEMBER 8

Frozen Day

DECEMBER 13

Christmas Card Creations

DECEMBER 14-15

Live Ice Sculpting with Danny Kissel

DECEMBER 20-23

Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus

DECEMBER 27

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

DECEMBER 28

Grinch Day

DECEMBER 29

Frozen Day

the family farm

Reindeer aren’t the only creatures visitors will meet. The farm is home to a petting zoo with alpacas, Holland lop-eared rabbits, chickens, miniature Highland cattle, mini horses, mini pigs, mini donkeys and a mule. With the Andersons’ three children around and quite a few wintertime visitors, these animals are accustomed to human interaction and are friendly.

In addition to seeing and petting the animals, guests can hop aboard the Reindeer Express, a pint-sized red train that transports them around the property. Special activities include creating Christmas cards and watching live chainsaw carving and ice sculpting demonstrations. Plus, young visitors can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus to let the big guy know what’s on their Christmas list this year.

more to explore

Kids and adults alike may work up an appetite with all the outdoor activities The farm boasts its own food truck offering snacks and soft drinks. Breakfast with Santa and breakfast with the Grinch also are options during a visit. Be sure to make reservations for these special events.

Some visitors may want to play a game of chess on an oversized chess board or have a “snowball fight.” The snowballs actually are volleyballs and are perfect for intense dodgeball action. The farm also boasts pedal-car tracks, mini ziplines, a bouncy house, an indoor playground and a gift shop.

We Wish You a Scary Christmas

Kentucky Monthly takes a look at the Victorian tradition of celebrating the ‘ghost’ wonderful time of the year

BY TOM MUSGRAVE

“There’ll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There’ll be scary ghost stories And tales of the —”

Wait … scary ghost stories? Shouldn’t those have been told back in October leading up to Halloween? After all, this is Christmas, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as singer Andy Williams tells us in the classic tune from his self-titled 1963 Christmas album.

Before we chastise the dearly departed Williams and songwriters George Wyle (who also co-wrote “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island” with television producer Sherwood Schwartz) and Edward Pola for mixing up the holidays, let’s find out what “scary ghost stories” there are at Christmastime.

‘MARLEY WAS DEAD’

Ghost stories told during the holiday season should not be a surprise, given that Christmas is integral to one of the best-known ghost stories, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Dickens tells us it’s a ghost story in the first sentence of the novella—“Marley was dead: to begin with.” And the last sentence of that opening paragraph: “Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.”

We know then that we’re not getting ready to read a lighthearted piece, such as the story of Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer

Though we normally associate telling ghost stories with Halloween or, more generally, with gatherings around a campfire, Erika Brady, an emeritus professor of folk studies at Western Kentucky University, said that songwriters Pola and Wyle were referring to a custom in Great Britain’s Victorian Era (1837-1901) of telling ghost stories at Christmas.

“A broader way to think about ghost stories at Christmas is to think about the season of Halloween through Twelfth Night [the 12th day of Christmas, Jan. 5, also called the “Eve of Epiphany”] that has to do with the

penetration of the supernatural world and our natural world,” Brady said.

“That seasonal period of the year is a cross-cultural phenomenon. Most cultures have an understanding that there are points of the year where there’s a boom from the supernatural world, certain periods where the membrane between those worlds is more penetrable in an empirical sense. In a customary sense, it’s a time our attention turns to topics of supernatural interest, whether we are believers in that or not.”

Brady posited that the chill in the air beginning in late October starts priming the supernatural pump—and people’s imaginations—heading into winter and the Christmas season, making the holidays especially ripe for tales of specters.

Although winter meant longer nights and colder weather, Brady said there may be other reasons people in Victorian England gathered around the fire to tell ghost stories.

“I think there’s a general sense that Christmas roughly corresponds to the [winter] solstice,” Brady said. “That’s a significant period in many, many cultures, where the days start to get longer, and there’s a sense of renewal and rebirth. I think of those ideas in the sense that they suggest death isn’t absolute; that, like the seasons change or like the trees renew themselves, maybe there’s a way that it’s possible for the human spirit to live on.”

Americans might find it baffling, also, that, in Victorian England, telling ghost stories was more common on Christmas Eve than it was on Halloween.

In his 1891 book Told After Supper , author and humorist Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) wrote: “Whenever five or six English-speaking people meet round a fire on Christmas Eve, they start telling each other ghost stories. Nothing satisfies us on Christmas Eve but to hear each other tell authentic anecdotes about spectres. It is a genial, festive season, and we love to muse upon graves, dead bodies, and murders, and blood.

“For ghost stories to be told on any other evening than the evening of the twenty-fourth of December would be impossible in English society as at present regulated.”

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER …

Getting back to the idea that the cold and darkness of winter nights compel people to gather, Brady puts forth another thought about what makes Christmastime and winter such fertile ground for ghost stories.

“There’s something about sitting around a fire; something about the drawing of the fire, of watching fire in a fireplace,” she said. “Truly, I think you go into a light trance state. You know you’re watching the flickering of the flames, and it’s a stimulant to a certain kind of reaction.

“The other thing I think about the dark—and this is my own notion—is when you are telling stories in the dark, or when you’re telling stories around a campfire, generally you’re not looking one another in the eye. You’re looking at the fire.”

Although one might casually glance or catch someone else’s eye around the fire, Brady said it stood in stark contrast to sitting around a dinner table, where facial expressions and reactions to stories being told were laid bare for all to see and judge.

“But when you’re in the dark, everybody is—a little bit—in their own world,” she said. “It’s much easier to work on someone’s imagination in the dark. You couldn’t tell the same story in the daylight in your garden that you could around the hearth or a campfire. It would be a different kind of story.

“Around the fire, especially when the dark is all around you, anything seems possible.”

‘SOMETHING GHOSTLY IN THE AIR’

The cold draws us together, Brady said, in addition to the desire for warmth and companionship. “We may not

have that kind of togetherness at any other time of the year,” she said. “If there’s ever a time to pass around those narratives and test them out, see what other people believe, Christmastime—winter—would be it.”

Jerome, from beyond the grave, agreed with Brady and wrote as much in his book. “There must be something ghostly in the air of Christmas—something about the close, muggy atmosphere that draws up the ghosts,” he wrote, “like the dampness of the summer rains brings out the frogs and snails.”

Indeed, Jerome suggested that there is a finite number of ghost stories to be told, and outside of those, everything else is variations on a theme.

“This, of course, is not our fault but the fault of ghosts, who never will try any new performances, but always will keep steadily to old, safe business,” he wrote. “The consequence is that, when you have been at one Christmas Eve party and heard six people relate their adventures with spirits, you do not require to hear any more ghost stories.”

One such theme Jerome cites is that of a man “who is returning home late at night from a Freemasons’ dinner, and who, noticing a light issuing from a ruined abbey, creeps up and looks through the keyhole. He sees the ghost of a ‘grey sister’ kissing the ghost of a brown monk and is so inexpressibly shocked and frightened that he faints on the spot, and is discovered there the next morning, lying in a heap against the door, still speechless, and with his faithful latch-key clasped tightly in his hand.”

In his book, Jerome offers several other examples, noting that all of them were told on Christmas Eve.

It’s with a twist of humor, and a nod to the longtime tradition of hosting family during the holidays, that Jerome points out that “everybody has quite enough to put up with in the way of a houseful of living relations, without wanting the ghosts of any dead ones mooning about the place, I am sure.” Q

New Season

Each episode takes viewers behind the scenes to see firsthand how the food is made before Maggie and Lindsey then take what they’ve learned into the kitchen to create a delicious meal.

THE FARMER & THE FOODIE

KET Saturdays, beginning Jan. 4 • 3:30/2:30 pm

Love to cook? Check out the Apple & Sorghum cookie recipe from the new season! Visit KET.org/savortheseason for more holiday recipes.

Breathe in the Benefits

Visitors to Kentucky’s salt caves discover the therapeutic effects of halotherapy

BY JACKIE HOLLENKAMP BENTLEY

Be Happy Salt Cave

At first glance, sitting in a dark room with salt crystals at your feet, the walls and ceilings covered with pink rocks, sparkles of lights dangling from those rocks, and soothing music piped through hidden speakers appears to be more of a spa experience than a medical treatment. But Pamela Ray of Bowling Green is physical proof of the long-term medicinal benefits of what is called “halotherapy.”

Ray, 83, visits Be Happy Salt Cave at least six times a week, if not more when her busy schedule allows. Ray

hasn’t had a cold or sinus infection in nearly a decade.

“I’ve been coming for years because I’m building my immune system,” Ray said. “When you go into the salt cave, the air is just so clear and clean and smells so good … It’s a good prescription for everything.”

The National Institutes of Health touts halotherapy as a viable treatment for respiratory ailments, including sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, mild and moderate asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

But how?

The Salt Therapy Association

claims the use of pure sodium chloride in “active dry salt therapy” is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and super absorbent, which aids in clearing respiratory passages.

LEXINGTON SALT CAVE

Lara Levine, owner of Lexington Salt Cave, said salt therapy requires the use of a halogenerator that grinds the sodium chloride into microscopic particles and emits them into the air.

“The benefit of the dry salt is that it’s so absorbent … It actually can get deep, deep into the respiratory system, down into the bronchial

Louisville Salt Cave

DRIVERS SEE CLEARLY.

Effective January 1, 2025, a new Kentucky law requires vision screening for anyone renewing a driver’s license. In 2025, if you’ve seen a vision specialist or Transportation Cabinet credentialed medical provider in the last 12 months, simply bring in a completed vision form to any Driver Licensing Regional Office when you renew OR get free vision screening at the time of renewal. Renew early in person, online or by mail (up to 6 months before your expiration date). For more details, visit drive.ky.gov/visionscreening.

tubes,” she said. “It can open up and unclog bronchial tubes, similar to what an asthma inhaler might do. It also absorbs bacteria and pollen … the stuff that shouldn’t be in your respiratory system. It thins mucus so you can clear things on your own.”

Levine opened Lexington Salt Cave in April 2021, but the seed was planted 15 years ago following a “girls trip” to North Carolina that involved a visit to a local salt cave.

“We went to this cave on our last day, and we just sat in this meditative space … They played quiet music, and you just relaxed,” she said. “We just felt so rejuvenated. Our allergies were gone. We were calm. It was just a really unique experience.”

Fast forward to 2019, when she made the decision to leave her highpressure sales and marketing job, become a certified yoga teacher, and start a business helping others.

“After this kind of epiphany— after yoga teacher training—I kind of woke up one day and said I could open a salt cave because there wasn’t one in Lexington,” she said. “It was almost divine.”

Levine’s dream of offering a peaceful space to support overall health and well-being was realized.

“Most people in Kentucky suffer from allergies of some sort, and if it’s not just twice a year, it’s year-round for a lot of people,” Levine said. “This is an effective treatment if people can

More information... Sessions for each of Kentucky’s salt caves are priced differently. Individual, monthly and yearly subscriptions are available for purchase at their respective websites.

Be Happy Salt Cave

270.799.8070

behappybg.com

Lexington Salt Cave

859.396.2349

lexsaltcave.com

Louisville Salt Cave

502.996.7000

saltwellnessky.com

carve some time out of their schedule, and the bonus is the mental benefits and the relaxation.”

LOUISVILLE SALT CAVE

Tiffany Nugent experienced first hand the healing and relaxation properties of salt therapy. In February 2020, she was struck by a car as she was leaving work. At that time, she was vice president of human resources for UofL Health and extremely physically active.

“I was kickboxing. I was running. I ran the Derby miniMarathon twice, and it was just part of my life. I haven’t been able to do that since that day,” Nugent said. “I’ve experienced two back surgeries, shoulder reconstruction, and I’m partially paralyzed in my left leg.”

In addition to traditional recovery therapies, Nugent sought alternative, safe methods and started going to Louisville Salt Cave.

Lexington Salt Cave

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“I needed to find a solution that at least helps me manage my pain, knowing that this was going to be a multi-year journey for me,” she said. “I found salt therapy as a means to help with inflammation, because you can’t take ibuprofen every day, or it’s going to destroy your stomach.”

Nugent discovered there was more to salt therapy than just physical benefits. “It made me open my eyes and say, ‘All right, there’s a lot going on that I’ve got to process,’ ” she said. “Mental processing, I have found, is the most important part of your physical wellness journey. Because it

doesn’t matter how much I do physically, if I can’t sit in that cave for 45 minutes and process mentally, it’s going to keep showing up physically over and over and over again.”

That’s when Nugent and her husband, Chad, decided to open their own wellness center in Crestwood.

Salt Cave Scenes—top: yoga at Be Happy; above, left: relaxation at Louisville; center: a Be Happy smile; right: a tranquil setting at Lexington Salt Cave.

But fate intervened. Nicole Bartlett, then owner of Louisville Salt Cave, decided to close the Shelbyville Road location. Once word reached the Nugents, plans changed, and they purchased the location in July, while also getting the Crestwood location ready for its grand opening in November.

“I was like, wait a minute, first of all: It’s beautiful. All of the [salt cave] would have to come down because you can’t relocate it anywhere,” Nugent said. “Second of all, people who live in this area of town are not going to come to my space in Oldham County. So, I wanted to keep this space for people who are on a similar journey.”

The Nugents share the benefits of halotherapy at events around the region with their mobile salt tent. Chad said the tent has been instrumental in spreading the word about salt therapy’s tangible effects.

“Someone comes to me and I say, ‘Hey, sit in this thing for 5 minutes and watch what it does,’ and they come out and they’re snotting like a teething 2-year-old … and they can breathe deeper,” he said. “So, I think you get a lot of guys who are looking at this and are a little naturally curious. Then they get in there and they come out, and they’re like, ‘All right, I’m in.’ ”

BE HAPPY SALT CAVE

Susan Polk’s first experience with salt therapy wasn’t a fortunate one. She and a friend visited a salt cave in Tennessee years ago, and it was anything but relaxing.

“Their salt cave was not soundproof, and I was real restless,” Polk said. “I thought, ‘I know how to meditate. I’m a yoga teacher, so I’ll do that.’ [Instead] I’m just sitting there looking around.”

Then, in 2016, as she was looking to open a massage and yoga studio in Bowling Green, her real estate agent suggested adding a salt cave. Polk agreed, but she wanted to make sure her guests had silent, peaceful visits instead of her unfortunate salt cave experience.

In addition to relaxation sessions in the cave, guests can book massages and yoga classes.

For Pamela Ray, sitting peacefully in the cave is enough. Originally from the seaside resort city of Brighton, England, Ray discovered that Kentucky air is a lot different from the air in her hometown.

“Everywhere I looked [growing up], I could see the sea,” she said. “In Kentucky, there’s nothing. This is the next best thing because I really miss it. So, I’m truly blessed.” Q

DRAWING FOR FUN AND THOUGHT

A Kentucky man finds gratification—and national exposure—in drawing cartoons

BY JACK BRAMMER

Saturday mornings in Bill Jones’ Science Hill home in Pulaski County usually are reserved for his artistic projects. He grabs a box of pens and pencils and blank paper to accomplish his work in solitude. Though there sometimes is the pressure of a deadline, he generally is relaxed once he begins producing compositions for publication.

Jones has been accumulating ideas all week. He often jots them down so he can use them when he’s drawing, even if they don’t enter his mind until some weird hour, such as 2 a.m., although his ideas primarily come from brainstorming sessions on various topics.

Often, the drawing’s subjects relate to technology or trends in society. They may contain talking robots, animals and even humans. He draws them in batches. He wants them to make the reader laugh and think.

composed a storyline of science fiction cartoons inspired by the iconic Star Wars movie series.

His strong interest in drawing began in the second grade, when he was assigned a seat next to John Withers, who also could draw. “That interest continued for both of us, and we stayed close through school, always checking to see what the other was drawing,” Jones said.

About 10 years after high school,

I loved his cartoon style and his humor. I began to realize that magazine cartooning was something I could do, and that it was something I wanted to do.”

Jones said it took much work “to get to a place where I was creating something I was happy with and something other people were finding funny. I began sending cartoons to publications, and, eventually, I sold one, and things started happening.”

One shows a robot typing on a laptop computer, while another robot views the computer screen. The standing robot says, “Just reply: I’m not a bot, you’re a bot.”

Another is titled “Otter Correct.” It shows a guy intently staring into his cell phone. A furry otter on his left shoulder points at the phone and says, “There’s no ‘n’ in dam.” It’s a clever wordplay on the modern computer “autocorrect” function

Jones, 62, has been drawing cartoons since high school, when he

Jones and Withers were reconnected through work. Withers was a sign painter, and Jones designed two or three signs a year as part of his job as a graphic designer.

“I had developed an interest in editorial cartoons, as a fan,” Jones said. “I had a web page for a short time that would collect links to some of the best editorial cartoons of the day—conservative and liberal.

“One day, John gave me a small book by a New Yorker cartoonist named William Hamilton. He had bought it at a secondhand bookstore. I hadn’t heard of Hamilton before, but

Cheryl Burnett, Jones’ art teacher at Pulaski County High School, said she could tell from the beginning in working with Jones that he was a natural. “I recalled telling his mom that he needs to stay with art,” she said. “He’s that good.”

The retired art teacher said she is not the least bit surprised with the trade Jones chose and his current cartooning work.

Cartooning never developed into a full-time job for Jones, but he adapted it into his creative talents in his regular job. He grew intense about it around 12 years ago. He works in traditional ink on paper.

Jones has been a graphic designer and illustrator for more than 30 years for Kinetic Strategic Design, which has headquarters in downtown Somerset across from the Virginia Theater, where he first saw Star Wars in 1977. Sometimes, his cartoons brighten up documents for business clients.

Jones has made a bit of a splash in cartooning on the national scene. He has sold 48 cartoons to The Wall Street Journal and about 100 overall to publications.

Additional Images

His cartoons have been published in a variety of prestigious publications in recent years, including Reader’s Digest, The Saturday Evening Post, American Legion Magazine, American Bystander, Alta Magazine, Air Mail, The Oldie Magazine and The Kappan, a publication by Alpha Delta Kappa, an international organization of women educators.

“It really is a lot of fun,” said

Working - Sketching

Working - Organizing and preparing submissions

painting. Bill is an only child.

Young Bill would visit Somerset’s drugstores to buy and read comic books. Superheroes were his favorite. “I’ve kept them,” he said with pride only a comic book lover would understand.

Jones, who signs his cartoons with his last name.

•

Jones was born in 1962 in Biloxi, Mississippi, into a military family from Pulaski County. His father, William Jones Sr., and mother, Pearlie Jones, live in Mount Victory in Pulaski County. His mother’s creative talent is making quilts, and she is taking up

Though he stopped buying comic books, Jones drew his own cartoons. At Somerset Community College, he had a comic strip in The Mirror, the school paper. Its main character was named Xero, who resembled the Jarvik-7 model for the world’s first artificial heart transplant. Xero looked like a bucket with eyes. It was a short, fat character with an artificial head.

Later, at the University of Kentucky, Jones took graphic-design classes, including illustration and painting. He drew cartoons for the student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel. He had a popular feature called

Published cartoons alongside their original sketches.

Santa = Wall Street Journal

Snakes = British magazine called The Oldie

Igloo = Readers Digest

“Zeke and Rodney,” based on himself and his college roommate.

Jones graduated with a degree in graphic design from UK and began his career with the Somerset design business in 1988. “I brought my cartoons into some of the job’s projects,” he said. “Some of them involved adventures related to employees.”

He sometimes bounces his cartoons off his wife, Judy. “Usually, her comment is that she doesn’t understand them. At least she is honest,” he said with a laugh. “Such is the life of a cartoonist.” They were married near the turn of the 21st century. Judy is a manager for New Life Industries, a Christian apparel company in Somerset.

Jones’ cartoons are single panel. His favorites from the newspaper comics pages are “Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson, “Cul de Sac” by Richard Thompson and “The Far Side” by Gary Larson

Jones said his cartoons are known as gag or magazine cartoons. “They have to be drawn and written in such a way that the reader understands the setting and who the characters are at a glance,” he explained. “The joke usually depends on the reader understanding the context.

“Occasionally, the joke will be something that could be said by any character in any context, but usually, it is something that depends on the context to make it funny. That is why you see so many tropes in single-panel cartoons—like a guy stranded on a deserted island, or a grim reaper, or the wise man on the mountaintop. The reader immediately knows the context.”

It takes Jones about an hour to an hour and a half to create a cartoon.

“When I have a set of five or 10 cartoons, I send them off to a publication,” he said. “Most are on a once-a-month schedule. Usually, they send me back a note to say ‘no,

thanks’ or to buy one or two. The ones I don’t sell I can send to other publications.”

Two of his partners at work— William Cox and Kirby Stephens use the same word to describe their cartoonist colleague: “funny.”

“He always has had a wonderful sense of humor,” Cox said.

Jones said he has fun at work and cartooning. But he acknowledges that it is “getting tougher” to make money as a cartoonist.

“Magazines have dropped off, and ones still around don’t pay as much,” he said. “In the last 10 years, a cartoon for Reader’s Digest, which wants all color, has dropped to about half of what it was four years ago.”

But come Saturday mornings, Jones still wants to get out his pens and pencils and blank sheets of paper to make people laugh and to inform them of their world. It is not a slight thing to do. Q

Biggest Back Lot

An all-female group attracts Hollywood filmmakers to the Bluegrass State with personalized services and Southern hospitality

The Southern Kentucky Film Commission is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to making the business of filmmaking easier. To learn more, visit Kentucky’s biggest back lot at southernkentuckyfilmcommission.com.

In the heart of Southern Kentucky’s expansive and diverse cave country is a group of dynamically tenacious women who are at the helm of the Southern Kentucky Film Commission (SOKY Film).

This all-female commission is comprised of dedicated executive directors of local tourism commissions peppered throughout picturesque Southern Kentucky.

The commission has operated since 2017 and continues to offer a competitive advantage for filmmakers seeking to utilize the state’s incredible tax credits and incentives offered through the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program (KEI), which offers a 30-35 percent fully refundable tax credit.

SOKY Film actively serves as a liaison among the local communities to make connections and find the services and resources to ensure each project is a success. These personalized services and a hefty dose of Southern hospitality solidify the commission as a movie industry magnet. Its motto is: “If you need it, we will find it.”

“With almost a decade of experience in the industry, our all-female commission is proud to boast a résumé that includes brands like BET+, Hallmark, Lifetime and Lions Gate,” said MacLean Lessenberry, SOKY Film president. “However, the economic success of our rural area will always remain at the forefront of our mission, and as the premier film industry group in Southern Kentucky, we know that incredible incentives and diverse landscapes

matched with our Southern hospitality is why filmmakers come back to us again and again.”

More than a dozen productions have utilized the SOKY Film region, bringing millions of dollars in economic impact. Productions arrive with crews that engage in local services through lodging, dining, shopping and local attractions. While the economic impact on the local community is noteworthy, the flurry of activity that surrounds such productions also affords a level of excitement and curiosity to the local communities.

The women at the forefront of the commission partner seamlessly to identify opportunities to invest in their local communities and contribute to the growth of the Southern Kentucky economy. The camaraderie between the women on the SOKY Film Board of Directors is an enviable, cohesive partnership. It’s common for the production crew to select multiple locations across the region.

The Gunslingers—an upcoming major motion picture with a 2025 release date, starring Nicolas Cage, Scarlet Stallone, Heather Graham and Stephen Dorff—utilized the Southern Kentucky Film Commission for various needs while in production.

“I have had the most enjoyable and productive four months filming in Southern Kentucky,” said The Gunslingers writer and director Brian Skiba. “It’s a home away from home that still loves the magic of filmmaking as much as I do.” Q

This article first appeared on the Southern Kentucky Film Commission website.

2025 Economic Outlook

Business Editor Hal Moss reached out to prominent Kentuckians in business, utilities, healthcare and education for their take on what to expect in 2025

Kentucky Monthly: How has the economy and, particularly, inflation and high interest rates affected your investment business in 2024?

Pamela Thompson, CFA, managing director, Mariner Wealth Advisors: Higher interest rates have made bond investments a more attractive part of portfolios over the past two years. While they carry risks in the event of an issuer defaulting or fluctuations in market interest rates, when investment-grade bonds are held until maturity, they can serve as a nice tool within a balanced portfolio for use as a buffer against the volatility of stocks.

The ongoing strength of the economy, together with the declining rate of inflation over the past two years, has fueled a strong stock market and produced above-average returns for investors. The combined result has helped investors feel more confident in making portfolio allocation decisions that are most appropriate for their risk tolerance, which is important in achieving their near-term and long-term goals.

KM: The stock market has reached an all-time high in 2024. What’s your forecast for 2025?

Thompson: While stocks have “earned” their recent returns thanks to companies growing their profits amid a

still-expanding economy and a Fed that is now lowering its short-term interest rate, some valuations are getting a bit stretched. Stock returns for 2025 will depend on many different factors, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see those come in at more modest levels than over the past two years.

With the recent election results, there now seems to be a higher likelihood that the current lower corporate tax rate could remain in effect longer. As we transition to a new administration, there is a risk of new inflationary pressures that could result from actions that have been suggested with regard to international trade and immigration.

KM: LG&E/KU’s goal is to be the U.S.’s “best utility company.” What’s your 2024 success story?

John R. Crockett III, president of LG&E/KU: At Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, we are ensuring we have the right mix of generation and sustainable energy grid, allowing us to transition Kentucky’s energy future safely and reliably.

In 2024, we began work on a new 640-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle unit, a significant amount of solar, a 125-megawatt battery energy storage system, and the

largest number of energy-efficiency programs in our history. We are investing in automated technologies on our transmission and distribution system and have installed more than a million advanced meters at customers’ homes and businesses. We’re also investing in research and development and, with parent company PPL Corporation, finalized an award for up to $72 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to study carbon capture from an existing natural gas combined-cycle unit.

Our employees, company and foundation contributed nearly $7 million to nonprofit organizations in our service territories. Our economic development efforts helped attract additional jobs and business to the Commonwealth.

Through September, more than 30 companies announced plans to invest approximately $1.4 billion in new or expanding operations and create nearly 1,800 new jobs. Nearly 50 percent of all announcements and additional jobs and nearly 40 percent of all investments in 2024 are within the LG&E and KU territories.

KM: What new projects are planned for 2025? And what challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Crockett: Kentucky has seen unprecedented growth, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing any time soon. Despite significant amounts of energy efficiency, customerinstalled solar, and other energy-saving activities that are forecasted to reduce load by 3.5 percent by 2032, LG&E and KU expect economic development to increase system load by 30-45 percent by 2032. This load growth requires additional generation to provide the reliable electric service customers expect.

We are recommending building two new natural gas combined-cycle generation units (one in 2030 and another in 2031); installing 400 megawatts of battery storage in 2028 and 500 megawatts of battery storage and 500 megawatts of solar in 2035; adding a selective catalytic reduction system to a coal-fired unit in 2028 and environmental compliance technology at two generating stations by 2030.

• • •

KM: Explain to our audience the term “liquid asset” as it relates to the Louisville Water Company’s role in economic development. How does LWC help attract businesses?

Spencer Bruce, P.E., president and CEO of Louisville Water Company: Louisville Water Company delivers

water to 20 percent of Kentucky’s population. In every town, a reliable and high-quality supply of water is the anchor for a community’s quality of life and businesses. In 2025, the innovation that’s driven our mission for nearly 165 years will guide large transformational projects. We’re partnering with water providers in Hardin, Bullitt and Nelson counties to install miles of new water main that will support growth in manufacturing and distilling. Kentucky’s economic development boom impacts our work, and we are fortunate to have an abundant water supply from the Ohio River and drinking water that’s ranked as some of North America’s best.

KM: What new projects are underway and what challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Bruce: Elevating the consumer’s experience with Louisville Water is a priority. Digital innovation will improve how customers manage their water usage, pay their bill and communicate with us. In Louisville, the consumer experience includes a look at our history. Coming on the heels of a massive restoration, the Louisville Water Tower and WaterWorks Museum are open for tours and events. The tower is the oldest standing water tower in the U.S. and the site where we began operations in 1860.

•

KM: What are the key value propositions that SomersetPulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) pitches to prospective companies to relocate to the Lake Cumberland area?

Chris Girdler, president and CEO of SPEDA: The last five years in the capital of Lake Cumberland and throughout the region have been record breaking, and we are grateful for the success. It has been a period of growth, where we have announced more than $500 million in new and existing business expansions and over 1,000 new jobs, and have seen our tourism levels increase year after year. Through changing the definition of economic development to include things such as education, workforce development, arts and entertainment, and tourism, we have led the way in

Kentucky and have seen “quality of life” become the new catchphrase. We sell our high quality of life along with a low cost of living, which has proven successful.

KM: What are reasons for optimism in 2025? And what challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Girdler: While much can happen at the national and worldwide level, we work on what we can control, and that is our local community’s collaboration and positive mindset to grow our community and lay the foundation for future generations. While we are optimistic, workforce issues will remain a constant concern. We have made strides, but we still have a long way to go. Kentucky, as a whole, is primed for more success.

KM: Provide an update on your hospital system’s footprint growth within the state and ease-of-access initiative.

Gerard Colman, Baptist Health CEO:

In the last year, Baptist Health opened its 10th hospital, the 40-bed Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Louisville, a joint venture with Encompass Health. Baptist Health Hamburg opened in Lexington with a cancer center, outpatient facilities, and ER and surgery center, while Baptist Health Hardin just cut the ribbon on its healthplex with a comprehensive cancer center, surgery suites, a cath lab and medical offices. Baptist Health La Grange opened an 11-bed behavioral health unit—mirroring a similar-size unit at Baptist Health Richmond—and is homebase for the system’s centralized pharmacy. Behavioral health services—offered at all nine acute-care hospitals, many physician offices, and virtually—are a growing focus for Baptist Health, which saw a nearly 500 percent increase in those outpatients, from 22,000 visits in 2020 to 128,000 in 2024. Based on the success of our current ER/urgent-care hybrid locations, Baptist Health broke ground on a third site in southeastern Jefferson County, with more on the horizon.

KM: What are reasons for optimism in 2025?

Colman: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expanding access to health-care services, including mental health and substance use disorder. This supports Baptist Health’s efforts in a state with one of the nation’s highest opioid overdose mortality rates, and where more than 3 million people live in a community

with limited mental health professionals.

KM: What challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Colman: Reimbursements lagging behind expenses, combined with inflation, drives up costs for labor and supply. Decreasing staff provides some financial relief, but attracting and retaining health-care workers remains a challenge. Cybersecurity also is high on the list.

KM: Murray State University is one of many state schools where enrollment has increased. What has contributed to this recent uptick?

Dr. Bob Jackson, MSU president: Recent accolades such as the “#1 Best Value School” in the South Region by U.S. News and World Report, “Best Bang for the Buck” by Washington Monthly, and a “Best College” by The Wall Street Journal are significant, as we offer nationally recognized academic quality while emphasizing access and affordability, and a focus on recruiting Kentucky students.

KM: With your upcoming retirement, what challenges lie ahead for the next president?

Jackson: We have welcomed a record freshman class, along with other recruiting and retention successes. Through the state legislature, nearly $100 million of asset preservation and deferred maintenance funding has been spent in order to enhance our campus. In addition, the pending construction of a new School of Nursing and Health Professions building, funding for a new Veterinary Sciences building and Learning Commons/Residence Hall, and new funding for our Program of Distinction in Cybersecurity and Network Management will continue to advance MSU. We are nearing the completion of a successful $100 million capital campaign in which 50 percent of funds raised will go toward scholarships and need-based aid for students.

KM: What has contributed to the Kentucky Community and Technical College System’s recent uptick in enrollment?

Dr. Ryan Quarles, president of KCTCS: Enrollment was up by

over 8 percent for fall 2024. Our colleges are welcoming nearly 85,000 students to our campuses, resulting in a 10-year high for the system. This increase partially comes from a growth in high school students seeking to jumpstart their college careers through dual-credit classes. We’ve seen a more than 10 percent increase in nontraditional students ages 25 and over, reflecting interest in both transfer pathways and career-focused education among adult learners. KCTCS’s alignment with Kentucky’s high-demand industry sectors, along with increased support and funding for the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, have attracted students to fields such as health care, advanced manufacturing and other skilled trade-related programs.

KM: What are reasons for optimism in 2025? And what challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Quarles: I’ve spent a lot of time during my first year at KCTCS visiting our campuses and speaking with staff, faculty and the community. Their commitment to support our mission assures me that 2025 has the potential to be our best year yet. It looks to be a time of reform and reset for KCTCS and our colleges. KCTCS will continue to work to improve and advance the system in response to [2024] Senate Joint Resolution 179. We look to provide a roadmap of how we can better serve students, employers and Kentucky’s future workforce.

•

KM: To what do you attribute Kentucky’s high ranking in new capital investment projects?

Jeff Noel, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development: We have built on longstanding corporate partnerships—such as those with Ford, Toyota and GE—while creating new connections with growing companies. The result has been a diverse economy that’s ready for the future.

KM: What are reasons for optimism in 2025? And what challenges lie ahead in 2025?

Noel: We have a spot-on plan: Win the automotive transformation, lead the manufacturing renaissance, attract our share of business and professional service jobs, grow tourism and its impact on attracting talent, and leverage our aerospace and ag-tech opportunities.

Gov. Andy Beshear and our state legislature have

committed funds toward site and building development efforts, we are a leader in the manufacturing renaissance, and our talented workforce continues to evolve to meet the needs of any business within any sector.

• • •

KM: What was PNC focused on in 2024 to enhance their customer relationship experience?

Kristen Byrd, PNC regional president for Kentucky: From my vantage point, 2024 was a year of leaning into our commitment to deliver the qualities customers want from their financial institution: stability, consistency and dependability. We launched a new brand campaign, Brilliantly Boring Banking, which acknowledges the reality that while these characteristics may sound less than exciting, they are foundational to our efforts to help clients achieve their financial goals.

We observed a significant milestone in 2024 with the 20th anniversary of PNC Grow Up Great, PNC’s $500 million, bilingual, signature philanthropic initiative to help prepare children for success in school and life. The PNC Foundation awarded grant funding to establish outdoor play and learning environments in communities throughout our footprint.

KM: How will the increasing use of artificial intelligence change banking?

Byrd: AI represents an area of great interest and potential for many sectors, including banking and the industries banks serve. Broadly speaking, the landscape for AI is both dynamic and capital-intensive. What that means for the banking industry is that it’s important to consider the value proposition and use cases for AI-enabled technologies in the context of factors and frameworks that are taking shape, including the regulatory landscape, audit readiness and talent strategy for upskilling.

In PNC Bank’s Inside the Minds of CFOs survey, conducted during the summer of 2024, only half the respondents indicated their companies have invested in AI projects. That told us that, while there is a lot of discussion around AI, there is still some level of caution in its implementation. At this early stage, it can be costly to implement and difficult to quantify return on investment.

Maysville... Where Bourbon Began its Journey Maysville... Where Bourbon Began its Journey

The Bourbon History Galleries at The Old Pogue Experience outlines Maysville's development of bourbon from the late 1700s to mid-1800s; the heyday of three prominent distilleries (Pogue, Limestone, Poyntz); the dark days of Prohibition; the post-prohibition era; and the renaissance of Old Pogue today.

Disclaimer: Must be 21 years of age with a valid ID to participate in bourbon tastings.

The Old Pogue Experience located in the limestone building on the corner

The 1901 Kentucky Derby was the 27th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on April 29, 1901.

K E NTUCKY E XPLORER

Volume 39, Number 10 – December 2024/January 2025

It’s Christmastime in the City

Pictured among the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season on Louisville’s Fourth Street in the 1940s is a remnant of the city’s streetcar system. The system began in the 1860s with mule-drawn cars, but by the 1890s, the streetcars were electric. More than 500 streetcars operated throughout the city and into the suburbs of Jeffersontown, Prospect and Okolona. The number of riders decreased during the Great Depression but perked back up when gas and tires were rationed during World War II. As people moved to the suburbs and cars became the preferred method of transportation, streetcar rider numbers dwindled, and the Louisville Railway Company ran its last streetcar in 1948.

Your Letters -- page 54

Dr. Ephraim McDowell: The Christmas Miracle of 1809 -- page 59 Appalachian Novelist John Fox Jr. -- page 60

“I Remember”

By Our Readers and More!

Kentucky Explorer

a magazine published for Kentuckians everywhere

Charles Hayes Jr. • Founder

Stephen M. Vest • Publisher

Deborah Kohl Kremer • Editor

Rebecca Redding • Typographist

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Letter to the Kentucky Explorer Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

Perkins Connection

I read with interest the article in the September issue of Kentucky Monthly by John W. McCauley about the Honorable Carl D. Perkins (page 47).

In 1955, Mr. Perkins took a poor boy from Morehead named Don Gastineau to Washington, D.C., and got him a job in the House of Representatives’ folding room. Don became well acquainted with Mr. Perkins, became his driver between Washington and Kentucky, and can attest to the accolades bestowed upon Mr. Perkins in the McCauley article. As a result of the aforementioned, Don and I met on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., married, and will celebrate our 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 18 of this year.

Betty M. Gastineau, Granville, Ohio

More Kudos for Perkins

An article by John W. McCauley of Lexington in the September issue about Carl D. Perkins was well written and described the man as I remembered him.

Mr. Perkins represented the district of my hometown of Russell. My neighbor, Charlie Wells, was a county court clerk whom Mr. Perkins visited often. As a United States Army veteran, I wanted to use my eligibility to enroll in Morehead State University. At that time, Mr. Perkins served as chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Charlie asked Mr. Perkins to help me receive my education funds. Mr. Perkins cut through a lot of paperwork and phone calls to enable me to enroll at Morehead in the fall of 1968.

On May 22, 1968, my brother, Marine Capt. Robert Harris, was killed in action in Vietnam. Mr. Perkins kept

FOUNDED 1986, VOLUME 39, NO. 10

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our family posted on when and where my brother’s flagdraped casket would be.

At the first basketball game in Morehead, Mr. Perkins was at the door shaking hands with students. I got excited seeing him. I shook his hand and thanked him. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside, and in his soft-spoken voice, he said he was so sorry about my brother. He had a U.S. flag raised over the U.S. Capitol building that was to be given to my brother’s wife.

I am sure Mr. Perkins helped and touched many lives, but I can say my family and I were blessed to be in his congressional district.

J.R. Harris, Louisville

Heaven Must Be a Kentucky Kind of Place

Being reared in rural Lincoln County, I witnessed many men commuting to cities to find work to support their families. Most seemed highly motivated to return home every weekend. They saw their families only on Saturdays and Sundays. These situations should be considered as tributes to them and their wives for the efforts to rear their children at their preferred locations. I love the following story that Ben Jones wrote that he said “would be ridiculous or blasphemous to anybody but a Kentuckian.”

“It seems that a famous and holy preacher went to heaven and was given the privilege of choosing almost any site. While touring, he saw an area with high golden walls glittering with precious stone along with pearl gates secured by golden chains and locks. When the preacher asked about the site and its security, the response was: “This is the city where the Kentuckians dwell, but they want to go home on weekends. We had so much trouble getting them here the first time that we can’t give the devil another chance.”

Jones was born in 1893 in the hills of Kentucky, so he was about 91 when his book Little House Beside the Road was published by McDowell Publications of Utica (Daviess County) in 1984. The 343 large pages are filled with awesome history and human nature. He mentions that his fifth-grade education was in a Kentucky one-room school.

Harold Brown, Indianapolis In memory of Donna Jean Hayes, 1948-2019

Kit Carson, frontiersman, was born near Richmond on Dec. 24, 1809.

Carl D. Perkins

Letters continued

More Memories of a One-Room Schoolhouse

The Devasher School article in the August issue of Kentucky Explorer (page 45) took me back to my early school days. I did not go to school there, but I went to Cedar Springs (Allen County) in the adjoining district. My father, born in 1888, and all four of his brothers did go to Devasher.

That article painted a clear picture of a day for a student in the one-room school. Every activity described could be applied to most rural schools at that time. These communities were close. Everyone knew their neighbors, and in many cases, they were related one way or another. When anyone in these communities needed help during an illness or crop harvesting or any hardship, there was always someone to help.

In the notation of a student who misbehaved being required to get a switch for his punishment, the Cedar Springs student did not get a switch; he brought a large tree limb. Of course, this did not keep him from his punishment.

Devasher School was near a wooded area. Cedar Springs had one large oak tree at the edge of the playground and several sassafras trees near the Highway, old 31E, where we ate our lunch. A clump of saplings in the back corner of the playground was the girls’ playhouse. Waist-high weeds grew among the saplings. These were trampled down to create rooms, and some were left standing for the walls in between the rooms. Then the older girls were the “mothers,” who chose their “children” from the younger girls.

Cedar Springs and Devasher School were dismissed for daytime revival services. Students and teachers walked to and from church. Cedar Springs was closer to the church than Devasher. When we had revival services at night, families from the Cedar Cross community, close to Barren River, joined the Cedar Springs churchgoers. There were few cars on 31E at the time, especially at night. I remember the road being filled with families walking to church. Our

New Historical Marker Honors Boone County Inventor

A new historical marker, sponsored by the Boone County Historical Society, was unveiled recently in Burlington.

The marker recognizes the life and accomplishments of Frank Sinton Milburn (1910-1984), an inventor, engineer, small business owner, creator, writer,

service was lengthy, but no one ever complained.

During World War II, schools received cans of beans that were heated atop a large potbelly coal-burning stove. Everything was rationed, and we had to use a stamp designated for each item or category when we needed anything. I helped our teacher, Miss Jennette Stovall, issue the ration books to the families in our community.

It is true many life lessons were learned in rural schools in those days. However, the most important ones were learned from family and friends around us, who taught by example.

My clearest memories of growing up in the Cedar Springs, Devasher and Hopewell communities are not just of school or how we got to and from there. Nor are they of milking cows before school, wading in a waist-deep stream of rushing water to get home, or walking to school with my breath frozen. My fondest memories are of the warm and caring feelings of my family and everyone in those communities who helped nurture me through my youth.

Juanita Centers Barriger, age 94, Lawrenceburg

photographer and advocate for everyday citizens. Known as Burlington’s “Cornfield Edison,” Milburn patented many of his own inventions and worked on a top-secret military project in his Burlington workshop during World War II.

To learn more about Milburn, visit the Boone County Public Library, bcplundiscovered.org

The last Kentucky county, McCreary, was formed in 1912.

Juanita’s father, Ellis Austin Centers, is pictured in the front row, second from right.

Send memories to Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or mail to Kentucky Monthly, Attn: Deb Kremer, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602.

“I Remember” By Our Readers

Send your memory in today!

Tiny Reindeer Hooves? When Pigs Fly

By Melvin “Pat” Gibson, Ohio County, 1947-2020

Submitted by Judy Russell

On the Gibson farm in Millerstown in Grayson County, two little boys giggled together all snuggled under the coverlet in their bed upstairs. It was Christmas, and the smells of breakfast drifted up the stairwell, making them anxious for their mom, Watsie Puckett Gibson, to call them to eat. Of course, Santa had arrived and arranged presents for each child under the tree, while their mom stirred around, pretending not to notice his presence.

After a hearty breakfast, the family gathered around the Christmas tree as the dad, Euel Gibson, distributed the presents—from the youngest to the oldest. Each child got a present and an apple, a banana, an orange, some candies and some nuts. The children enjoyed their treats and their presents and began to play, while looking forward to a big Christmas dinner, prepared by their mom, plus the traditional banana cake that Grandma Puckett always sent them for Christmas Day.

Melvin, better known as Pat, the oldest boy by two years, had reached the age of doubting whether Santa was real. Rumors had it at school that Santa was a myth, a big story that parents told to make their children be good. A couple of days before, Pat found his mother alone in the kitchen, so he decided it was a good time to question her about this matter. He told her what he had heard and wondered if the children were telling him the truth. Knowing that revealing the truth about Santa would ruin the excitement for the younger children, his mom left it to him to think about it, which still left him in a quandary.

Memories of a Christmas Eve

By Brenda Love Erwin, Lancaster

It was Christmas Eve in the early 1960s. My mom didn’t have a way to town, as she didn’t drive at the time. A neighbor dropped by the house, and Mom asked him to stop by her brother’s house and tell the brother to come to our house. Neither of us had a phone. So in the early afternoon, Uncle Glen came up, and Mom asked him to take her to town. Mom began shopping but had a short amount of time because the stores were closing early. She also had very little money and eight children to shop for.

(Our youngest brother wasn’t born yet.)

The stores were not the super centers we have today. They were little dime stores. The shelves were almost bare, but she diligently searched for a gift for each of us. Then

During the dinner preparation, their dad had come in from the barn and conversed with their mom in a whisper. Then, he left. A short time after he was gone, their mom asked Pat and his little brother, Donnie, to go with her to the back porch. They eagerly responded. She told them to go to see what was in the front yard. In excitement, they ran out without their coats and hats. Lo and behold! There were tiny reindeer tracks, all over the yard, and under the tree! Santa and his reindeer had definitely visited the Gibsons. The boys were elated but astonished that the tracks were so tiny!

In later years, they were told that the pigs had gotten out and had made the little tracks. Knowing that Pat had his doubts about Santa, upon seeing all the little hoof prints, they decided to use a trifling situation as a clever story to convince him that Santa and his reindeer were real.

she asked Uncle Glen if he had anything for his three boys. He said, “No.” He wasn’t working at the time. So, Mom found each of them a little plastic truck, and she shared a little fruit and candy with them that she had purchased.

I remember her words when she got home. She said, “I just didn’t have much to choose from. The shelves were bare.” I thought that it didn’t matter what she chose. I saw Mom’s love and care and sacrifice. She made sure we had a Christmas. I saw that Mom was a giving person, as she shared with three little boys so that they had a Christmas, too.

Thomas Walker (Jan. 25, 1715-Nov. 9, 1794) explored the western Colony of Virginia …

Do these Christmas stories in “I Remember” bring back memories from a long-ago Christmas? We would love to share your stories with our readers in the next December/ January issue of Kentucky Explorer. Send in your story and be sure to include the year or decade when it happened and the town or county in Kentucky where it took place. We accept handwritten or typed stories mailed to Kentucky Monthly, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort KY 40602 or sent by email to Deb@kentuckymonthly.com.

A Christmas Miracle on Caney Fork

By Doug Slone, New Port Richey, Florida

Each Christmas, my family, now living in Ohio, went home to Raven in Knott County to celebrate the holiday with my mother Marjorie’s parents, Jonas and Nora Boleyn Slone, and Uncle Lawrence, Aunt Geraldine and their three children.

Late at night on Christmas Eve, my aunt and uncle had to go to the general store, which my grandparents owned, to wrap presents from Santa. They did this so their young children wouldn’t see, but since I was the oldest cousin there at 14, they asked me to go with them.

We had been in the store for only about 30 minutes when someone began pounding on the front door, apparently because they saw the lights on at that late hour. As my uncle opened the door, a man yelled, “There’s a fire coming across the mountain, and it’s coming down on your side!” What made that especially serious were two abandoned coal mines about an eighth of a mile apart and hard to access. A burning coal mine could burn nonstop for over a year. If the fire “jumped the road,” it would head down the slope to my family’s house, barn and outbuildings, and the bottom land on that side.

At that time, Knott County had no fire department, state police, EMT or 911 to call. If something happened, you were on your own to solve it.

Christmas Trees of Yesteryear

By Carol Ingle, Scott County

This time of year, the little girl within me drifts back to getting ready for Christmases in Wayne County in the 1950s. We walked around the woods and picked out a tree to decorate. I remember shooting out the tops of big trees to get the tree shaped the way we wanted. We always used cedar trees. I kept a headache until Christmas was over. As soon as the presents were opened, we threw the tree out the door. All of us had allergy problems, but at that time, we didn’t know what allergies were. I knew people were allergic to cats and dogs but Christmas trees?

When we got our cedar tree home, we put it in a bucket along with a bunch of rocks and water. We never had a tree that we didn’t need to tie it to a door knob or

We grabbed a couple of flashlights and went down the road to the mine on the left, which was more open and easier to climb to the top. The coal chute was still standing. When we got to the top, my uncle pointed to a 1-ton coal car on narrow rails that mules usually pulled from mine to mine. The mine on the right was too hard for coal trucks to get up the hill.

Miners decided to dig out the coal and haul it to the other mine.

Uncle Lawrence told me to jump into the coal car, and as he jumped on the back, the car headed quickly downhill. The feeling is hard to describe, but I was having the time of my young life, both excited and fearful.

When we got to mine, Uncle Lawrence and I could see the fire racing down the hill and getting bigger and bigger. All of a sudden, the situation got really serious. Where the coal car ran, there was about a 15-foot strip of nothing but rocks and dirt, so my uncle climbed to where he could begin lighting several backfires.

We stood beside the coal car for about 20 minutes, watching the backfires do their job. As we started down the hill through briars, brush and tree limbs swishing in our faces, we finally made it to the main road. We stopped to get our breath and took one last look at the receding fires. Suddenly, it started raining!

It was a miracle on Caney Fork! Our Christmas was especially meaningful that year.

something to hold it upright. We had ornaments. They were kids’ school projects that could be tied on the tree. Most had handprints and some had “Merry Christmas, Mommy” baked in different colored clays. We made sugar cookies and hung them on the tree, too.

One year, my son and I had a tree that we planned to decorate only with edible trimmings. We were going to string popcorn and got some strung, but that job was not easy. So, we put the strings we had finished on the tree and decided to give up that project. We made sugar cookies with holiday cookie cutters to hang on the tree and placed a bunch of candy canes on the tree, too.

… (present-day Kentucky) in 1750, 19 years before the arrival of Daniel Boone.

“I

Remember” continued

This Bethlehem Had a Christmas Role, Too

This story, passed down from Nancy Daily Duncan (1909-2007) of Patton’s Creek (Trimble Country), was written by her daughter, Gaye Duncan Holman of Lexington.

The Kentucky winter arrived early and hard in 1918. Ice floes formed on the Ohio River, making travel by boat treacherous and unpredictable. By the end of the winter, the river was frozen solid, but it was the weeks preceding Christmas that most impacted my family and the Patton’s Creek community, who depended upon the river for supplies and Christmas goods.

Patton’s Creek is on the border of Oldham and Trimble counties. Today, the area is a ghost of what it used to be, but in 1918, the banks of Patton’s Creek and the hills rising above it housed a thriving community relying heavily upon the steamboats that plied the nearby Ohio River waters.

During the fall of 1918, as crops were harvested and sold, families poured into the country store to pay off their debts and place their Christmas orders. Store owner Bert Daily gave each man a new necktie when they paid their bills. He traveled to Louisville with their orders and returned home to wait for the supply boat to arrive.

The night before the boat was due with its treasures, Bert reportedly did not sleep. As darkness fell, he rode his horse to the river’s edge and watched the growing chunks of ice that rapidly formed. The next day, highly concerned, my family took our jolt wagon 2 miles to the mouth of Patton’s Creek at the time the boat was expected at Jobson Landing. My mother remembered seeing the boat in the distance heading toward the landing, then surrounded by hardening ice. It slowed and blew its whistle. The captain pointed to the opposite shore. The boat headed across the

“Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons of Blue”

By Roger L. Guffey, Lexington

Growing up in Monticello in the 1960s, my family was not wealthy. But my parents always managed to have a festive Christmas with presents and lots of candy.

We younger children searched valiantly to find where our parents had hidden our presents, but we never figured it out. Our red cedar Christmas trees were decorated with ornaments, garlands and strings of lights connected in a series circuit that would not shine if a single bulb was out. Untold hours were spent trying to replace the faulty bulb. Thank God someone realized the utility of parallel circuits!

My mother epitomized the old adage: “Waste not, want not.” We always took great pains in unwrapping our

river to the Indiana side. It tied up in the small town of Bethlehem, several miles upriver, its travels ended.

The area’s Christmas goods were stranded, unreachable, in Bethlehem.

For many long days, Bert and other residents stood watch at the river edge as the ice floes grew and joined together. As the river hardened, Bert resolved to see that his responsibility was fulfilled. He headed out alone onto the ice, accompanied by the family dog, Pup, determined to cross the frozen river upstream of Bethlehem, where the goods remained in the stranded boat. His family remembered the tension of the day, wondering if they would ever see their father and husband again.

In a later telling, Bert said Pup got upset as they came to openings in the ice and barked to get Bert to turn back. Finally, the not-so-faithful companion deserted him and returned home to safety, increasing anxieties that Bert had drowned. Bert continued to Bethlehem, where he hunkered down to wait for the river to harden even more.

The unusual weather hung over the area, and eventually, Bert rented two horses and a wagon. He loaded his precious cargo and headed back across the rough frozen river with the goods.

Word that he was in the middle of the Ohio River headed home spread up Patton’s Creek, and many willing hands were available to help with the unloading when Bert finally led the horses to land. In a few days, the items were sorted, and the farmers and their wives gathered to claim their holiday goods.

Christmas had come to Patton’s Creek.

The country store at the heart of the community was owned by Bert and Stella Daily. The history of the store remains in written, oral and recorded stories from Stella Ralston Daily (1876-1960) and her daughter, Nancy Daily Duncan (1909-2007).

presents so we could reuse the paper the next Christmas. My sisters took the time to wrap gifts so beautifully that we felt like kings and queens.

Some of the most beautiful wrapping paper was recycled for three or four years. Someone always remembered which gifts were wrapped with particular papers. Pre-tied bows were recycled, too. This careful attention was labor a of love that made each Christmas special.

These days, people just pass out money without any thought about purchasing gifts. Gift bags have replaced the joyful hubbub of carefully wrapping the presents.

Willie Nelson wrote the lyrics to “Pretty Paper” made famous by Roy Orbison’s bittersweet version played and replayed every Christmas. Does anyone really think someone would write a song about gift bags?

George Sperti, who invented

Dr. Ephraim McDowell: The Christmas Miracle of 1809

By Sam Terry, Glasgow

Danville was the scene of a Christmas miracle that changed the world of medicine, particularly for women. On Dec. 25, 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell (1771-1830) removed a 22.5-pound cystic ovarian tumor from Jane Todd Crawford, the world first ovariotomy and successful abdominal surgery.

Physicians in Green County assumed that 45-year-old Crawford was pregnant, as her abdomen had become progressively larger. Well past what should have been her due date, they sought advice from McDowell, who had studied medicine under Alexander Humphreys in Virginia and had attended lectures at the University of Edinburgh School of Medicine in Scotland.

McDowell rode on horseback to Crawford’s home on Motley’s Glen on Caney Fork Creek, about 9 miles southeast of Greensburg. After examining Crawford on Dec. 13, he said that he believed the unusual swelling in her abdomen to be an ovarian cyst.

McDowell advised Crawford, “If you think you are prepared to die, I will take the lump from you…”

Recording his diagnosis, McDowell wrote: “Having never seen so large a substance extracted, nor heard of an attempt, or success attending any operation, such as this required, I gave to the unhappy woman information of her dangerous situation. She appeared willing to undergo an experiment, which I promised to perform if she came to Danville [the town where I live], a distance of 60 miles from her place of residence.”

Crawford left her family and rode horseback to McDowell’s home. There is no record of anyone accompanying her or how long the journey took. Two days after turning 46, Crawford submitted herself to McDowell’s experiment, hopeful that his bold idea of surgery would save her life.

Without benefit of anesthesia, Crawford sang hymns and cited various Psalms as she was held still by attendants while McDowell extracted the tumor in a surgery lasting 25 minutes. Crude, experimental and without antiseptics, the surgery was a success.

“Jane’s recovery was rapid,” McDowell wrote. “Within five days, she was making up her own bed, and in 25 days, she returned home as she came, in good health.”

Crawford lived another 32 years, dying at 78.

Regarding his role in the surgery, McDowell wrote, “How is it that I have been so peculiarly fortunate with my patients of this description? I know not; for all of the information I can obtain, there has not one individual survived who has been operated on, elsewhere, for diseased ovaria. I can only say that the blessing of God has rested on my efforts.”

Having performed the world’s first successful abdominal operation, McDowell’s reputation as a surgeon increased, and he performed 13 other ovariotomies, although eight of those patients died. He also operated on 32 other patients to remove bladder stones. One of those patients was President James K. Polk

The McDowell House Museum, Appothecary & Gardens in Danville, designated as a National Historic Landmark, has been preserved by the Kentucky Medical Association. In 1929, Isaac Bernheim commissioned sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus to create two identical statues of McDowell—one for the United States Capitol National Statuary Hall and the other for the rotunda of the Kentucky Capitol. The statue depicts McDowell standing in front of a table on which sits a bowl holding the tumor removed from Jane Todd Crawford.

For more Kentucky history stories, visit “Sam Terry’s Kentucky” page on Facebook.

The McDowell House in Danville is a National Historic Landmark. It is the former home and office of pioneering surgeon Dr. Ephraim McDowell. For more information, visit mcdowellhouse.com.

Appalachian Novelist John Fox Jr.

By John W. McCauley, Lexington

In the early 20th century, my grandfather, Bruner B. Gilliam, was walking along the edge of the family property in Harlan County when he came across a man sitting on a rock overlooking Looney Creek with pen and paper in hand. My grandfather spoke to the kind gentleman, who introduced himself as John Fox Jr.

I was fascinated to hear Granddad tell the story about his visit with this author whose book, Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1908), sold more than 2 million copies.

Fox was born on Dec. 16, 1862, in Stony Point, near Paris in Bourbon County. His parents were John William Fox Sr. and Minerva Worth Carr. After obtaining his early education at Stony Point Academy, where his father served as headmaster, Fox attended Transylvania University before graduating cum laude in 1883 from Harvard University. Following college, he became a New York City journalist before returning home to Kentucky in 1885.

Upon his return home, Fox joined his brother in a real estate venture, and in 1890, he relocated to Big Stone Gap, Virginia. This became his adopted home and where he spent the rest of his life. While his business venture was not successful, Fox became a talented and bestselling author

He published his first novel, A Mountain Europa, in 1892, and his next novel, The Kentuckians, followed in 1898. That year, Fox worked for Harper’s Weekly as a war correspondent during the Spanish-American War in Cuba, where he served alongside Col. Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. His first bestseller was The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come in 1903.

In 1908, Fox married Metropolitan Opera star Fritzi Scheff. Their marriage lasted only

a few years, and they had no children.

His other books included A Cumberland Vendetta and Other Stories (1895), Hell-fer-Sartain and Other Stories (1897), Crittenden: A Kentucky Story of Love and War (1900), Blue-grass and Rhododendron: Outdoors in Old Kentucky (1901), Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories (1904), Following the Sun Flag: A Vain Pursuit Through Manchuria (1905), A Knight of the Cumberland (1906), The Heart of the Hills (1913), In Happy Valley (1917) and Erskine Dale: Pioneer (1920).

His novels and short stories captivated a nation, including President Teddy Roosevelt, who extended a personal invitation to the White House. While some contemporary critics have castigated his work as being an outdated stereotypical portrayal of mountain people, probably no one captured the culture of certain regions in Southern Appalachia during those years better than Fox.

On July 8, 1919, John Fox Jr. died of pneumonia. His remains were returned home to Bourbon County, where he was buried in the family plot at the Paris Cemetery.

Several years ago, my wife, Becky, and I traveled to the June Tolliver House in Big Stone Gap to see the outdoor drama The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, which is based on Fox’s novel. The outdoor drama focuses on Appalachian Mountain culture, coal, love and the long-running feud between the Tollivers and Falins. The storyline is built around the character Devil Judd Tolliver and is based on the real-life “Devil John” Wesley Wright, who was born in Letcher County and served as both sheriff of Wise County, Virginia, and a U.S. Marshal covering parts of Kentucky and Virginia.

During the trip, just across the mountain from Jenkins, I visited with a local business proprietor in Pound, Virginia. I always enjoy digging through shelves, stacks and boxes of old books. The owner asked if I was looking for anything particular, and I said “John Fox Jr.” He said, “My grandfather passed a book to me that was signed by John Fox Jr.”

I knew before I asked but had to ask anyway: The book was not for sale. That was my closest encounter to a book signed by the legendary Kentucky author. As I continue to travel and search through old books, the consolation prize in my John Fox Jr. collection is Crittenden, which bears the bookplate and came from the personal library of noted Kentucky author and historian J. Winston Coleman Jr.

In 2018, John Fox Jr. was inducted posthumously into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.

Daviess County, established in 1815, is named for Major Joseph Hamilton Daveiss. A recording error

John Fox Jr.

More than a grocery:

The Kirksey General Store

By Bobbie Smith Bryant, Jefferson County

The village of Kirksey in Calloway County was the center of my universe when I was a child. One of my favorite childhood memories is of going to the general store in Kirksey. Smith’s Grocery was located a short walking distance from the elementary and high schools, and there was a church on each side of the school grounds.

My grandparents, Hal and Geneva Smith, owned the general store for several years. Anytime I spent Saturday night with them in the 1960s, Grandaddy Hal took me to the store with him. I’m sure one reason I was allowed to go was to get me out from under Granny’s feet as she prepared the noonday meal for our family to gather after church.

Grandaddy Hal usually opened the store sometime before daylight, and there was always a string of mostly men coming and going. They might have come in to buy something their wives needed, but I suspect most of them were there to shoot the bull with one another.

The things I loved best about the store were, of course, the Coke bin and the candy counter. There were always fireballs and bubble gum, but my favorites were Tootsie Pops, SweeTarts and—oh my—those Sugar Daddy suckers. I even had an occasional candy cigarette and wax lips, just for fun. My all-time favorite cold drink was a Chocolate Soldier. And sometimes, we were fortunate enough to have our favorite summer treat—homemade ice cream.

But there was something else going on in that old country store. It had to do with those four or five elders who gathered each Sunday, holding court around the wood stove. I usually knew one or two of them, as they were the granddaddies of my school friends. There were a few others who went to the same church as my family.

Sometimes they’d play checkers, but most of the time, they just traded stories. I don’t remember a thing about what they talked about, but I do remember how they treated me. They’d tease and pick at me, but it was never cruel or hurtful; it was sweet and kind. By talking to me and paying attention to me, they made me feel important and part of their lives.

Back in those days, between attending school, cheering on our favorite team in the hotly contested basketball games, and going to church each week, we knew everybody in the community to some degree. Either that, or we were related to them. Everyone was typically introduced as a cousin of so and so or as being kin to this person or that one.

You could never speak unkindly about anyone because they usually were related to you in some way. If you did say anything unkind, it came back to haunt you pretty quickly. It took only one or two rounds of Momma washing out your mouth with soap to learn not to say ugly things.

Times have changed since my young years of Sunday mornings at the store in Kirksey. Over the years, we’ve gone from mules to tractors and from outhouses to indoor plumbing. The general store of my childhood is gone, replaced by today’s mega-markets. Most of the small communities such as Kirksey have disappeared, their importance a distant memory.

Regardless of today’s modern conveniences, the lessons we learn from our families and our communities make us the adults we grow up to be. Those days at the candy counter in my grandparents’ country store made for an incredible childhood, and I’m thankful for the rural Kentucky heritage I was lucky enough to have.

Hal and Geneva Smith at Smith’s Grocery in Kirksey, 1951.

Moonshiner Mahala Mullins:

‘Catchable But Not Fetchable’

By Shane Simmons and Melody West

Mahala Mullins was a legend of the Appalachian Mountains, known far and wide as the most notorious moonshiner of her time. Born in the mid-1800s, she lived in the remote hills of Newman’s Ridge, Tennessee (on the outskirts of Sneedville), in an area where the rugged landscape provided both a home and a haven for those looking to live outside the reach of the law.

Mahala was part of the Melungeon community, a group of mixed-race people who lived in isolation and were often misunderstood and marginalized. Despite the hardships she faced, Mahala built a reputation that transcended the hollers and ridges. She was known for producing the finest moonshine in the region, a craft passed down through the generations in Appalachian families. Her whiskey was so good that it brought people from miles around willing to make the treacherous journey up the mountain to her cabin.

her out of the house. Her large size and stubborn spirit made her physically unmovable, and the steep, narrow paths leading to her cabin made it impossible to transport her down the mountain.

Weighing more than 500 pounds, Mahala was famously immobile, which only added to her legend. The local law enforcement knew about her illegal moonshine operation, but arresting her was easier said than done. Time and again, deputies and revenuers trekked up the mountain to arrest Mahala only to be met with an impossible challenge: They couldn’t get

Paducah’s Market House

The beloved Market House building in Paducah has an interesting history.

In 1827, Gen. William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, founded Paducah and designated the area that is now Second Street between Broadway and Kentucky Avenue as a market district. The original Market House was built of logs in 1836 and was replaced in 1850. This

“Catch me if you can,” she said with a laugh, knowing full well they couldn’t. One frustrated lawman dubbed her as “catchable but not fetchable.”

Mahala’s story is about more than just moonshine; it’s about the spirit of independence and resilience that defines Appalachia. She was a woman who lived on her own terms in a time and place where survival wasn’t easy, especially for a woman. In a region where making a living often meant bending—or breaking—the law, Mahala Mullins became a folk hero. She stood her ground, both literally and figuratively, and became a symbol of Appalachian defiance.

She passed away in 1898, but her story lives on, passed down in Appalachian lore. Today, she’s remembered as one of the most colorful characters in the history of moonshining, a legend of the mountains who couldn’t be caught. Mahala was more than a moonshiner—she was a symbol of the unshakable will that defines the people of Appalachia.

Reprinted with permission from The Appalachian Project Facebook page and realappalachia.com

Mahala Mullins lived just a few miles over the border in Tennessee and probably had more than a few customers from Kentucky.

Historical photos of the Market House; opposite page, the Market House today. Images courtesy of the McCracken County Public Library.

building served as a hospital during the Civil War. The current Market House was built in 1905.

In the early days, produce vendors were able to rent the space within the building’s side open-air wings, or they could sell their products on the curb for no fee. The central section was reserved for vendors of meat and poultry.

In 1963, this layout was declared unsanitary, and the building was scheduled to be demolished. Luckily, local citizens intervened. The building was converted into a cultural center and now is the home of the Yeiser Art Center, Market House Theatre and Market House Museum.

The Kentucky Historical Society Presents:

CLASSIFIED ADS

Reach 120,000 readers a classified ad in Kentucky Explorer! Classified ads are only $50 per issue (up to 25 words). Contact Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or call 888.329.0053.

BOOK FOR SALE — George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend chronicles the life and career of Frankfort native, jurist and legislator George Graham Vest. The book is by Stephen M. Vest, a descendant, who also is known for his command of the English language. $26.95 plus shipping. To purchase, call 888.329.0053 or visit shopkentuckymonthly.com

BOOK FOR SALE — Several True (I Think) Stories: Can Truth Be Stranger Than Fiction? Second edition. This short book discusses about 50 unusual events. The majority happened in Kentucky and were personally experienced or witnessed by the author. $11. Order from Amazon or a bookstore. Ebook $2.99 from Amazon. (D)

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Centre College was named for its location in the approximate geographic “center” of the Commonwealth.

Front-Page Reading

Byron Crawford has been a ubiquitous part of Kentucky’s literary, radio and television presence for more than five decades. His folksy, compelling way of talking about the lives of everyday citizens in the Commonwealth has earned him the unofficial title of “Kentucky’s storyteller.”

A sterling example of his work is The Back Page: Byron Crawford’s Kentucky Living Columns, a collection of more than 10 dozen stories and essays from his 12 years at Kentucky Living. For the editors, it must have been hard to decide which of Crawford’s columns to choose.

Potbellied stoves, Crawford’s first TV, the Medal of Honor, monarch butterflies, a runaway washing machine and a talking crow are a few of his topics.

Raised on a farm in Lincoln County, Crawford has, as the adage goes, “never forgotten where he came from.” In fact, he embraces it. He puts “back page” stuff on the front page—where it belongs—and Kentuckians are blessed abundantly.

By Steve Flairty

Life Lessons

Growing up poor in Harlan County in the 1950s, H. Dale Hall portrays the harsh realities of living in the mountains with little money. Despite the obstacles he faced, the author shares how the tough times resulted in the grit and determination he would need to get through his years in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, going to college afterward, and continuing to a successful career. Throughout the book, Hall gives examples of the challenges he faced and the tools he used to plow through them.

Hall, has dedicated a significant portion of his career to conservation, including 31 years with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the last four as director. He went on to become CEO of Ducks Unlimited, where he created a $2.4 billion campaign for wetlands conservation, which was the largest in the history of natural resource conservation. His previous book, Compelled, focuses on conservation issues on which Hill worked during his career, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

By Deborah Kohl Kremer

My Appalachian Trail, by H. Dale Hall, Heirloom Editions, $20 (P)

A Dark Chapter

James Louis Head probably never dreamed that a question he asked his Grandmother Effie about a portrait in her home of a young man in a suit would prove so consequential. The portrait of his great-great-uncle, John Brooks, would lead Head to discover what happened to Brooks during the Civil War. He was executed in Brandenburg (Meade County) by Union troops on the order of Gen. Stephen Burbridge, an officer often called the “Butcher of Kentucky.”

Head’s book, The Atonement of John Brooks: The Story of the True Johnny “Reb” Who Did Not Come Marching Home, chronicles the author’s long journey to understand what brought his ancestor to a tragic end. The account is about Brooks’ atonement and also reveals the “retaliation by execution of Confederate soldiers in Kentucky during the darkest and bloodiest period of the war’s history.”

In a quest to learn more about an injustice for one in his family lineage, the author reveals more about a regrettable time in Kentucky’s history.

By Steve Flairty

The Atonement of John Brooks: The Story of the True Johnny “Reb” Who Did Not Come Marching Home, by James Louis Head, Heritage Press, $75 (H)

The Back Page: Byron Crawford’s Kentucky Living Columns, by Byron Crawford, edited by Shannon Brock and Joel Sams, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, $26.95 (H)

Fall of a Front Man

Starting in the mid-1960s, six young men from Madison County began playing music. The folks around Richmond and the students at Eastern Kentucky State College, as EKU was then known, quickly became fans. Led by charismatic front man Jimmy Stokely, the Exiles—later renamed Exile—made their mark on the region and beyond.

Catapulted toward a bigger audience by hooking up with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, the group attained grand heights, releasing the Billboard Hot 100 chart single “Kiss You All Over” in 1978.

As Bill Luxon, author and a founding band member, writes in Exiled: The Climax and Surrender of Jimmy Stokley, the backstory wasn’t always pretty. Egos, stress and easy access to harmful practices took their toll. The slow deterioration of Stokley’s health contributed to his being let go by Exile and, eventually, to his death.

The story is compelling and well written. It leaves the reader wishing we could have kept the magic of such a great performer a little longer.

By Steve Flairty

A Storied First

In The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse That Wasn’t Supposed to Win, author Mark Shrager tells an in-depth story about the historic race that took place 150 years ago.

Far from the glitz and glamour of today’s Kentucky Derby, the first Derby was held with bookies legally running bets and a backside populated primarily with Black trainers and jockeys. In fact, 13 of the 15 riders in the first Derby were Black.

Readers will learn about Aristides, who won under Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old African American jockey. The book also covers the horse’s trainer, a Black future Hall of Famer named Ansel Williamson, and Aristides’ controversial owner and breeder, Henry Price McGrath

There is more to the story of that day in Louisville in 1875, and this book tells it well.

Author Mark Shrager has written hundreds of articles about horse racing for magazines, plus two books on the topic.

By Deborah Kohl Kremer

The Quintessential Quilt Guide

Comprehensive books on the cultural heritage of quilting, particularly in Kentucky, have been sparse. Thanks to author Linda Elisabeth LaPinta, Kentucky Quilts and Quiltmakers: Three Centuries of Creativity, Community, and Commerce presents a compelling social history in an appealing coffee-table book. It’s easily readable, yet with a wellresearched, studied style.

The book includes a running chronology of quilting history, colorful photos and personal narratives of acclaimed and unacclaimed quilters. LaPinta shares a generous supply of resources and some hands-on directions for creating a quilt.

The author summarizes the book as “written for a general reader interested in an overview of ways in which women’s communication, history and material culture have developed, intersected and continue to converge in Kentucky.”

LaPinta of Louisville has authored four previous books and published hundreds of articles and book reviews.

By Steve Flairty

Kentucky Quilts and Quiltmakers: Three Centuries of Creativity, Community, and Commerce, by Linda Elisabeth LaPinta, University Press of Kentucky, $49.95 (H)

Exiled: The Climax and Surrender of Jimmy Stokley, by Bill Luxon, Acclaim Press, $26.95 (H)

The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse That Wasn’t Supposed to Win, by Mark Shrager, Eclipse Press, $28.95 (H)

past tense/present tense

BY BILL ELLIS

‘A Country Boy From Booneville’

Kentucky has been blessed with great historians. Thomas D. Clark, of course, stands at the head of the list. We would have to include Lowell H. Harrison, James A. Ramage, Marion B. Lucas, Gerald L. Smith, George C. Wright, James F. Hopkins, Lee A. Dew, John McKee Barr, J. Winston Coleman, Nancy O’Malley, Nancy D. Baird, Carol CroweCarraco, Craig Thompson Friend, Frank F. Mathias, John Kleber, Berry Craig, Keith Harper and Hambleton Tapp

The list goes on and on, but no one has surpassed James C. Klotter of Owsley County for his research, writings and promotion of Kentucky history.

Mary Todd Lincoln House.

In addition to his long career as an editor, Jim has written about and promoted Kentucky history more than anyone. He always has been willing to read my manuscripts and those of others. His academic energy is amazing.

In 1977, Jim began contributing

Tecumseh, ‘Honest Dick’ Tate, and William Goebel in 1989.

Jim’s leadership at the KHS, his mentoring and publications continued. In 1996, the University Press of Kentucky published Kentucky: Portrait in Paradox, 1900-1950. In 2007, LSU Press published his Kentucky Justice, Southern Honor, and American Manhood: Understanding the Life and Death of Richard Reid

Jim attained his doctorate in history from the University of Kentucky in 1975. He served at the Kentucky Historical Society, beginning as assistant editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and later becoming executive director and state historian.

Jim has served on numerous professional boards and held many offices, including with the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation Board, the Kentucky Council on Archives, the University of Kentucky Archives, the Kentucky Civil War Roundtable and the Filson Club Society. He continues to serve on the board of The

important articles, monographs and outstanding edited works.

Co-authored with Tapp, Kentucky: Decades of Discord, 1865-1900, chronicled the important post-Civil War years. That same year, the University Press of Kentucky published his acclaimed William Goebel: The Politics of Wrath

Then came more outstanding publications, all while Jim served as director of the KHS. The Breckinridges of Kentucky told the story of one of the most important families in American history. Then followed History Mysteries: The Cases of James Harrod,

Jim and his wife, Freda, co-authored Faces of Kentucky and A Concise History of Kentucky as aids for Kentucky’s youth to learn more about the state.

Jim’s research on the Clay family culminated in an Amazon History Book of the Month selection entitled Henry Clay: The Man Who Would Be President, published by Oxford University Press in 2018.

Jim has edited numerous works, serving as an associate editor of the Kentucky Encyclopedia, published in 1992 by the University Press of Kentucky, along with associates Clark and Harrison. Kleber served as editor in chief of this monumental effort that led to three more encyclopedias of Kentucky history and lore.

In more than 50 articles and other publications, Jim has expanded and extended the knowledge of history to

Jim Klotter (center front, blue shirt) and his family

academics as well as the public audience.

Did I mention that he also has written more than 90 reviews that have appeared in prestigious journals such as The Journal of American History, The Journal of Southern History, Civil War Book Review and Journal of Social History?

In 1998, Jim became professor of history at Georgetown College and served in that capacity until his retirement in 2018. He recently told me that he “misses the interaction with students but not grading papers.”

Several persons—excellent scholars in their own right—have commented about Jim’s career.

Lindsey Apple, retired chair of the department of history at Georgetown College, said, “Students first saw the list of publications by Dr. Klotter and were a bit intimidated. Then in the classroom, they experienced teacher Jim Klotter. Throughout his career, Jim has always been a resource, an adviser and editor for anyone seeking to learn or write about Kentucky and American history. At Georgetown College, he was that and more.”

“In the pantheon of great Kentucky historians will be forever found the name of James C. Klotter,” Kleber said. “Inscribed beside the name of Thomas D. Clark, it reflects years of achievements—scholar, teacher, director, researcher and state historian.”

“It was as if [Klotter] picked up Tom Clark’s brush and painted the large canvas of Kentucky history,” said Richard Day, teacher and historian who recently retired from Eastern Kentucky University. “I continue to rely on his books and articles to gain a broader perspective on the Commonwealth and its people.”

Freda died a few years ago, and Jim resides at a senior living facility in Lexington. Though his health is somewhat compromised with Parkinson’s disease, he writes a paper about Kentucky history each month. Pretty good, wouldn’t you say, for “a country boy from Booneville.”

Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@kentuckymonthly. com.

BY GARY GARTH

Endings and Beginnings

As 2024 glides to a close, there’s more bad news for Kentucky’s deer herd and, ultimately, deer hunters. In midOctober, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was confirmed in a captive deer in Breckinridge County, the second such confirmed CWD case in the state and the first from a captive deer.

In a specially called meeting, the ninemember Fish and Wildlife Commission responded by establishing a CWD surveillance zone for Breckinridge, Hardin and Meade counties. It is the second such zone the commission has set to help wildlife officials monitor and track the dreaded disease, which can sicken whitetail deer, elk and others in the deer family. There is no vaccine and no cure for CWD. It is always fatal to the infected animal. Kentucky’s other CWD surveillance zone, which was established in 2021 and expanded in 2023, swallows an eight-county swath of Western Kentucky and includes Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall and McCracken counties.

The commission made no changes for the remaining 2024-2025 deer season dates, county zone designations or bag limits within the Breckinridge/Hardin/Meade County CWD surveillance area, but it banned

Duck

re-opens Dec. 7-Jan. 31.

baiting for deer, along with a few other restrictions within the threecounty area. Meade and Breckinridge are zone 2 deer-hunting counties. Hardin is a zone 1 county.

There is no set or widely agreed upon protocol for managing or controlling CWD, which has been confirmed in 35 states and four Canadian provinces since first discovered in 1967 in a captive mule deer in Colorado.

need to have, and if there’s something that we find out that we can do different down the road, we will definitely make those changes. All I can ask is that the sportsmen and women of the Commonwealth, you do everything you can to help us get the samples we need so we can really understand more about CWD in the surveillance zone area.”

While CWD is of no known threat to humans, the state game agency recommends not eating meat from animals that appear sick or in poor condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not consuming meat from deer that have tested positive for CWD.

For more information, go to fw.ky. gov/cwd or call the wildlife agency at 1.800.858.1549.

Kentucky’s modern firearm deer season closed in November, but archery and crossbow season runs through Jan. 20. A late muzzleloader hunt is set for Dec. 14-22, and a twoday youth hunt is slated for Dec. 28-29.

Following the establishment of Kentucky’s second CWD surveillance zone, commission chairman Josh Lillard said through a statement: “We know it’s a difficult decision, and it’s not one that we take lightly. We will definitely continue to work with the department [of Fish and Wildlife Resources] to get the answers that we

Deer are unquestionably the most sought-after game animal in Kentucky. Hunters bag about 140,000 whitetails each season. But other hunting options abound as the calendar turns from one year to another.

Waterfowl are the traditional marquee winter attraction. Duck season was open Thanksgiving weekend and re-opens Dec. 7-Jan. 31. Goose season is open through Feb. 15. Waterfowl action in Kentucky (and beyond) waxes and wanes,

season

largely hinging on two factors beyond hunters’ control: weather and water. Wintry weather that pushes birds south and enough water running through the Commonwealth to keep them here generally will mean good hunting—or, at least, potentially good hunting. Why ducks behave as they do is known only to ducks.

Relatively few hunters think about dove hunting beyond early September. When the season opens, the weather is sweltering, and hunters are anxious for some fast action with fellow hunters over an active dove field. But Kentucky offers a tri-split dove season, the final portion of which opens Dec. 21 and runs through Jan. 15. Dove hunting can be surprisingly active, if spotty. The one thing you won’t encounter are crowds. It’s a delightful time to be in a dove field.

Other year-ending/year-beginning hunting options include sandhill cranes, turkey (archery only), squirrels, rabbit and grouse. Go, if you can. Check the current hunting guide for details. An online version is available at fw.ky.gov/More/Pages/Guides.aspx You also can find one where licenses are sold.

If you celebrate Christmas as either a religious or secular holiday, the celebration likely involves gifts. For late gift ideas for the sportswoman or sportsman on your list, visit theoutdoornotebook.net, where I have posted a few suggestions. A Happy Christmas to you.

Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

DECEMBER 2024

859.233.3535

Happy New Year

First Farmers of the Barren River Valley Kentucky Museum, Bowling Green, through June 30, 270.745.2592

Ongoing

Kathia St. Hilaire Exhibit

Speed Art Museum, Louisville, through Feb. 9, 502.634.2700 >>>

National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, through Jan. 5, 270.781.7973

Playtime Presents: The Mitten Market House Theatre, Paducah, through Jan. 11, 270.444.6828

Accordionist

Hanzhi Wang

Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, 859.236.4692

Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, & Jedd Hughes SKyPAC, Bowling Green, 270.904.1880

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Elton John Tribute

Lyric Theatre, Lexington, 859.280.2218

Clue: A New Comedy

Lexington Opera House, Lexington, through Jan. 26, 859.233.3535

The Wild World of Animals Show SKyPAC, Bowling Green, 270.904.1880

Monte Skelton and Friends Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, 270.821.2787 Elvis Tribute Spectacular Kentucky Center, Louisville, 502.584.7777

Kentucky Center, Louisville, through Jan. 12, 502.584.7777 Hercules Presented by the Missoula Children’s Theatre, Alhambra Theatre, Hopkinsville, through Feb. 1, 270.887.4295 Two Friends Present Heatwave: The Tour MegaCorp Pavilion, Newport, 859.900.2294

Another Italian Discovers America

By Sofia Ghizzoni (Vest)

Iam from L’Aquila, Italy—a city of about 60,000 people, an hour and a half east of Rome. At 16, I moved alone to the other side of the world for five months. I packed my suitcase, leaving behind my family, friends and daily habits, and I put myself on the line to make my biggest dream come true.

Since I was 12 and watching videos on YouTube of other exchange students, I told my parents, “I want to do that, too, when I grow up!” A few months ago, I arrived in Frankfort, welcomed by Steve and Kay Vest and their family, who took me in as if I were truly part of it. Everybody told me to leave home without expectations, but how could I? We Italians have always known about the legendary “American dream,” and I couldn’t wait to live it myself. I spent months imagining what life could be like in the United States.

When I arrived, it felt surreal, and in the first few days, I couldn’t believe this would be my life for the next five months. Everything was completely different—from the neighborhoods and houses to the supermarkets, the food, the customs, and, finally, the school. As the days passed, I realized it wasn’t just a vacation.

I started school, and—for the first time—I no longer had that feeling of anxiety and fear I often had in Italy. Instead, I looked forward to going to school, having fun and joking with my friends while I learned new things and improved my English every day. Here, I’m not just seen as a grade; teachers aren’t just interested in exams and assignments. They are our friends, genuinely wanting us to live each day with joy and peace. Learning here feels more like a partnership between students and teachers.

Since I arrived, I’ve had the chance to try so many new things. I’ve visited cities such as New York, Louisville, Cincinnati (with Christopher Vest), Indianapolis (with Sydney Vest), and—my favorite—Chicago. In Chicago, Steve, Kay and their daughters Katy and Molly, took me to see “The Bean,” walk among towering skyscrapers, visit the top of Willis (Sears) Tower, take an evening boat tour, and, of course, try Chicago’s deep-dish pizza at a place called Pequod’s. Even if some Italians may no longer consider me a “true Italian,” I can confirm that, although it’s different from our pizza, Chicago deep dish is actually really good!

Naturally, I’ve had Papa John’s and Domino’s. At first, I was a bit skeptical, especially when I saw that the menu

included pizza with pineapple, a sacrilege for us Italians!

Pineapple? Are y’all pazzo? But after trying a classic margherita pizza, with only mozzarella and tomato sauce, I must say that—although the margherita pizza is different from the pizzas I’m used to in Italy—it was delicious, too. It undoubtedly will be one of the many things I’ll miss when I return home.

At the Chicago Tribune Tower, Sofia points out a stone from Rome’s St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Oh, and I’ve had s’mores. I’ve learned a few of the rules of American football while going to my school’s football games, although I’m still working to understand all of them.

I taught my classmates all the Italian naughty words, and I saw the horse races at Keeneland. It was one of the most memorable experiences I had here because I had never heard much about horse racing in Italy, so it was completely new to me. Steve helped me figure out how to place a small bet, and, to my surprise, I won $30!

This experience has helped me grow as a person. When I left Italy, I felt like a girl; now, I know I’ve become a young woman. I’ve improved in cooking, I know how to keep my room tidy, and I do my own laundry. These might seem like simple tasks, but I challenge other teenagers to do what exchange students experience daily, learning to be alone and manage your emotions. At first, I sometimes felt as if no one noticed my presence here. But with the support of my parents in Italy, the smiles from Kay, and Steve’s “corny” jokes, I got through those early days of homesickness.

Now, I wake up every morning with happiness, knowing I need to make the most of my last month here. It’s been a journey of ups and downs, but I’m grateful for everyone I’ve met here and, above all, proud of myself for not giving up. I was brave, and I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone who has the opportunity. It makes you grow, mature and learn like nothing else possibly can.

I will be forever grateful for what I’ve had the chance to experience. I want to thank my Italian parents, Ettore and Monica, and, of course, my American ones, Steve and Kay, for helping make my dream come true!

But pineapple on pizza? Really?

If you would like information about being an exchange student host family, visit efexchangeyear.org/iec/natalie-lile

This holiday season, bring joy, care, and hope to Kosair Kids.

To make your holiday gift, visit kosair.org or scan the QR code.