2019 Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Magazine

G R E AT E R O W E N S B O R O C H A M B E R

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GREATER OWENSBORO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER

2019

2019

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOU!

owensboro.kctcs.edu OCTC is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution.

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The Greater Owensboro Magazine is a publication of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce with advertising and editorial content produced by the Messenger-Inquirer.

wensboro

GREATER

ADVERTISING Angela Mayes, Advertising Director EDITORIAL Jodi Keen, Special Publications Editor PHOTOGRAPHERS Alan Warren, Photography Editor Evan Boggs Greg Eans Evan Mattingly Maegan Saalwaechter DESIGN Maegan Saalwaechter Sydney O’Hearn REPORTERS Renee Beasley Jones Jacob Dick Seth Dukes Bobbie Hayse Keith Lawrence Jim Mayse Jim Pickens Austin Ramsey Steve Vied Greater Owensboro U.S.A. is published annually by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 825 Owensboro, KY 42302 This edition was produced by the Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro’s daily newspaper. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from the Messenger-Inquirer.

PRINTED BY Greenwell Chisholm CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF Candance Brake, President & CEO Susan High, Business Manager Jessica Kirk, Executive Director, Leadership Owensboro/ Talent Programs & Events Manager Jaclyn Graves, Membership Development & Marketing Manager Lydie Boone, Administrative Assistant 270-926-1860 • chamber.owensboro.com

Welcome to Greater Owensboro! We have continued making Owensboro greater throughout the past year, and we can’t wait to see all that’s in store for 2019! Here are just a few of the things happening in our All-American City: • Downtown businesses and residences are thriving, growing and expanding.

• There’s a tremendous influx in the innovation and research and development sectors.

• We’re experiencing a huge influx of young professionals from Owensboro and abroad moving to and becoming involved in our community.

• We have sports and recreational events and activities for every age and interest.

• Owensboro Health Regional Hospital’s phenomenal campus is focused on patient care and ranks among the top health-care facilities in the nation for quality.

• Job growth, business expansion and income growth are exceeding our peers.

• Our retail sector is both unique and niche oriented for an unparalleled boutique shopping experience.

• Transportation networks are being constructed to get more people and goods in and out of our community.

• Education is at the forefront, with exemplary primary and secondary schools and world-class colleges and universities with diverse programs to advance our higher education, as well as workforce development and training opportunities.

• Our arts, entertainment and dining scene is renowned for a community our size.

It’s an amazing time to be a part of this community. We hope you find this annual publication inspiring and a way for you to experience a small piece of our community that we’re so proud to call our own. We’re honored to share it with you.

Sincerely, Candance Castlen Brake • President and CEO Dave Roberts, UniFirst • 2019 Chamber Board Chair

on the cover The Owensboro downtown mural is a product of a partnership between Chamber Young Professionals, Daviess County Fiscal Court, Visit Owensboro and local artist Austin Casebolt. This project, though it may seem small in scope, is a big deal. It is a perfect example of why people are moving to Owensboro, why we were rated in the top U.S. cities for millennials.

We are a small city that offers quality of life.

Owensboro at a glance

Population of Owensboro 59,404

Population of Daviess County 100,374

Local unemployment rate 4.4 percent

Median household income $46,675

Median home price $119,400

Average commute to work PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

17 minutes

Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census Annual Estimates, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Bureau of Labor Statistics G R E A T E R

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Business 8 O.Z. Tyler Distillery 14 Chamber

of Commerce

29 Businesses

of the Year

Lifestyle 36 Gridiron Greatness 40 Farmers Market 44 Bluegrass Music

Hall of Fame & Museum

50 Smothers Park 52 Air Show 54 Churches 56 Edge Ice Center

table of

contents Health & Education 62 Higher Education 64 Hayden Farms 66 Fine Arts 70 Greenbelt Trails 72 Medical Profiles

Culture 80 ROMP Fest 86 Public Art 92 Live Music 94 Theatre

Workshop of

Owensboro

96 Owensboro Symphony Orchestra

100 RiverPark Center

trip

worth the

Owensboro offers unique bourbon experience WRITTEN BY Austin Ramsey

PHOTO BY MAEGAN SAALWAECHTER

Business

O.Z. Tyler made history in 2018 when it earned the honor of joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

On a tall totem pole made of stacked bourbon barrels at O.Z. Tyler Distillery in Owensboro are painted the names of distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

They are names so iconic, and tied so closely to the bourbon crafting industry rooted deep in this state, that almost anyone could name them, fine bourbon lovers or not — Bulleit, Evan Williams, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark. Every name has its own sign pointing toward its location in the state, and it lists the number of miles it would take to travel there.

All the signs point east — far, far to the east.

O.Z. Tyler made history last year when it earned the honor of joining those names and other distilleries in the Bluegrass State. Still a relatively new part of the greater Owensboro business community, the G R E A T E R

distillery has helped put this city on the map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail — perhaps the most important map in a state where bourbon barrels outnumber people almost two-to-one.

Since it was formally launched almost 20 years ago, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail has become a quintessential part of the state’s thriving tourism industry. It’s not only shed light on the fact that this state produces almost all the world’s supply of corn whiskey, but it has cemented its standing in the bourbon industry. Now, more than 95 percent of all bourbon is made in the commonwealth.

“The Bourbon Trail promotes bourbon and its place in the story of Kentucky,” said Adam Johnson, the trail’s senior director. “Our job is to help our members and ensure a great bourbon experience.”

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

Of course, bourbon traces its roots back to some of Kentucky’s earliest settlers. Weary farmers faced with the prospect of transporting a heavy yield of corn to the nearest river mill quickly learned that they could sometimes increase its value, and certainly its shelf life, by fermenting it and distilling it into a potent white whiskey.

That’s partly where Owensboro’s place in the story of bourbon gets started, Johnson said. It was Kentucky’s key location along the Ohio River shipping corridor that helped give bourbon its start and consequently impart in it some of what has come to be known as its defining characteristics.

Kentucky’s first distillers transported it down the river to the Mississippi and south to New Orleans, where a cheap drink could go a long way in the late 18th century. But the long journey in wooden barrels, traders learned, mellowed the whiskey’s flavor and gave it that enticing, rich caramel color a bourbon drinker of today would recognize. That changed the drink’s desirability (and price point) when our southern neighbors first tasted Kentucky’s latest distilled beverage.

They called it bourbon first ,likely because of where some the first batches originated — Bourbon County. But river cities like Ashland, Louisville, Owensboro and Paducah helped share it with the rest of the world, and it wasn’t long before bourbon could be found anywhere in the state where you could plant a patch of corn.

By the 1930s, it was Owensboro’s Medley family distillers, who once owned the distillery where O.Z. Tyler operates today, that helped rebuild the Kentucky Distillers’ Association after Prohibition. The group quickly expanded to almost 30 distillers who worked together to build a unified voice for bourbon and distilled spirits issues in the state. The group served as a liaison on alcohol production during World War II,

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G R E A T E R

battled excise taxes and promoted bourbon as a key global export for Kentucky and the United States.

The bourbon trail began in 1999. It wasn’t long before it was Kentucky’s most famous and fastest-growing tourist attraction. According to the KDA, nearly 2.5 million people from all 50 states and more than 50 countries have visited the state’s legendary distilleries in the last five years.

For Owensboro, one of the latest and the most western addition to the trail, Johnson said the bourbon trail’s one million annual visitors could be a game-changer.

“Owensboro is about to meet the bourbon tourists we’ve been cultivating in the eastern and central parts of the state,” he said. “I think O.Z. Tyler is kind of the tip of the spear and how the community responds to this will determine its success. It’s how the rest of the tourism industry there reacts. These visitors aren’t just hitting the distillery and taking off. They’re exploring the cities they visit. With all that’s going on downtown in Owensboro, you guys have a lot of opportunity.”

That means room for growth, he said. Traditional visitors are what he called bourbon aficionados. They know their bourbon, and they’re seeking high bourbon-IQ establishments.

“They’re not going to the restaurants that just have six bourbons on the wall,” he said. “They want the other places they go to enhance their bourbon experience at O.Z. Tyler.”

The bourbon trail isn’t just touring distilleries with taste tests at the end anymore. It’s a multi-million-dollar tourism magnet that’s drawing on anything and everything a community has to offer. Mint Julep Experiences is a tour company in Louisville that built itself on the foundation of the trail that KDA established 19 years ago.

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Rachel Nix, Mint Julep’s director of marketing, said tours aren’t coming to Owensboro yet, but that’s bound to change.

“We do know there will be die-hard bourbon fans that must visit every distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, so heading to O.Z. Tyler will be on their list,” she said.

“We work with custom tour groups on multiday adventures frequently to maximize their time in Kentucky and visit as many distilleries as possible. Because of the two-hour drive to O.Z. Tyler, it would be tough to fit many others in that day, but they could potentially loop back to Louisville past Jim Beam or Four Roses Cox’s Creek or visit one of our urban distilleries.”

That distance factor is hard to ignore. O.Z. Tyler’s bourbon barrel totem pole makes it clear; some distillery locations are almost 200 miles away, and that’s a long way to drive for an out-of-towner wanting to check off as many distillery tours as they can.

Daniel Hewlette, director of visitor experience at O.Z. Tyler, said it doesn’t really concern them. Putting the distillery on the bourbon trail wasn’t about making money, and even if just a fraction of those 20,000 dedicated trail travelers make their way to Owensboro this year, it will go down as a success.

O.Z. Tyler’s place on the bourbon trail, he said, is about recognizing what the rebuilt distillery has been able to do in such a short period of time and helping add to the story of bourbon the pieces only Owensboro can tell.

“When we opened up in 2016, we were producing about 32,000 barrels,” Hewlette said. “At the end of ’17, we were up to 73,000 barrels a year. We, as a company, have a mentality that if we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it right.”

And so too with the bourbon trail. The O.Z. Tyler tour gets visitors up close and personal with the people and facilities that have been making bourbon in Owensboro since the turn of the century, but it also shows them a new perspective to the bourbon industry — one centered around mass production and technologies that enhance the rich heritage and tradition the liquor is known for.

The distillery’s parent company, Terressentia Corp., is founded on the principle that technology can improve the quality and taste of distilled spirits. Its patented TerrePURE process uses ultrasonic energy and oxygen to filter the distillate’s impurities. What O.Z. Tyler can do to a barrel of bourbon with just one year of aging and its TerrePURE process might otherwise take up to six years in a rickhouse.

That gives O.Z. Tyler a competitive advantage, particularly on the contract market for mass-produced bourbon. No other distillery on the trail uses that process, giving visitors to Owensboro truly a unique experience.

Owensboro may be a bit far off the beaten path for bourbon connoisseurs, but the trip is worth it, Hewlette said. Like any fine bourbon, the time it takes to get there often makes all the difference.

bourbon

fast facts

• Since 1885, a distillery has sat at 10 Distillery Road, where O.Z. Tyler is located.

• The Kentucky Bourbon Trail was created in 1999.

• Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon.

• There are more barrels of bourbon aging in Kentucky than there are people living in the commonwealth.

• Bourbon adds more than $8.5 billion to Kentucky’s economy every year.

Sources: O.Z. Tyler Distillery, Kentucky Bourbon Trail

THE B-LINE

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Angel’s Envy 500 E. Main Street Louisville, KY 40202 502.890.6300 angelsenvy.com

3

Bardstown Bourbon Company 1500 Parkway Drive Bardstown, KY 40004

4

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience 3860 Fitzgerald Road Louisville, KY 40216 502.810.3800 bulleitexperience.com Evan Williams Bourbon Experience 528 West Main Street Louisville, KY 40202

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For more information on distillery tours, hours and events, visit our website at kybourbontrail.com

1

DANVILLE Lebanon

Bardstown Bourbon Company

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

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Miles Between Distilleries

12

Row Roses Center GFour R E A 6 THeaven EHill Bourbon R HeritageO W7 Jim EBeamN S B 8OLux R O 1311 Gilkey Run Road 1 Lux Row Distillery American Stillhouse 1224 Bonds Mill Road Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 502.839.2655 Warehouse & Bottling 624 Lotus Road Cox’s Creek, KY 40013

Bardstown, KY 40004 502.337.1000 bourbonheritagecenter.com

3050 E John Rowan Blvd Bardstown, KY 40004 502.337.7420 luxrowdistillers.com

526 Happy Hollow Road Clermont, KY 40110 502.215.2295

Urban Stillhouse 404 S 4th St

9

Maker’s Mark 3350 Burks Spring Road

Forester 2 100 Old 1 9 119 West Main Street

12

Town Branch Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. 401 Cross Street Lexington, KY 40508 859.255.2337 townbranchbourbon.com

13

Wild Turkey

Louisville, KY 40202 502.779.2222 oldforester.com

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O.Z. Tyler 10 Distillery Road Owensboro, KY 42301

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Woodford Reserve 7855 McCracken Pike Versailles, KY 40383 859.879.1812 woodfordreserve.com

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Chamber of Commerce

future

planning for the

WRITTEN BY James Mayse

For more than 100 years, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce has worked to promote Owensboro, Daviess County and the region’s business community. In addition to advocating for Owensboro in Frankfort and Washington D.C., the Chamber hosts programs to develop young leaders, provides services and opportunities for businesses and seeks to increases civic engagement.

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G R E A T E R

“We get zero tax dollars,” said Candance Castlen Brake, Chamber president and CEO. “We operate like a small business would. If we are going (to spearhead an initiative), we have to find the money ourselves.”

The Chamber works closely with the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. The two agencies were combined at one time. Like the EDC, the Chamber sees economic development as a priority, Brake said.

“Our piece of the economic development strategy is we work really hard on talent recruitment and retention,” Brake said.

The Chamber is also focused on making Owensboro a place where people want to live. As such, the Chamber has been a strong advocate for the redevelopment of downtown Owensboro.

The Chamber works to keep Owensboro and Daviess County in the minds of legislators in Frankfort and Washington, D.C. For example, Chamber officials take a group, including local elected officials and Chamber board members, to Washington D.C. each year to meet with federal officials. Those efforts, Brake said, have yielded positive results. Brake points to work to turn the William H. Natcher Parkway into Interstate 165, effectively attaching Owensboro and Daviess County to the federal highway system.

Such trips let elected officials know “Owensboro is here, and we are paying attention,” Brake said.

Not content to just meet with officials already in office, the Chamber works to get people actively involved in choosing their elected leaders. The Chamber’s “GO Vote” initiative not only encourages voting, it brings state and federal candidates to town for the Chamber’s Red, White and Blue event on the Daviess County courthouse lawn. If large numbers of Owensboro residents go to the polls, that attracts the attention of office-holders, Brake said.

For businesses, the Chamber of Commerce is a place where they can connect with new clients and business partners, learn how to run more efficient operations and be part of a united economic development force, Brake said.

“We can help (businesses) get their name out, to network and to meet with new customers and clients,” she said. The Chamber’s monthly Rooster Booster breakfast at the Owensboro Convention Center is a major networking opportunity that brings together hundreds of business and civic leaders.

The Chamber of Commerce “is about being part of something that’s bigger than just you,” Brake said.

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40 Under 40 promotes Owensboro’s young leaders WRITTEN BY Jacob Dick

FORTY

Young people are the future, and that couldn’t be truer in Owensboro.

“Our talent recruitment and retention efforts are ongoing at the Chamber,” said Candance Castlen Brake, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. “We believe that in order to continue economic growth in our region, we need to grow our leaders and to provide pathways for younger people in our community to contribute in meaningful ways.”

To help support and recognize the next generation of leaders and visionaries, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce annually recognizes young people with its 40 Under 40 award program, which honors people in their 20s and 30s who contribute to the local economy or community in an impactful way.

“Our 40 Under 40 is a group of leaders and up-and-coming leaders who will, in large part, impact our future,” Brake said. “We want to continuously find opportunities to engage this group in the community decision-making process.”

The chamber also offers other programs for budding professionals such as Leadership Owensboro, a project-style development course, and the Chamber Young Professionals.

Leadership Owensboro preparing people for community service WRITTEN BY James Mayse Eddie Kenny, interim president of advancement at Kentucky Wesleyan College, is not an Owensboro native and wanted to be involved in the community outside of his work at the college.

Kenny is one of 32 members of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Leadership Owensboro class. For Kenny, the class is a way to both further his professional goals and get better acquainted with the community, he said.

“It’s professional development, but it’s also an opportunity to set my own roots here in Owensboro,” Kenny said.

Each year, the Leadership Owensboro class is selected through an application process, said Jessica Kirk, the program’s executive director. Classes are kept fairly small, she said.

“That number keeps things to where (class members) can be really engaged,” Kirk said.

The program requires class members to spend one work day each month in class. Over the year, the class will visit organizations to learn the intricacies of their daily operations and meet with government officials to discuss topics such as law enforcement, justice and education.

“It gives you a real deep dive (into) the operation of the city and the state,” Kenny said.

G R E A T E R

At times, class members split up, such as when they visit various schools, so they can report what they learned to the entire class.

“There’s an entire day planned around each topic,” Kirk said.

“We pretty much pack as much in as we can to give quality information to the class members.”

“It’s one full day each month, so it’s a huge time commitment for employers as well,” Kirk said.

At the end of the class, the members will complete a class project, which they select, plan and execute themselves. “(The 2018) class is doing a community garden at the public library and are working with Girls Inc.” on curriculum, Kirk said. The Daviess County Detention Center has partnered to help with maintenance at the garden at the Daviess County Public Library.

The goal of Leadership Owensboro is to prepare class members to be active members of the community, Kirk said.

“We want individuals to feel not only that they can make change, but to make change and have what they need to do that,” Kirk said. By the end of the class, “they’ve learned they can make a difference, and they have the support of a network of classmates to do that. They’ve been connected to the right avenues.”

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Chamber Young Professionals making their mark WRITTEN BY James Mayse The Chamber Young Professionals is certainly a social group, with members socializing, attending events and networking. But there’s more to the group than just hanging out.

Dave Kirk, 2018 Chair of Chamber Young Professionals, said members are regularly involved in the community, performing service projects, lending strength to Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce initiatives and making their presence felt across the city and county.

“If you are between the ages of 21 and 40 and work in the greater Owensboro area, we want you,” Kirk said.

Chamber Young Professionals has been around for years, but the group was fading for a time, Kirk said. It was revived and given new focus by the current Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce leadership, Kirk said.

Today there are “well over 150 paid members,” Kirk said. The group was refocused to emphasize the social aspect and commitment to community ser vice, “whether it’s baking cookies for Meals on Wheels or building houses for Habitat for Humanity,” Kirk said.

CYP is involved in a lot of projects, but members also have a good

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time, Kirk said.

“You’ve got the social aspect, where we showcase things around Owensboro,” as well as the philanthropic side, Kirk said. The CYP members are also involved in broader Chamber initiatives, such as the “GO Vote” campaign.

Prior to the 2018 general election, group members were “creating videos on how important this election is” locally, Kirk said. The group was also workingwith the City of Owensboro on arranging transportation to polling places on election day.

“That’s the biggest thing, to increase voter turnout not only with millennials but with everyone,” Kirk said.

CYP members also coordinated, designed and gathered support from local leaders for a new mural visible to people driving into the city on the Glover H. Cary Bridge.

“We’ve got teachers, we’ve got people who work as engineers and in the hospitality industry,” Kirk said. “We make everyone feel welcome.”

“There’s no more exciting time to be involved in Owensboro,” Kirk said. “There is a place for you, and you are welcome. When you come to a (CYP) meeting, you’re going to make friends and have fun.”

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GO FAME making strides in local skilled labor WRITTEN BY James Mayse Owensboro industries and businesses are not immune to the struggle to find skilled employees. So companies constantly seek ways to attract, develop and retain workers who will become the business leaders of tomorrow. One way local companies are working to address the problem is through the GO FAME and GO CAREERS programs.

GO FAME and GO CAREERS are partnerships between area businesses and Owensboro Community & Technical College. Those programs combine class work and on-the-job training, earning a student both an associate’s degree and the skills to bring innovation and leadership to their employers.

GO FAME stands for Greater Owensboro Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education. GO CAREERS, which is modeled after GO FAME, involves students being paired with employers to learn operational, organizational and managerial responsibilities.

“Students go to school all day, but they work in their sponsoring company three days a week,” Cindy Fiorella, OCTC’s vice president for workforce solutions, told a Chamber audience in fall 2017. “The skills they learn in the classroom are then applied in the workplace.”

GO FAME students earn their associate’s degrees in applied science in about 18 months. A number of businesses partner with OCTC on GO FAME, including Domtar, Hunter-Douglas, Omico Plastics, Sun Windows and Toyotetsu Mid America.

Will Mounts, vice president of Omico Plastics and a member of the

GO FAME board, told Chamber members in October that sponsoring students to participate in GO FAME costs about $6,000 per student in tuition. The company also pays the students $12 an hour to work in the facility.

Being part of GO FAME has increased productivity at Omico, allowing the company to expand “pick and choose” customers to work with, Mounts said.

“In three to six months, these students are paying themselves back” in terms of paying off the company’s tuition investment in them, Mounts said.

Patty Millay, vice president at U.S. Bank, said in October that, of the 17 bank employees who graduated from OCTC’s GO FAME/GO CAREERS program in the spring, “two have already accepted a higher leadership position in the bank.”

“Ever ybody is struggling to find qualified employees,” Fiorella said. GO FAME and GO CAREERS “is a strategy to help you grow people,” she said.

Rooster Booster a place where business connections are made WRITTEN BY James Mayse In 1976, Kirk Kirkpatrick was asked to host his first Rooster Booster breakfast for what is now the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, back when the meeting was still held in Gabe’s Restaurant at 18th and Breckenridge streets.

At that time, the event was pretty small, attracting 40 to 50 people each month, Kirkpatrick said.

“I was probably the youngest guy in the Chamber,” Kirkpatrick said.

“They needed an emcee. At age 25, I was going to do it for a year.”

That “year” turned into a regular monthly gig that lasted decades.

“They asked me to do it the next year, and 37 years later I was still doing it,” Kirkpatrick said.

From 1976 to 2014, Kirkpatrick saw Rooster Booster grow from a small meeting to “a powerhouse” that attracts hundreds of people, he said. Although the monthly event includes a featured speaker and hosts the annual “State of the City” and “State of the County” addresses, Rooster Booster plays an equally important role for local businesses.

“Just this year, a gentleman (said) he’d been coming to Rooster Booster for over 30 years, and sat with someone this year who ended up being a good business contact,” Jessica Kirk, the Chamber’s talent programs and events manager, said. “We’ve had several people hired just from coming to the breakfast and meeting people.”

Kirk said from 400 to 500 people come to the Owensboro Convention Center on the first Thursday of each month for Rooster Booster, but the event wasn’t always so successful. Kirkpatrick, who stepped down as emcee when Rooster Booster moved to the convention center in 2014, said the event weathered some hard times, such as in 1980 when interest rates were high and businesses seemed to be closing every week.

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“That’s when we came up with the ‘Good News Phone,’ to try to find something each month to celebrate,” Kirkpatrick said.

Kirk said Chamber officials always work to bring in a speaker with a timely subject. In the past, the Chamber has hosted elected leaders, business leaders, Supreme Court justices and federal officials, such as U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in 2018.

“It’s a benefit to our members,” Kirk said. “It’s a time to share and communicate with our members on what the Chamber is doing.

“It’s a good opportunity for people to come and check out what we’re all about,” Kirk said.

Kirkpatrick said the event also serves as a showcase for Owensboro.

“Evansville (officials have) called (asking), ‘How do you get people to come out that early in the morning?’ ” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s not magic, it’s good leadership. It’s a wonderful cheerleader for our community, especially when you have visitors here.”

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Transportation

in the Owensboro area

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air, Travel, Hotel and Vacation 8360 South Durango Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89113 • (702) 505-8888 • www.allegiantair.com Allegiant Air operates round-trip commercial flights between Owensboro to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida.

Cape Air

Airline, Airport Flights, St. Louis tickets, fly.

2200 Airport Road • (314) 616-9730 • www.capeair.com Cape Air offers several daily commercial flights, typically aboard a light aircraft such as a Cessna, between Owensboro and Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport 2200 Airport Road • (270) 685-4179 • http://owb.net/ Owensboro’s city-county airport offers travel on two commercial airlines and rental car services. The airport also serves as a home base for recreational pilots and freight flights and a training base for military exercises.

Downtown Trolley

See page 49 for times and routes for Owensboro’s downtown trolley.

Limos By Knight

2921 Frederica St. • (270) 684-4688, (877) 836-5842 • www.limosbyknight.com Limos by Knight has been Owensboro’s premier limousine service since 1998. Its fleet of luxury vehicles ranges from a Cadillac Escalade and a Lincoln Town Car to 14-passenger superstretch limousines and limobuses. Limos by Knights also offers rentals for special events such as wedding, proms, birthdays and anniversaries, and celebrates Owensboro with wine and bourbon tours.

Lyft

www.lyft.com The popular ride-sharing app is available in Owensboro. Create an account, request a ride and then head wherever you want to go.

Owensboro Transit System

430 Allen Street • transit.owensboro/org The City of Owensboro operates a regular bus service Monday-Saturday (except holidays). Fares are $1 for adults and 50 cents for seniors, the disabled and youths; children ride for free. Tokens and day or month passes are also available for frequent riders. Exact routes can be found on the service’s website.

Future Developments Interstate 165 & Interstate 369

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

In early September 2018, state and local officials reached a deal to expedite the William H. Natcher Parkway’s designation as Interstate 165 between Owensboro and Bowling Green. This would, for the first time, link Owensboro to the federal interstate highway system and provide federal funds to maintain that route.

Additionally, a link from Owensboro west to Interstate 69 in Henderson, is in the works. I-369 would take over what is presently the Audubon Parkway and connect Owensboro to a second north-south federal highway.

Local officials are working with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to iron out details and establish upgrade schedules, but all signs continue to point to Owensboro going places.

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Accommodations in the Owensboro area Comfort Suites Owensboro

230 Salem Drive • (270) 926-7675 All rooms are stocked with a microwave, refrigerator, flat-screen TV, coffee maker and free Wi-Fi. Upgraded suites offer a sofa bed, web bar and partial room dividers.

Amenities include an indoor heated saltwater pool and hot tub, free weekday newspaper, complementary breakfast, business center, meeting rooms, laundry service and fitness center. Comfort Suites Owensboro is a completely smoke-free hotel.

Courtyard by Marriott Owensboro

3120 Highland Pointe Drive • (270) 685-4140 All rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, coffeemaker and work station. Select suites also include sofa beds, a wet bar, microwave and two rooms. Amenities include a fitness center, pool, meeting rooms, a bistro and coin laundry. This hotel is a smoke-free facility.

Fairfield Inn & Suites

by Marriott Owensboro

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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401 W. Second St. • (270) 685-2005 All rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, desks, televisions, microwaves and refrigerators. Studio suites include showers and tubs, and luxury suites feature a living area, walk-in closet, garden tub and commanding views of the Ohio River. Amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool and whirlpool, 24-hour business center, meeting rooms, beauty salon, coin laundry, convenience store, complementary breakfast, snack shop and clothing store. On-site restaurant Lure Seaford & Grill offers traditional seafood fare along with American classics.

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615 Salem Drive • (270) 926-2006 Rooms include a work space, coffee maker, free Wi-Fi and LCD TVs, while two-room suites include a mini-kitchen, free Wi-Fi, separate living area with sleeper sofa. Amenities include complementary breakfast, business center, laundry service, fitness center and outdoor pool and patio.

Holiday Inn – Owensboro Riverfront

701 W. First St. • (270) 683-1111 Each room offers a flat-screen TV, mini-refrigerator, microwave, Keurig coffee maker and Wi-Fi. Suite upgrades include a king bed, sofa bed, separate living room and wet bar. The north side of the hotel offers sweeping views of the Ohio River. Hotel amenities include a heated indoor pool, fitness center, business center, dry cleaning and self-laundry service. On-site restaurant Burger Theory specializes in hand-crafted gourmet burgers and sandwiches, offers specialty bourbons and craft beers, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with room service available.

Motel 6

800 Salem Drive • (270) 688-8887 Recently renovated rooms feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, workstations, mini-fridge, microwave and coffeemaker. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, convenience store, fitness center and indoor pool. This hotel is a smoke-free facility.

Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront

Hampton Inn Owensboro South

4585 Frederica St. • (270) 686-8606 All guest rooms include Wi-Fi, and select rooms offer microwave/ microfridge units. Amenities include an outdoor pool, coin laundry service and free morning coffee. Pets are allowed.

Quality Inn, Lewisport

9040 U.S. 60, Lewisport • (270) 295-3234 Guest rooms offer coffeemakers, microwaves, refrigerators and irons. Amenities include free breakfast, laundry facility, outdoor pool, business center and free Wi-Fi. This hotel is a pet friendly facility.

Wingfield Inn & Suites

3220 W. Parrish Ave. • (270) 685-2433 All guest rooms feature a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, iron and free weekday newspaper. Studio suites offer a sitting area, pullout sofa and two TVs. Amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, free high-speed internet, complementary breakfast, dry cleaning, self-laundry services and 24-hour business center.

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businesses GREATER OWENSBORO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

OF THE YEAR 2018 Each year, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce presents awards to local businesses for their outstanding services, support and involvement in the community.

The awards program is designed to celebrate outstanding businesses and their efforts.

2 0 1 8 B U S I N E S S O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D W I N N E R S • Emerging Business of the Year — Bella Ragazza • Business of the Year (1-10 Employees) — Diamond Lake Resort • Business of the Year (11-50 Employees) — Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. • Business of the Year (51+ Employees) — Canteen/Conti Corporation • Manfacturer of the Year — Sun Windows, Inc. • Nonprofit of the Year — Habitat for Humanity of Owensboro-Daviess County • Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year — Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center • Rick Kamuf Agri-Business of the Year - Cecil Farms Produce

GREATER OWENSBORO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2018 Business of the Year G R E A T E R

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Bella Ragazza Emerging Business of the Year

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

Bella Ragazza opened its doors in downtown Owensboro in May 2013. The grand chandelier greets you when you walk in, but the atmosphere is laid back and comfortable. The friendly staff awaits to shop with you like your best friend or give you space to do your own retail therapy. The store strives to be a boutique for every woman. No matter your age, size or budget, there is something for you. It features a wide selection of unique apparel, shoes and accessories. It ships across the country, so you can also shop through its social media channels, which include Instagram and Facebook, and soon, on its website.

Diamond Lake Resort In December 2005, Janice and Brian Smith created Giant Leap of Faith LLC, purchased Diamond Lake Resort and began renovating nearly every inch of the park. Diamond Lake Resort has become “the place for family fun.�

Diamond Lake Resort is on 157 acres with 270 campsites, 10 motel rooms, six cottages, fishing, the only concession drift trike track in the nation, two go-kart tracks, miniature golf, disc golf, a pizza and ice cream parlor, grill, a 749-seat live music performance theater and pedal boat and golf cart rentals. With more than 30 planned events and shows every year, there is always something going on ... or you can simply relax and enjoy the view.

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Business of the Year (1-10 Employees)

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Glenn Funeral Home Business of the Year (11-50 Employees)

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. was named the 2018 Business of the Year for 11-50 employees at the Chamber Annual Celebration. The heritage of Glenn Family Services represents five generations of family commitment. Since 1903, the family has been called upon to care for the families of Owensboro and Daviess County, along with the surrounding area.

Canteen/Conti Corporation Business of the Year (51+ Employees)

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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Canteen Service Company and John Conti Coffee Company, headquartered in Owensboro, provide vending, coffee, micro-market, pantry, dining, correctional commissary and nutritional meals for the elderly to a wide variety of clients in and around the area. They serve more than 111 counties in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

The companies are owned and operated locally by Jack Wells, Gary Schroader, Keith Sharber and Keith Survant, and they credit their success to their team of more than 750 employees who take pride in their brand.

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Sun Windows Inc. Manufacturer of the Year

Sun Windows Inc. is the exclusive manufacturer of SunClad™ wood windows and doors and sun vinyl windows. Sun specializes in products that are built to order, following the specific requirements of homeowners, builders, designers and architects. Sun’s extensive product line offers a wide range of product types, styles, features and options to meet these demands. Sun supports all of its products with outstanding service and a dependable warranty. Sun is locally owned and operated and believes in the importance of the local economy, of putting back into the community and in the small-town ethic that built this country.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

Habitat For Humanity Nonprofit of the Year Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated its 30th anniversary in Owensboro. It was founded in Americus, Georgia, in 1976 in response to poverty housing ... red dirt roads, outhouses and shacks.

Millard and Linda Fuller saw this and thought, “People should not have to live like this.” They began with a big idea to eliminate poverty housing worldwide.

Thus the name Habitat for Humanity International ... from which the local affiliate emerged in 1988. As of March 2018, Owensboro’s Habitat organization was working on its 135th home.

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center Education And Workforce Development Program of the Year

The Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center is a nonprofit organization established by late U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford upon his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1998. Sen. Ford believed students needed a better understanding of how our government operates and that the principles by which he conducted his work — civil discourse, cooperation and the willingness to compromise — are vital students the chance to develop their leadership to our nation’s future. The center’s nonpartisan potential and gain an understanding of the issues Statesmanship Academy program offers high school that face our community, state and nation.

Cecil Farms Produce Rick Kamuf Agri-Business of the Year

Nestled on the west end of Daviess County, Cecil Farms is a diverse farming operation of fresh fruit and vegetable production, tobacco, custom spraying and spreading, flowers and on-farm events and experiences. Started in the early 1970s, Cecil Farms has worked to implement the newest technologies into its practice that align with sustainability, precision and land preservation for current and future generations. At Cecil Farms, it’s about the people. They’re a family in all aspects, from Cecil Farms employees to the people who consume the farm’s products. The business takes great pride in growing what sustains us all: healthy food and great relationships. Come out and connect with Cecil Farms.

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PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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Lifestyle

Gridiron

greatness

Owensboro has rich tradition in football WRITTEN BY Jim Pickens

For more than a centur y — and parts of three of them — high school football has been a prominent, highly anticipated staple in Owensboro, and, all these years later, it remains such.

In a community such as Owensboro, which has featured a plethora of outstanding teams, players and coaches throughout its rich history on the gridiron, excellence is not only expected, but often delivered.

In short, high school football is a big deal here.

Once, several years after his retirement as a coach, the late Gerald Poynter, who led Owensboro High School to an undefeated (13-0) KHSAA Class 2-A state championship in 1974, was asked why a coach of his caliber didn’t pursue the college ranks.

From the Rash Stadium press box, Poynter, adorned in an OHS windbreaker, offered his trademark smile and gestured with his right arm toward the field, the lights, the grandstands, the cheerleaders, the band and the two teams in pregame warmups for that evening’s battle.

“And give this up?” said Poynter, who once coached OHS to 28 consecutive victories. “No, this is what it’s always been about for me. I never really wanted any more than to play the game, and once my playing days were over, to coach the game. For those who truly love it, high school football is something that gets in your blood and

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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stays there — it never leaves you.”

Poynter, whose name resides on the OHS football fieldhouse, is one of several legendary figures in a truly legendary program that began in 1893. For perspective, Grover Cleveland was in the White House, Babe Ruth was not yet born, large-scale manufacturing of automobiles was still eight years away and it would be another 29 years before the NFL would come into existence.

Rash Stadium, meanwhile, has been around since 1923.

“The sheer history of the program here is a bit overwhelming,” said former OHS coach Joe Prince, a star lineman at Mayfield High School and the University of Kentucky, who directed the Red Devils to the 2014 KHSAA Class 4-A state championship game. “A high standard was set here long before I was even born, and it continues to this day.”

Entering the 2018 season, Owensboro ranked seventh all-time in the commonwealth in victories with 738.

“People who care about this program take it seriously, and they should take it seriously,” Prince added. “There is a tremendous football heritage at Owensboro — a heritage worth upholding and enhancing.”

There have been star players by the hundreds at OHS, particularly at running back.

“I told people for years that Owensboro ran only two plays on offense, pitch left and pitch right,” the late Donald “Quack” Butler said only half-jokingly, recalling his time in the 1960s as scoreboard operator at Rash. “The other teams knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop it.”

And, it would be nearly impossible to argue against running back Mark Higgs being the greatest Red Devil of them all.

A three-year starter between 1981-83, Higgs finished his prep career with a program-record 6,721 yards and 75 touchdowns.

In his senior season, Higgs rushed for 2,558 yards and 32 touchdowns, posting nine 200-yard rushing games and being named a consensus high school AllAmerican. He led Owensboro to a 13-2 record and the Class 4-A State At-Large championship. Higgs later starred at Kentucky and played in the NFL with Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami and Arizona.

Owensboro also won the 1986 Class 3-A state championship under coach Larry Moore — defeating Belfry 14-0 at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Decades before the KHSAA playoff system was instituted, the 1917 Owensboro team rightfully claimed a state championship, going 7-0 and outscoring its foes an astonishing 509-2.

In all, there have been 11 undefeated teams, including the 1929 outfit (10-0) led by a sophomore running back named Jack Jean, who — long before the term “concussion protocol” came into existence — played without a helmet because he claimed it slowed him down. In 1929, OHS went 10-1 and Jean gained 2,475 yards, including 368 in an 87-0 wipeout of Sturgis.

Football has also enjoyed a rich history at Owensboro Catholic High School, which has also had its share of outstanding teams, players and coaches, including John Edge, who played for the Aces from 1991-93 and was head coach of the program between 2004-2017.

Edge, who coached the Aces to the KHSAA Class 2-A state championship game in 2004, 2005 and 2010, played for and learned from legendary coach Mojo Hollowell, who coached Catholic to the 2-A state title game in 1997.

“He taught me a lot,” Edge said of Hollowell. “With Mojo, if you showed up late, you didn’t play. If you missed Mass, you didn’t play.

Everyone was held accountable, and if you didn’t do things the right way, you weren’t going to succeed. There was something special about the way he went about his business, and there was something special about him.”

“

And, Edge contends, there has always been something special about high school football in Owensboro.

“Friday night lights,” Edge said. “As a player, I can remember running through spirit lines filled with students and cheerleaders that stretched from the end zone to the 50-yard line. It was strange — while I was running through it, I couldn’t hear a thing. Then when I got through the end of it, there was this cauldron of sound, the band blaring, the heart pumping, the adrenaline flowing. There’s nothing else quite like it.”

Jacques Williams, who became the Aces’ all-time rushing leader (4,734 yards) following his career from 1971-74, understands the feeling — passing down that feeling to two sons who played at Apollo High School (James and Jacques II) and Von Williams, a current star at Catholic, as well as to his grandson Landon Board, recently a star at OHS. “Football has been a family affair for us, but we’re far from the only ones,” said Williams, who later starred at the University of Evansville.

“There have been a lot of family trees on the Owensboro football scene through the years, and to me, that’s really not surprising. It means a lot to play high school football in this city, and that heritage is passed down to the next generation.

“The support is so good here, you always want to go out and perform at your best. You don’t want to let anyone down. You want to play with heart every time you step on the field — that’s as much of a tradition here as winning is.”

In 1972, when Williams was a sophomore, Catholic posted its first-ever victory over OHS, 13-7.

Catholic called Rash Stadium home for 55 years before moving into Steele Stadium in 2006.

The football histories at Daviess County High School and Apollo High School have yielded far less postseason success than Owensboro and Catholic, but both programs have had their significant moments.

In 1966, under coach Waymond Morris, the Panthers stunned Owensboro 7-0 — a second-quar ter 4-yard touchdown run by senior running back Houston Hogg being the only score of the game — for DC’s first-ever win over the Red Devils.

Hogg, who played only one season at DCHS, went on to become one of the first African-American players to compete for the University of Kentucky and in the Southeastern Conference and has been immortalized as a pioneer in a statue near UK’s Kroger Field. This past summer, he was awarded a spot on the Owensboro Walk of Fame.

Last season, the Panthers caught fire late, won the City-County championship and, for the first time in program history, played for a regional championship at the Class 6-A level.

Apollo’s most sustained period of excellence came in the decade of service provided by head coach Dan Gooch (1995-2004), who produced winning seasons in each his first seven years at the helm. Gooch, 70-42 overall, helped the Eagles capture four City-County championships and set a school record for wins in a season (nine) in 2001.

During his tenure, Gooch coached a number of outstanding players, chief among them running back-kick returner Michael Hanley, a finalist for Kentucky’s Mr. Football honor in 1998, who later played at Indiana University.

And, there is good news ahead for both the Daviess County and Apollo football programs.

DC will soon play in a refurbished Reid Stadium, and Apollo will soon build a new stadium, with the current Eagle Stadium being converted into a parking lot. Both stadiums will feature artificial turf, meaning that there will be no high school venue in the city remaining with natural grass turf. The total cost of the projects is reportedly about $10 million.

Thus, for these reasons and untold others, high school football remains a very big deal in Owensboro.

For those who truly love it, high school football is something that gets in your blood and stays there — it never leaves you.

”

— Gerald Poynter

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Outdoor Dining in the Owensboro area DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT

EAST

Bar Louie

234 Frederica St. • (270) 215-7723 www.barlouie.com/locations/states/kentucky/owensboro Bar Louie’s al fresco dining offers bar seating, hand-crafted specialty drinks and a cool, relaxed vibe. No wonder MessengerInquirer readers named it their silver choice for an after-work gathering spot and cocktails in the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Colby’s Fine Food and Spirits

204 W. Third St. • (270) 685-4239 www.colbysfinefoodandspirits.com Coby’s adds another outdoor dining option to the courthouse square. Indulge in a Third Street Burger, Hawaiian Rib-Eye Steak, marinated pork chops or piece of chocolate bourbon pecan pie while catching the sun’s rays, whether it be at lunch or dinner.

Fetta Specialty Pizza & Spirits

118 St. Ann St. • (270) 926-0005 www.fettaspecialtypizza.com A stone’s throw from Smothers Park, the Owensboro Convention Center and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Fetta’s charming back patio offers a delightful breeze and a riverfront view.

What better place to enjoy a slice of Fetta’s famous Hot Brown pizza?

Mellow Mushroom

101 W. Second St. • (270) 684-7800 mellowmushroom.com/location/ky-owensboro Meatballs, pizza bites and magic mushroom soup are on the menu at this groovy establishment one block south of the riverfront. On its outdoor patio, see and be seen while noshing on a steak and cheese calzone, avocado hoagie or Holy Shiitake pizza.

The Creme Coffee House

109 E. Second St. • (270) 683-7787 www.thecremecoffeehouse.com Quality coffee? Check. Downtown setting? Check. The Creme is ideally located in the heart of downtown Owensboro and yet also offers a respite from it. Handcrafted drinks and delicious pastries can be enjoyed outdoors overlooking a bustling Second Street.

Culver’s Restaurant

3020 Highland Pointe Drive • (270) 689-4040 www.culvers.com/restaurants/Owensboro Step out of the hustle along Kentucky 54 and onto Culver’s patio and tuck into a meal of seared butter burgers and fresh frozen custard.

Legends Sports Bar & Grill

4431 Springhill Drive, Suite E • (270) 240-5360 www.legends54.com Legends’ full bar is, well, legendary. Enjoy any cocktail you can think of or sample one of the 40 beers on tap while sitting under the stars — and, when the weather calls for it, a heat lamp.

Real Hacienda

3023 Highland Pointe Drive • (270) 684-5595 www.real-hacienda.com What better place to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine in a lively atmosphere? Real Hacienda’s east side location serves up jalisco fajitas, enchiladas, sopapilla and more on its open-air patio — a perfect spot for those wishing to sip their margaritas in the sun.

This hot spot is a regular Messenger-Inquirer Readers’ Choice award winner. for best Mexican restaurant.

MIDTOWN Dalishas Bakery & Cafe

1010 Allen St. • (270) 663-1258 Housed in the Center for Business and Research, Dalishas is a premier luncheon spot in Owensboro. The restaurant offers patio seating at its entrance for intimate meals with friends or a quiet spot to enjoy a capese panini or strawberry spinach salad. Don’t miss its mouthwatering bakery items!

Starbucks

2402 Frederica St. (corner of Frederica and Booth) • (270) 684-0272 www.starbucks.com Always a popular spot for gathering and relaxing, Starbucks on Frederica offers several tables for outdoor patrons. Pets are welcome on the patio but not inside the building.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

The Miller House Restaurant & Catering

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301 E. Fifth St. • (270) 685-5878 www.themillerhouserestaurant.com This stately Victorian manor on Fifth Street and J.R. Miller Boulevard is renowned for its refined setting, filling meals and unpretentious atmosphere. Patrons can enjoy fried pearl onions, albacore tuna melts and beef tenderloin perched on the restaurant’s front porch, which even hosts Yappy Hours for Chamber Young Professionals and their dogs.

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4601 Frederica St. • (270) 683-0907 www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/KY/Owensboro Chick-fil-A’s fast, friendly and award-winning service (platinum choice in the Messenger-Inquirer’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards) extends outdoors, allowing diners to dig into fresh chicken sandwiches and slurp sublime lemonade al fresco.

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When the Owensboro Regional Farmers Market opened its $500,000 pavilion in May 2018, the impact was immediate.

Gone were the days when vendors sat under individual 10-by-10-foot canopies that barely covered their vegetable bins.

Gone were the days when customers got rain- or sweat-soaked making their way from tent to tent spread around the parking lot at Triplett Street and Parrish Avenue.

Today, the tall, white 100-by-60-foot pavilion — with public restrooms and a concessions booth — offers a cool, shady spot out of the weather for guests to tastetest, meander, listen to live music and engage in a little conversation with other patrons and vendors.

“The pavilion has been a game-changer in creating a sense of community and experience,” Dave Kirk of Visit Owensboro said.

Since the pavilion opened last summer, the local visitor bureau has noticed an uptick in calls — from Owensboro residents and out-of-towners — about the market. Most people want to know where it’s located, what entertainment is on tap and about its vendors, Kirk said.

Jim Gilles, president of the farmers market, said June through August proved to be blockbusters.

“We’ve had well over 12,000 people visit on a monthly basis,” Gilles said.

By comparison, that number was about 8,000 prepavilion.

Gilles said the market had really good years before the shelter was built, “but the pavilion really made our numbers PHOTO BY GREG EANS jump as far as market visits.”

And sales have followed, he said.

Every vendor has reported increases. In fact, one reported 20-percent higher receipts this year.

At Gilles’ booth, he has seen patrons from Hancock, Ohio, Henderson and McLean counties, as well as some from Indiana.

“We’re pulling people from across the region,” Gilles said. “We want this to become the Saturday destination for people in Owensboro and the surrounding region.”

Since opening the pavilion, the market hit a record of 40 vendors.

Barbara McDonald of Owensboro pushed her cart under the pavilion one Saturday morning. She never visited before the shelter was built. Since then, McDonald had shopped there four times by mid-September.

“With all the vegetables and stuff, it is great,” she said. “I love this. For one thing, it has a canopy over it, and the placement of the vegetable booths makes it where you can walk around and see each one.”

This year seemed like a good time to experiment with extending the market’s season, Gilles said. The market remained open through Nov. 17, or about two weeks longer than usual, to test patrons’ mood for shopping outdoors into cooler weather.

Something else new: The market plans to rent its new pavilion to the public next year.

Also in the future, the market hopes to increase its food donations to local nonprofits and continue to build on its mission of working closely with area groups to “bring healthy food options to all our citizens,” Gilles said.

growing business

Owensboro Regional Farmers Market attendance skyrockets as result of new pavilion WRITTEN BY Renee Beasley Jones

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Bluegrass

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame more than a museum

WRITTEN BY Keith Lawrence

n e v a e H

PHOTO BY MAEGAN SAALWAECHTER

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

1985 - Owensboro-

Daviess County Tourist Commission begins efforts to make Owensboro a home to bluegrass music

1992 - IBMM

2016 (November) foundation set

2016 (June) - Peyronnin

Construction awarded $9.67M contract to build

formed, incorporated; inaugural HOF class inducted (Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt)

2004 - inaugural ROMP (River Of Music Party) held

1995 - IBMM opened year-round

2000 - IBMM reopened after expansion

G R E A T E R

2017 (January) construction halts as Peyronnin Construction files for bankruptcy 2017 (April) - Danco Construction Co. restarts building work in $10.3M bid 2018 (October) $15.3M Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum opens PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

Think of it as Bluegrass Heaven.

A place where the music of man (and woman) never dies.

And the memories of bluegrass legends live forever.

The long-awaited Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, first proposed by Terr y Woodward in the summer of 1985, opened in October with three days of concerts and the induction of six more members — including Woodward.

The first version — the International Bluegrass Music Museum — opened in a preview mode in the RiverPark Center in the fall of 1992. It took another decade and another $3 million to get it completed and open full time in the spring of 2002.

In 2010, then-Mayor Ron Payne proposed building a new International Bluegrass Music Center on the site of the old State Of fice Building at Second and Frederica streets. But raising the money — an amount that eventually grew to $15.3 million — took longer than expected. And so did construction, which began in 2016.

But fans attending the grand opening said it was worth the wait.

The new building, on one of downtown’s busiest corners, was renamed the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum last summer.

It’s a lot more than a museum.

Its state-of-the-art Woodward Theatre shows movies as well as stages concerts. And eventually, it may televise concerts.

Its food and beverage area has the traditional theater snacks — plus things like barbecueflavored popcorn — as well as craft beer, wine and bourbon. And this year, it may be open to the general public for gourmet grab-and-go lunches.

The second floor has four viewing stations where visitors can watch video oral histories of 264 of the pioneers of bluegrass who were interviewed by the museum staff.

“They range from about an hour to seven hours for Earl Scruggs,” Chris Joslin, the Hall of Fame’s executive director, said. “You can spend an hour here or all day. We expect some fans to stay a couple of days to watch the video oral histories.”

The plaques telling the stories of the 63 men and women enshrined in the Hall, including the six installed in October — Vassar Clements, Mike Seeger, Jake Tullock, Allen Shelton, Joe Val and Woodward — are also displayed on the second floor. That floor also has two large rooms for rotating exhibits.

“We plan to change the exhibits every 18 to 24 months to keep them fresh,” Joslin said.

The third floor, where a restaurant was originally planned, is used for event space — weddings, showers, meetings and conferences. It overlooks the Ohio River and has an outdoor balcony.

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PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

The 447-seat Woodward Theatre is hosting regular bluegrass concerts on Saturday nights.

Joslin said, “Our goal is to have a concert ever y Saturday night. We’ll have other genres of music, but probably all roots music. We want people to know that they can see a great bluegrass concer t if they come to Owensboro on a Saturday.”

That series kicked of f with a sold-out concert by Sam Bush, “the father of newgrass music,” on Oct. 19.

The autumn saw concerts by Hot Rize, The Infamous Stringdusters, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Mar ty Stuar t and his Fabulous Superlatives and the Del McCour y Band.

And on the nor th side of the building is a grassy area designed for outdoor concerts. The Michael E. Horn Family Foundation Outdoor Stage will be used three or four times a year for downtown festivals, Joslin said.

The first Downtown ROMP on Oct. 20 featured four bands and drew several hundred people on a crisp and bluster y day.

A large mural near the entrance to the Hall features photos of artists performing at the Hall of Fame’s ROMP Fest at Yellow

Creek Park.

The fiddle played by Bill Monroe’s uncle Pendelton Vandiver, which was also in the old museum, is on one wall. There’s a mock-up of an early radio station and an early bar. Bill Monroe’s Rolodex is featured along with a belt with a silver buckle, a ring from the Grand Ole Opr y and a baseball from the team that once toured with Monroe.

There’s a microphone from the Stanley Brothers, string ties from Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, an autoharp once owned by “Mother” Maybelle Carter and one of countr y comic Minnie Pearl’s straw hats.

“Bluegrass was par t of countr y music until the late ’50s,” Joslin said. “It wasn’t called bluegrass until around 1955.”

There’s a banjo that belonged to Ralph Stanley, one of Josh Graves’ Dobros and copies of records of both Bill Monroe’s version of “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and Elvis Presley’s.

“Legends Night,” the first event in the theater, featured performances by several members of the Hall of Fame. It was broadcast live on Sirius XM radio’s “Bluegrass Junction” to a national audience, giving the Hall of Fame a lot of exposure.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

The Kentucky Depar tment of Tourism brought in nine members of the European news media — from the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, England and Ireland — for the grand opening. They represented more than 5 million readers.

Kristen Branscum, the state’s tourism commissioner, said, “This is going to be easy for us to sell. Ever y countr y in the world loves bluegrass music. This shows the power of the music and a great town. I love Owensboro.”

G R E A T E R

Opening the Hall of Fame wasn’t the end of a journey, Dan Hays, former president of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, said in 2017. It was the beginning of something even bigger — for Owensboro and bluegrass, he said.

“My sense is that it’s just beginning,” he said. “The theater is really a critical element.

We have opportunities to broadcast from here and do webcasts. This is the completion of one phase and the beginning of the next.”

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

“Bluegrass Junction” brought at least one couple to Owensboro on opening weekend.

Tom and Jean Sadwasser of St. Paul, Minnesota, recently retired and were on their way to Florida.

“We were listening to ‘Bluegrass Junction’ on Sirius XM,” Tom said. “We were up around Champaign, Illinois. They star ted talking about this museum and this festival, and we said, ‘Let’s go there.’ ” The Sadwassers had never heard of Owensboro until that moment.

“But we’ll be back,” Tom said. “They told us about ROMP, and we’re coming back for it.”

While the Hall of Fame’s main focus will always be on bluegrass, it also wants to appeal to people with little or no interest in the genre.

That’s where movies in Woodward Theatre and grab-and-go lunches in the lobby come in.

The staff is also working on other ideas to attract a larger audience.

The Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau is pairing the Hall of Fame with O.Z. Tyler Distiller y’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail tours to give people a double reason to come to town.

Kirk Brandenberger, executive director of the Keokuk (Iowa) Area Convention & Tourism Bureau, is a bluegrass fiddler and a former Owensboro resident.

“I’m tr ying to get a busload of people to come down from Keokuk next year,” he said during the grand opening ceremonies.

Woodward predicted that the Hall of Fame will draw 100,000 people in its first year and could eventually draw 200,000 a year. He also expects a lot of visitors from outside the United States.

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Owensboro Convention Center Holiday Inn - Owensboro Riverfront Walnut and Third Third and Locust Third and Frederica

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O W E N S B O R O

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Getting around downtown Owensboro has never been easier. To see all the sites the riverfront has to offer, simply hop on the city’s trolley. The RiverPark Center, Convention Center, downtown hotels and the new Bluegrass Music Hall Of Fame & Museum are all on the route, as are several unique restaurants, boutiques and Owensboro’s famed Smothers Park.

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With the opening of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum at Second and Frederica streets, coupled with the opening of the Enclave at River front Living at Frederica Street and Veterans Boulevard, Owensboro’s already phenomenally successful downtown riverfront revitalization initiative has reached a new level of sophistication and impact.

Those two projects, built at a cost of more than $25 million, join a long list of downtown projects that include the Hampton Inn Downtown/Owensboro Waterfront, the Owensboro Convention Center, the Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront, a second parking garage, the Alorica building and the extensive makeover of Second Street.

These large projects have been complemented by a network of other private developments, which, when added to the larger picture, have succeeded in making the “place-making” dream of transforming downtown Owensboro into a destination come true, a decade after it started.

But what is also undeniably true is that a single element of the riverfront makeover is both its heart and its cornerstone — Smothers Park.

Smothers Park is the jewel of the riverfront corridor and the premier park in the region. It turned six years old last summer. It continues to demonstrate strong drawing power and remains as popular as ever, just as it was when it opened as an instant hit in late August 2012.

Built over a period of more than three years beginning in 2009, the park cost a total of $68 million. It pulls thousands of people to its picturesque fountains, inlet waterfall, river walk swings, overlooks and the Col. Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial. Drawing the most accolades and multitudes of children is the awardwinning Lazy Dayz Children’s Playground.

Smothers Park, overlooking the Ohio River, is the economic engine for the massive downtown initiative that city and county leaders launched in 2009. All of the aforementioned big-ticket projects have sprung up in close proximity to the park. New development and redevelopment have occurred on Second Street and on nearby connector streets as restaurants, shops and other establishments have all opened since the park was finished, and more are planned, including a third hotel and additional retail and residential projects.

Stretching from the Riverpark Center to Mitch McConnell Plaza, Smothers Park is four blocks long and 3.2 acres in size, much larger than the park it replaced. The park features a “promenade” riverwalk along the outer edge of the river wall, with bench swings positioned ever y few yards. The playground takes up an entire block between St. Ann and Allen streets.

The Lazy Dayz playground is a must-be-seen-tobelieve attraction, with its elevated walkways, tree forts, spray pool and seemingly endless collection of climbing apparatus. For the older crowd, there are the three fountains, a waterfall feature, grassy areas and the ever-popular riverwalk. Friday After 5, the summer series of free weekly concerts, has been elevated from a single venue event to a blocks-long party with multiple venues that typically fills downtown since Smothers Park reopened.

Smothers Park cornerstone of downtown

revitalization WRITTEN BY Steve Vied

PHOTO BY GREG EANS PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

Tony Cecil was the city of Owensboro’s operations manager during the construction of Smothers Park, directly overseeing it on the city’s behalf. He was actually involved in the project long before construction began, going back to the time when U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell secured $40 million for the river wall project that would ser ve as the foundation for the revamped and enlarged park.

Today, Cecil says Smothers Park was and remains the catalyst for everything positive that has occurred along the riverfront corridor.

“It was really the catalyst for the improvements and change that everyone wanted,” Cecil said. “Other downtown master plans would go on shelves and never happen.”

Contributing greatly to the continued success of Smothers Park was the way it was designed and planned, with heavy public input, Cecil said. Multiple public forums were held to allow residents to offer suggestions. “I think it helped with ownership,” Cecil said. “It wasn’t just lip service. If you go to the park, you will see all those swings. That came out of one of the forums. People said they wanted to sit and look at the sunset.”

Cecil credited EDSA Inc., a land-planning, landscape-architecture and urban design firm out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for coming up with a great plan for the park and for helping the city decide to invest heavily in the central Lazy Dayz Children’s Playground.

“EDSA told us that for every child we could attract, we would get 1.5 adults,” Cecil said. “We took note of that.

At the time a lot of people criticized the plan for being too playground-heavy. But we were able to stick to it.”

A few years ago, the Lazy Dayz Children’s Playground was voted the No. 1 playground in the world by an international website that specializes in landscape architecture.

Upon the sixth anniversary of Smothers Park’s opening last year, former Owensboro City Manager Bill Parrish, who oversaw its development, praised the park for fulfilling its intended purpose.

“Clearly the park has generated local excitement and pride for our citizens,” Parrish said then. “More than that, however, has been the synergy of park-convention center-McConnell Plaza (immediately west of Smothers Park) and downtown itself as an economic draw for the region and as a way to keep entertainment dollars here in Owensboro.”

G R E A T E R

O W E N S B O R O

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Air Show creates a

buzz

PHOTOS BY GREG EANS

WRITTEN BY Jodi Keen

Once a year, the skies over Owensboro buzz with the sound of planes thundering overhead. The Owensboro Air Show kicks off each fall with an aerial spectacle that grows in popularity and draws thousands more attendees each year.

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G R E A T E R

O W E N S B O R O

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An annual event that regularly draws thousands to Owensboro’s riverfront, the presence of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels made anticipation — and crowd sizes — for the 2018 show grow.

More than 11,000 people were estimated to have attended Friday’s static display, and another 60,000 packed the riverfront for a weekend of spectacular aerial performances.

The City of Owensboro planned a weekend full of activities: Friday evening, the OwensboroDaviess County Regional Airport hosted a paidadmission static display of some of the air show’s star birds. Rides aboard two Bell UH-1 “Hueys” and Bell AH-1 “Cobra” were offered by Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, as was a nighttime aerobatic spectacle, and the night was capped off by a sparkling fireworks display sponsored by Independence Bank.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s stunt shows involved performances by six Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets, the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team, the Florida-based Paradigm Aerobatic Team and a Canadian Forces parachute demonstration team called the Skyhawks, among more aerial performers.

Combined with Bridge Day — when the Glover H. Cary “Blue” Bridge closes to vehicular traffic to allow pedestrians, bicyclists and runners to enjoy the bridge — Owensboro’s riverfront teemed with excitement.

“It’s great,” Jim Francis of Henderson said that weekend. “This is the first time I’ve been to the air show. But we come over here all the time for Friday After 5. Owensboro is an up-and-coming place. I think more people need to come over here.

Owensboro knows how to spend its money.”

Activities were spread along the riverfront to make the Owensboro Air Show a collaborative success. The Owensboro Convention Center opened its doors to the public and offered live music, food vendors and family-friendly activities.

Vendors lined Veterans Boulevard to sell air show souvenirs, umbrellas, smoothies, lemonade, funnel cakes, pulled pork and soft pretzels. And local business reaped the benefits of the crowds, too.

The air show “was great for (hotel) occupancy and rates because you’re selling multiple nights — not just Saturday night,” said Mark Calitri, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The dollar is turned over numerous times when you think about all of the people who were downtown eating, shopping and buying gas to go home after the air show wrapped up.”

Annual events typically stage a review to evaluate their success and potential future. With the Owensboro Air Show, there’s no question — it will be back again and again.

“We are beyond thrilled with the turnout, and the attendees all seemed to have a great time,” Laura Alexander, Owensboro Convention Center general manager, said. “I spoke with several people from out of town who were praising our downtown area and said that they hope to return next year.”

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“

Churches reach out to help people WRITTEN BY Steve Vied

Woodlawn All over Owensboro, on a daily basis and across a wide range Randy Jones, pastor of Woodlawn United Methodist Church, of faiths, local churches and their congregations provide minis- which for nearly a decade has offered a free Saturday night soup gives me a tries that a significant percentage of the city’s population rely on kitchen meal to the public. “Many that live in our world have a community for physical and spiritual needs. It may be a comfortable, safe small community of people around them. Sometimes those complace to enjoy a hot meal, a coat to ward off the cold or shoes munities are not what they should be. We at Woodlawn want to to come to. for a child heading off to school. not only feed the belly but also the soul by offering Christ to the In each case, dedicated volunteers keep the ministries community.”

I am welgoing, month after month, year after year, giving sacrificially Space doesn’t allow a description of every church ministry that comed here of their time and ability out of a sheer willingness to help benefits people in Owensboro — there are simply too many. But other people. here are some examples that show how the simple urge by people and have a “We live in a fragmented world today,” said the Rev. of faith to help others continues to make a difference. safe place WOODLAWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH to be.

Woodlawn United Methodist Church is a small church with a big heart for its surrounding community. Almost a decade ago, Mike Evans and Ken Crandall and a few others in the church started the Saturday night free hot meal For me, it is ministry. It started slowly, with only a handful of people coming, but it soon grew. Through its first nine years, the soup something kitchen has served more than 40,000 meals.

Now, about a dozen volunteers prepare and serve food to 80 to 100 people every Saturday night. Whole families to look come, including many young children, for soup, sandwiches, hot dogs, beans, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, fruit forward salad, potato salad and other offerings.

Woodlawn’s soup kitchen ministry eventually expanded to include a food pantry, offering free grocery items. The to each pantry is open after every Saturday night meal, and individuals and families are welcome to take a few groceries at no charge. The pantry is filled with canned goods, cakes and cookies, spices and staples like flour and cornmeal. week.

”

— Matt Henshaw

Woodlawn’s volunteers don’t do everything by themselves. Once a month, women from Trinity United Methodist Church come, and they do most of the work. Other outside groups also help at times.

Longtime soup kitchen volunteer Rhea Carter said the experience is a blessing. “We that volunteer are blessed in more ways than we can imagine by giving of ourselves,” she said.

Evans simply said, “We are answering a need.”

Matt Henshaw is a grateful regular at Woodlawn’s meal. “Woodlawn gives me a community to come to,” he said. “I am welcomed here and have a safe place to be. For me, it is something to look forward to each week.”

THE SALVATION ARMY The Salvation Army’s CAN-teen ministry grew naturally from a local emergency last summer that gave the church’s teenagers a taste of helping others.

“The Salvation Army sprang into action following the OMU (Owensboro Municipal Utilities) water main break this summer,” said Capt. Aaron M. Abram, corps officer for the local Salvation Army at 215 S. Ewing Road. “During that time, we were able to hand out over 10,000 bottles of water, as well as food and hygiene items. Many of the volunteers who assisted us were part of our church’s teen group. They enjoyed being able to be the hands and feet of Jesus so much that they approached one of our local leaders, Lori Thurman, about the possibility of doing something similar more often.”

Out of that was born the CAN-teen ministry. Every Wednesday night, the teens load into one or two Salvation Army vehicles and visit such places as English Park, the Cadillac Hotel, the Colonel House Hotel and Dixiana Court, where they provide a meal, hygiene products and a listening ear to the homeless and refugee populations.

“The group has grown each week as they are inviting their friends to take part,” Abram said. “It is amazing to my wife and I that this idea was completely their own, and they have truly embraced it. They are collecting coats, blankets, hats and gloves to take out when the weather turns colder.”

Abram’s wife, Capt. Rebecca Abram, is also a corps officer at the Salvation Army. She said a teenager in the church, Brandon Trogden, was among those handing out water bottles to people. “He saw that the kids were hungry,” she said. “He suggested to the driver of the van that we should do this every week.”

From there the ministry grew, and the 14 to 16 members of the youth group began forming relationships with the people they met.

“It’s not every day that teenagers want to do anything more than stay on their phones,” Rebecca Abram said. “And this group is growing as they are inviting others to join them. It is amazing to see how God is working with the teens at this church.”

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NEW LIFE CHURCH New Life Church, at West Fourth Street and Crabtree Avenue, takes a varied and imaginative approach to addressing the needs of the community it serves. The church provides a free meal every Tuesday evening, while the New Life Thrift Store, just across Crabtree Avenue from the church, provides affordable, high-quality clothing and many other items to the public.

The church also has a no-cost food pantry and an emergency clothes closet.

New Life Church also operates Adrienne’s House, a shelter for women in transition, located just a few steps from the church.

It doesn’t end there.

“We partner with the local schools and Independence Bank to distribute 400 backpacks of food for the weekends to students who experience food scarcity,” said the Rev. Todd Camp, New Life’s senior pastor. “... (The) low-cost Thrift Store is where the community can find quality bargains. We also share profits on a monthly basis with Habitat to Humanity and the resource centers in the two elementary schools in our community.”

Recently, New Life purchased a retail building at 501 Crabtree Ave. for yet another ministry project. “We want to establish a nonprofit business that will primarily employ individuals living on the margins of society,” Camp said. “We are currently in the process of fundraising from the Owensboro community and looking for someone to champion the business.”

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FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH Faith Lutheran’s pastor, the Rev. Jane Rothman, said the church, at 2830 Frederica St., has developed a longtime ministry that provides free meals and food to people.

“Members of Faith Lutheran Church (ELCA) believe that God’s word and sacraments have nourished them and sends them out to feed others,” Rothman said. “Among our ministries are Mustard Seed, which provides meals to the residents of Roosevelt House and Friends of Sinners, and nonperishable food for the food pantry at the Help Office.”

The Mustard Seed ministry began about six years ago with the mission to provide a free meal to all residents of both Roosevelt Houses each month, Rothman said. On either the third or fourth Saturday of each month, about a dozen members of the church gather in the church’s kitchen to prepare a noon meal, which is carted the short distance to the Roosevelt Houses and served to about 100 people.

“We have now expanded our ministr y to meals at Friends of Sinners, where we serve about 30 men,” Rothman said. “We have a box near our front door to collect nonperishable food for the food pantry at the Help Office. We also work with ELCA World Hunger to help alleviate hunger all over the world.”

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Edge Ice Center

a versatile local venue

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The city’s first ice skating rink, the Owensboro Ice Arena, was completed in 1963 and was home to the first youth hockey league in the state. Over the years, the old arena was the site of skating lessons, parties and first dates.

But as the years passed, the facility began to show its age.

“It was built as an open-air park shelter,” said Kerr y Bodenheimer, recreation superintendent for the Edge Ice Center. The old ice arena was finally enclosed in 1974, but it could only be operated between the fall and spring.

Because the arena shared an air-conditioning system with the Owensboro Sportscenter, the rink could only be refrigerated when the Sportscenter wasn’t using the air. By the mid-2000s, officials were questioning how many more years the ice arena had left.

“The old facility did not have proper locker room facilities,” Bodenheimer said, and the ice arena couldn’t accommodate figure skating competitions and large hockey tournaments.

In 2006, city and county officials began seriously considering replacing the arena, and the facility opened for its last season in fall 2007. All of the planning resulted in the $6.5 million Edge Ice Center, which opened three years later, not far from the site of the old facility.

“It served the community well,” Bodenheimer said of the nowdemolished ice arena. “But it was time.”

Unlike the old ice arena, the 42,600-square-foot Edge Ice Center is open year-round. Bodenheimer, who was involved in the planning for Edge, said a goal was to provide locker rooms capable of handling traveling events like hockey tournaments. The facility also has permanent bleachers that can seat 300 people, which has helped the facility attract large events.

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PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

WRITTEN BY James Mayse

“We’ve been able to host the state hockey tournament,” Bodenheimer said.

The Edge has also hosted a figure skating competition annually for seven years.

It’s not common for cities in Kentucky to have ice skating arenas.

The Edge is the only ice skating rink outside of Louisville and Lexington, Bodenheimer said.

“We don’t just serve Owensboro and Daviess County,” Bodenheimer said. “We serve the western part of the state.”

The rink is the home of the Owensboro Rampage, a hockey team for high school students that draws athletes from as far away as Bowling Green.

The Edge is also the only skating rink owned by a government entity in Kentucky, and it does have an economic impact. For example, the 2017 figure skating competition had an economic impact of $146,000. When figure skating, hockey and travel games are combined, “we estimate a direct economic impact of $485,000,” Bodenheimer said.

Admission to skate is $6 for daytime sessions and $8 for evening sessions. For Edge hours and special events, visit www.owensboro parks.org/facilities/edge-ice-center.

The Edge is also available for private rentals. The center has party packages and discounted groups rates for groups of 10 people or more.

“We do various special events over the course of a year,” Bodenheimer said, including Halloween and Christmas skates, a glow-inthe-dark New Year’s Eve figure skating party and theme events like “superhero skates.”

“We are always looking at our programming,” Bodenheimer said.

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Health & Education

changing

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

the look of a

college town WRITTEN BY Bobbie Hayse There are nearly 10,000 college students in Owensboro.

While most people may think a college town is more like Lexington or Durham, North Carolina, the growing enrollments at Brescia University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Western Kentucky University-Owensboro and Owensboro Community & Technical College are redefining what “college town” means.

Kentucky Wesleyan President Bart Darrell tells students that when they choose KWC, they are also choosing Owensboro. The Panther campus doesn’t just end at the school’s proper ty boundaries — it extends throughout the city.

Students also come to Owensboro and Daviess County because they can receive an education in smaller classrooms at smaller schools.

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That’s what Jessica Arnold, a Covington junior, said about making the decision to study at Kentucky Wesleyan. Arnold wanted to be a Panther because it’s the only school in the state where she could major in zoology, and she wanted to be at a smaller school.

“I just like this campus and the atmosphere,” she said. “Owensboro isn’t too big, but it’s not too small.”

Throughout the school year, Arnold rarely goes home, she said. During the summer or when she’s on break, she misses KWC and Owensboro.

“I just like how personal everything is here,” she said.

She also enjoys going to the riverfront and the other offerings of the city, such as the shows and events at the RiverPark

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“ ” “ ”

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

downtown I like to head st hang out. to study or ju

r e n t r o C h a n n a H — eshman scia University fr Bre

Owensboro isn’t too big , but it’s not to o small.

— Jessica Arnold

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

Center, live music at restaurants and bars and “Quarter Mania” at Diamond Lanes South.

Hannah Cortner, a freshman at Brescia University, hails most recently from Nortonville.

She was aware of Owensboro but didn’t know much about its downtown nightlife until she visited and made the decision to study here full time.

“I like to head downtown to study or just hang out,” she said, citing Smothers Park, the restaurants and The Creme Coffee House as some of her favorite spots.

Katie Cox, a Lewispor t freshman, said Owensboro has really expanded for the better in the past 10 years. She chose to come to Brescia because it’s a good school and close to home. One of her favorite pastimes is the “Quarter Mania” at Diamond Lanes South.

“It’s cheap, and it’s fun,” Cox said.

Brescia University is experiencing an enrollment surge, something the Rev. Larry Hostetter, Brescia’s president, says the school has been working toward for a while. Brescia is “no longer the best-kept secret in western Kentucky,” he said.

A lot of students choose WKU-O and OCTC because they can fur ther their educations while living close to home. Both schools offer flexible scheduling to help with families and individuals who also work part- or full-time, online coursework and scholarships specifically for non-traditional students.

For more information about these schools and what they of fer, visit their websites at wku.edu, owensboro.kctcs.edu, kwc.edu and brescia.edu.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

Kentucky Wesley an College junior

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education

Growing an WRITTEN BY Jodi Keen

Poultry center the latest innovative feature at Hayden Farms

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PHOTOS BY GREG EANS

In July, the Hayden family — Joan, Martin, Daniel and Danielle — cut the ribbon on the farm’s new Poultr y Education Center. It may look like an unassuming farm building, but don’t be fooled: This 40 foot-by-50 foot facility is a testament to the evolution of the farming industr y.

A Perdue Foods producer for more than 20 years, Hayden Farms spearheaded its groundbreaking education center as a proactive way to clear up misconceptions about the poultr y industr y — and, as farm manager Daniel Hayden has said, to build “a bridge … between the producer and the consumer.”

The education center plans to host students, teachers, health care professionals and others who would benefit from learning about farming. Seminars will give visitors a glimpse of the farm’s poultr y process as well as a tour of the new chicken houses — one of which is equipped with an indoor obser vation room for a first-hand look at poultr y production.

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PHOTOS BY GREG EANS

“There it is. It’s all open. That’s all we do,” Joan Hayden said at the ribbon-cutting in July.

“That’s how we raise the birds. They’re as comfortable as they can be.”

The farm was established in 1983 and has since become well known for its use of innovation. Hayden Farms has eight chicken houses that are secured and managed by technology.

The farm specializes in broiler chickens, meaning no egg production takes place.

This approach to farming shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Haydens have long embraced technology and new strategies to advance their farm.

Their chicken houses include state-of-the-art computer systems that regulate feeding, nutrition, temperature and air flow. Remote alarms alert them to any sudden changes in their poultry’s conditions. The Haydens even broadcast their day-to-day farm activities in Beef Brag and Chickenology segments on Snapchat.

At Hayden Farms, education doesn’t stop at the chicken houses. While exploring Hayden Farms, visitors can also learn about the farm’s beef production, browse the pollinator garden and romp around with friendly animals such as farm dogs Beau and Lily, red heifer Valentine and her two goat friends, Tippecanoe and Tecumseh.

The Hayden Farms Poultry Education Center is at 1169 New Cut Road in Whitesville, Kentucky. Appointments can be make online at www.

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or f t n a t r o p m i education

s t n e d u all st

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that every artist was once an amateur. For the Daviess County and Owensboro public school systems, the challenge of inspiring the minds of young, potential artists is one that they approach with optimism and passion for education.

Tom Stites, the coordinator of fine arts for Owensboro Public Schools, says that teaching the arts is a crucial part of educating the “whole child.” Whether students will go on to play in an orchestra or become appreciators

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Seth Dukes

of the arts, the education they receive in their formative years is crucial to helping them understand how art penetrates nearly ever y aspect of their lives.

“As you go through your day, every day, take a look at how many things that you are in contact with are affected by the arts,” Stites said. “Everything from the color of the room that you woke up in to the design of the lamp that you turned on when you woke up, every aspect of your life is affected by the arts.”

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

WRITTEN BY

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

s t r a e n i F

Stites said that a major reason for the success of various arts programs in Owensboro Public Schools is the focus on every child rather than just a select few.

“By making it focused on ever y child, there’s a place for them to succeed, there’s a place for them to be celebrated, and there’s a place for them to be supported,” said Stites.

“We aren’t separating people based on their beliefs or their standard of living. Instead, we are making it so that the school that our children go to reflects the society that we live in. I think that is one of the most important things, especially for Owensboro Public Schools.”

Stites says that a focus on providing qualified and passionate arts teachers helps showcase how important fine arts are to students in the school system.

“We have focused on hiring outstanding teachers in Owensboro Public Schools who see the importance of the arts for their students,” Stites said.

“A great teacher has the opportunity to change lives for the better, and our arts staff ranks with the best in Kentucky with their work.”

Anthony Sparks, Daviess County Public Schools arts coordinator, says that fine

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

arts education helps students gain a perspective that will be beneficial to them throughout their lives.

“It’s such an important facet in education because it doesn’t just help them learn to be creative,” said Sparks. “It helps them to understand a different way to approach problems and come up with solutions that can benefit many different people.”

All secondar y students have access to band, orchestra, choir, theater and visual arts.

Additionally, there are a multitude of arts electives offered. Students in DCPS have numerous opportunities to perform and showcase their work annually in local, regional and state events, even occasionally at the national level, according to Sparks.

Sparks also attributes the success of the fine arts programs to the teachers who help to inspire and educate.

“We are fortunate to be able to maintain our commitment to full-time music and full-time visual art teachers in all 12 DCPS elementary schools,” he said.

Sparks stresses the importance of fine arts education for all students, including students who may or may not feel like they are talented or interested in the arts.

“We all have differences, we have similarities,” Sparks said, “but I think the arts teaches people how to relate well with others, and it’s an avenue that fosters so much in teamwork and creativity and problem-solving. It’s valuable for all students.”

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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Traverse Greenbelt the

Fifteen miles of recreation trails encircle Owensboro. Known as the David C. Adkisson Greenbelt Park, the trails wind around and through neighborhoods, parks, schools and business districts. The Greenbelt of fers an asphalt surface 10 feet wide to accommodate pedestrians, runners, bicyclists and skaters. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the Greenbelt.

Parking at the Greenbelt is accessible via designated areas at the GRADD offices on U.S. 60 East, the trailhead at the end of Higdon Road, Higdon YewellHeritage Park in Hillbrooke subdivision and the trailhead on Miller’s Mill Road.

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

WRITTEN BY Renee Beasley Jones

OSMO Patient focused,

community minded

Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Owensboro — perhaps best known as OSMO — is a large small-town practice.

To start, the privately held practice has eight surgeonsowners and two nurse practitioners. Collectively, the group offers Daviess County and the surrounding region more than a century of medical expertise.

“The physicians at OSMO are honored to provide excellent orthopedic care to our community,” says Dr. Charles Milem, president. “We appreciate the suppor t we’ve received over the last 56 years, and it is our goal to continue caring for our community for generations to come.”

The practice boasts a surgeon who specializes in hand surgery and another who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. Overall, the group specializes in joint replacement, sports medicine and fracture care.

OSMO’s team also includes five physical therapists and three occupational therapists. The practice employs 75 people.

Owensboro residents would have to travel to Evansville or Bowling Green to find a private practice with as many orthopedic surgeons, said Marella Yates, executive director.

Because OSMO surgeons own the practice,

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Yates said, they alone determine patient care based on research-based surgical and nonsurgical procedures. “We don’t make patient decisions based on spreadsheets and financial results.”

That makes OSMO more patient-centric than some medical practices. For example, the doctors’ clinics accept walk-ins — a rarity in today’s world.

When it comes to patient care, OSMO is big enough to serve a variety of needs, but small enough that the doctors and staff work closely, sharing information to improve patient care.

OSMO has two locations in Owensboro. Its doctors’ clinics and physical therapy are at 2831 New Hartford Road.

The practice has another physical therapy clinic at The Springs on 54 at 2200 E. Parrish Ave. OSMO serves a 10-county region, including three counties in southern Indiana.

Dr. Joseph Stiles started the practice in 1962 on Center Street. By 1974, the group had expanded to several physicians.

In 2012, OSMO merged with Orthopaedic Surgical Specialists, adding Drs. Joseph Polio and Geoffrey Hulse to the team.

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staff The surgeons at Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Owensboro own the private practice. They are: Dr. Philip Hurley Dr. Charles Milem Dr. R. Keith Moore Dr. William Martin Dr. S. David Boles Dr. Joseph Polio Dr. Geoffrey Hulse Dr. Glenn Henning

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

WRITTEN BY Renee Beasley Jones

Summit Obstetrics & Gynecology ‘It all goes back to treating people as if they were your family’ When patients step into Summit Obstetrics & Gynecology, they see a light-filled foyer with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and four hot-pink chairs sitting in a circle.

No glass partition separates reception staff from patients.

By comparison, other medical offices appear drab and sterile. This one looks more like a chic spa with detailed woodwork, high-backed chairs and herringbone-pattern floors.

The first impression: This is not an ordinary medical practice.

As patients enter the of fices of Drs. Maria Smith and Suzanne Rashidian, they pass purple-tufted benches and hallways filled with art that has personal meaning to the physicians.

For example, a large photo of the Eiffel Tower hangs prominently in Rashidian’s hallway and behind the French provincial desk in her office. Wing-backed chairs in her office are covered in a playful pattern that features the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower figures big in Rashidian’s life. Her husband, Dr. Ramin Rashidian, who practices internal medicine in Evansville, proposed at the Eiffel Tower.

It seems as if Smith and Rashidian brought bits and pieces of their G R E A T E R

homes — and their lives — to the office so they could share parts of themselves with patients. It’s a welcoming gesture that provides a sense of calm and ease.

“This practice was designed for women by women,” said Ginny Ball, practice administrator. “We want to make sure women feel at home and comfortable.”

Summit is a comprehensive center for women, providing care for women of all ages.

The practice moved into its new building at 1921 Leitchfield Road during summer 2017.

Smith and Rashidian used to practice at Owensboro Health. Their clinics were connected to the health system’s hospital on Pleasant Valley Road.

Then, they decided to strike out on their own.

The Summit prides itself on providing personalized care and creating a welcoming environment.

“We want people to feel comfortable here,” Rashidian said. “We strive for that. It all goes back to treating people as if they were your family.”

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Our Sports Medicine Walk-in Clinic is designed to help you with emergencies like sprained joints and minor bone fractures, and give you access to advanced orthopedic and sports medicine care when you need it most.

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Culture

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

THE PEOPLE OF

ROMP Fest WRITTEN BY Jacob Dick

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ROMP Fest has changed a lot since growing from a couple thousand people gathered at English Park in downtown Owensboro to a four-day camping experience at Yellow Creek Park, where more than 26,000 people congregated in 2018 to celebrate traditional bluegrass and its extended roots and branches.

Just as the festival’s identity has changed since its days as the River of Music Party, the question stands whether its audience has changed as well. Who are the people of ROMP Fest?

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THE ADVENTURERS

Adapting to the weather comes with the territory of outdoor music festivals and is something ROMP-goers aren’t strangers to. As crews covered mud around the 2018 main stage with hay and wood chips, Morgan Ellerbrake and Sarah Gallagher found plenty of time to read and explore.

Ellerbrake and Gallagher are friends from Missouri who traveled to Owensboro for four days of fun. Ellerbrake is a seven-year ROMP veteran who convinced Gallagher to give it a try.

“I’m a bluegrass fan, first and foremost, but I also like the people I meet here,” Ellerbrake said. “There is a different energy to the people I meet here compared to other festivals, and I feel like it’s a little more homegrown. Everyone starts to feel like neighbors after a while.”

Gallagher and Ellerbrake said the afterparties and dancing were a great plus, but there is more to ROMP Fest than partying.

“The love of the music is half of the whole equation,” Gallagher said.

“The people attracted to festivals are the ones who want that sense of community and to jam together. Sharing the culture of music is one of the most important things about a festival.”

PHOTO BY EVAN MATTINGLY

David Versch, known to most ROMPers as the music festival legend “Dancing Dave,” is well-versed in music festivals. Versch, based in northern Wisconsin, frequented festivals across the country before founding the Dancing Dave Campsites business in 1998. Versch traveled to even more festivals to set up campsites before selling the business to one of his friends.

Now acting as a sort of figurehead and promoter, Versch returned in 2018 to ROMP Fest for the third year to take his spot in a shady corner by the artist parking lot.

“The lineup is stellar, and I absolutely love the venue,” Versch said.

“Then, there are the festival people.”

Versch said the quality of the festival’s lineup and the eclectic selection of musical styles keep him coming back each year.

“Every festival has their own personality and experience,” Versch said.

“You have a whole lot of different people coming to one place to rejoice, and the music is what brings them together.

“A lot of people come to festivals to get away from their everyday life.

They call it another life different from the typical day, but I think this is everyday life myself. People are living amongst each other and working together to enjoy themselves. This is pretty good stuff.”

PHOTO BY EVAN BOGGS

THE PRO

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

David and Sandy Criswell first started coming to ROMP Fest for the music and the venue. Originally from South Carolina, their family has grown and branched out in the seven years since the Criswells and their children started attending the festival, so now it serves as a sort of reunion.

David Criswell said the hospitality from local residents helps the family feel at home while away from home.

“I think ROMP is one of the most family-friendly festivals you can go to,” Davis Criswell said. “I think the fact that it is in a county park and there is some control on what you can bring here helps, too.”

Daughter Lauren and husband Tyler said they are glad the park offers attractions like a spray area so their kids can have plenty of fun as well.

The festival has meant different things to different people throughout the years, whether it’s part of a tradition, an adventure or a great excuse to catch up. The definitive answer of what ROMP Fest really is may never be found, but for Sandy Criswell, her family has found what it means to them.

“We love to be together when we can,” she said, “but we’re so scattered, it takes something like this to help bring us together.”

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

THE FAMILY

T H E P E R F E C T PA I R

The biggest names in bluegrass and newgrass are performing at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum almost every weekend in Owensboro.

Grab some O.Z. Tyler bourbon and go catch a show!

And don’t forget to visit a local bbq restaurant.

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Festivals in the Owensboro area Trunnell’s Festival of Flowers

Owensboro Multicultural Festival

International Bar-B-Q Festival

East Bridge Arts Festival at the Mount

9255 U.S. 431 • (270) 733-2222 Trunnell’s Farm Market blooms with spring activities during this annual event. Learn to make a container garden and grow herbs and plants.

Children’s activities include pedal carts, bouncing and a giant slide. Admission fees vary. www.trunnellsfarmmarket.com Every second weekend in May, Owensboro’s riverfront draws thousands to its famed celebration of barbecue. Cooking teams vie for the Governor’s Cup, and spectators sample savory treats and enjoy live music, carnival rides, arts and craft sales, a car show and more. www.bbqfest.com

Dazzling Daylilies

25 Carter Road • (270) 852-8925 The Western Kentucky Botanical Garden presents this annual festival each June featuring hot air “Balloons Over the Garden,” a Walk and Talk, plant sale and more. www.wkbg.org

ROMP Fest

5710 Kentucky 144 • (270) 926-7891 The annual River of Music Party, put on each summer by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, features four days of concerts, jam sessions, workshops and food at Yellow Creek Park. Past headlines include Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, John Prince, The Punch Brothers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Old Crow Medicine Show and the Del McCoy Band. www.RompFest.com

All American Fourth of July

The City of Owensboro throws an Independence Day party on the riverfront that includes live music, food vendors and a spectacular fireworks display.

PHOTO BY EVAN MATTINGLY

Daviess County Lions Club Fair

6191 Kentucky 54, Philpot The annual fair is held each July at the Daviess County Fairgrounds and features tractor pulls, rides, food, competitions and more. www.daviesscountyfair.com

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1328 Griffith Ave. • (270) 684-1467 On the third Saturday of each August, First Presbyterian Church hosts a celebration of cultures that educates the public through dance, music, arts and more.

8001 Cummings Road The Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph have combined their annual picnic in September with the East Bridge Arts Festival. On tap is a weekend full of arts and crafts, food vendors, a children’s tent and free admission. https://www.eastbridge-at-themount.com/

Owensboro Air Show

Take flight with Owensboro’s annual air show. Each fall, an aircraft display at the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport headlines the first night of events, and a two-day show of breathtaking aerial demonstrations is hosted on the riverfront. www.owensboroairshow.com

Reid’s Orchard Apple Festival

4812 Kentucky 144 • (270) 685-2444 Reid’s Orchard has been celebrating apples and the fall season for more than two decades.

Visitors can sample a variety of apple-themed treats and take part in family activities. www.reidorchard.com

Boo Fest

7301 Hobbs Road • (270) 229-4900 Diamond Lake Resort hosts an annual Boo Fest the last three weekends in October. Activities include hayrides, pumpkin painting, crafts, games and lots of candy. www.diamondlakeresort.net

Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas Parade

Christmas starts in Kentucky at Owensboro’s annual Christmas Parade. Held the Saturday before Thanksgiving and featuring marching bands, lighted floats and a special grand marshal, the parade covers 10 blocks and is one of the largest in the area. www.ChristmasParade.net

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City’s

collection growing of public art WRITTEN BY Keith Lawrence

In June, Mayor Tom Watson joined the family of the late Nicky Hayden in unveiling a bronze statue of the motorcycle champion on the front lawn of the Owensboro Convention Center.

The statue, which shows Hayden on his motorcycle hoisting an American flag, is the latest in a growing number of public art works in Owensboro.

Hayden, who won the 2006 MotoGP World Championship, died May 22, 2017, as a result of injuries he suffered in a bicycling accident in Italy.

His statue was created by Loveland, Colorado, sculptor George Lundeen, who also created two other popular bronze works in downtown Owensboro.

Lundeen’s “Har vest Dreams,” which features a family at a wheelbarrow, sits across Veterans Boulevard from Smothers Park.

His “Hometown,” which features a couple sitting on a bench, is in front of the Daviess County Courthouse.

Mar y Br yan Hood, executive director of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Ar t, has been working for years to encourage the community to add to the number of public ar t works in Owensboro “to further establish it as a cultural tourism destination.”

The museum’s Owensboro Public Ar t Tour brochure lists 21 works.

But there are others that aren’t on the list — like the Hayden statue and Chris Schartung’s “Vine Bike,” a 7-foot-tall green galvanized steel replica of an 1880s high-wheeler on Second Street just east of St. Ann Street.

For decades, outdoor ar t in Owensboro meant Hungarian-American ar tist George Julian Zolnay’s “Soldiers Monument,” erected on the courthouse lawn on Sept. 21, 1900.

But in the 1960s, folk artist Elmer Cecil added several concrete statues around town.

In 1979, the county unveiled Bar ney Bright’s bronze bust of then-U.S. Sen. Wendell H. Ford on the northwest corner of Third

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and St. Ann streets.

In 1988, the art museum bought “Billow,” a two-ton work by Jack Youngerman, a former Louisville resident, to install on its front lawn.

The next year, then-Mayor David Adkisson encouraged the community to add one piece of public ar t each year for the next decade.

But nothing happened until 2001, when Bill Kolok, a professor of art at Kentucky Wesleyan College, was awarded a commission by the Mayor’s Committee for Outdoor Sculpture to create a work for the Owensboro Sculpture Park that was then on the northeast corner of Ninth and Frederica streets.

Also in 2001, the Owensboro Public Ar t Commission helped bring six more pieces of public art to town, including “Love Song,” a stone-and-bronze sculpture of an American

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Indian man playing a flute, at Second and Clay streets.

Several more works have been added since then, including “Into The Wind,” a bronze buffalo installed in the art museum’s Ryan Park in 2008, and “Meadowlands Pair,” a bronze buffalo cow and calf near it in 2012.

“Strength of the Maker,” a statue of a Native American hunter, was added between the buffalos in 2014.

Most of the works are downtown near the river.

But five are near the museum at Ninth and Frederica streets.

A couple are at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, and one is at The Springs on East Parrish Avenue.

The museum has hosted three RiverArtes festivals of public art — in 2014, 2016 and 2018 — where sculptors submit works that can be purchased or leased.

RiverArtes III at the art museum last fall featured 55 works that were available for purchase or lease by local donors.

Some may have been added to the growing Owensboro collection since press time.

Hood said nine of the 11 works that have been leased in the past were eventually purchased and donated to the city or county.

The two-year leases cost $2,500 a year.

Hood said that having more than 20 works of public art on display is “an incredible record for a city this size.”

She said the museum is creating an app and a brochure so people can take self-guided tours of the art works.

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PHOTO BY EVAN MATTINGLY

Tuning into Owensboro’s WRITTEN BY Jacob Dick

music scene

Owensboro has been known as a mecca for bluegrass music and history, found its way onto lists of the top music cities and birthed one of the landmark roots and bluegrass festivals, but it’s also a place where live music can be found almost every week.

The following are just a few of the venues and events offering up a variety of shows in this city of music.

DAVIESS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY On Sunday afternoons during the “An Afternoon With” concert series from summer to fall 2018, DCPL’s second floor became a performance space for a variety of local and touring acts from around the region.

PHOTO BY MAEGAN SAALWAECHTER

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

G R E A T E R

Event coordinator Wesley Johnson created the free concert series as a place for families to catch new music while spending their Sunday afternoons together.

Each show from July to September paired a local band with a traveling act of a similar genre. From bluegrass, indie and folk, Johnson said each band was meant to showcase something Owensboro crowds could enjoy while not completely breaking the library atmosphere.

The concert series will return in late summer 2019.

PORCHFEST OBKY In June 2018, 22 acts across a broad spectrum of genres rocked out at PorchFest OBKY, spread across nine lawns and porches-turned-perfor-

PHOTO BY ALAN WARREN

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“

We try and give an opportunity for local musicians to have a place to be seen, but also a place for customers to be exposed to something different.

”

— Drew Mitchell

mance stages in the historic Griffith Avenue neighborhood. Local food trucks from Fresh by Gene’s and The Spot also parked nearby to supply the hundreds of attendees with food and beverages.

Giving a new outlet to Owensboro talent was one of the reasons why event organizers Tamarra Miller and Andy Brasher decided to bring PorchFest to the city. Some of the musicians also enjoyed the change offered by the festival. Brad Snapp, who kicked off the event with a solo performance, said PorchFest offered a unique opportunity for performers.

“We’re used to playing in bars at night, or places like that if we want to be heard,” Snapp said after his summer performance. “You don’t see a lot of opportunities like this where you can get in front of a different kind of crowd.”

PorchFest OBKY is scheduled to return in 2019 and is currently accepting applications for performers.

FRIDAY AFTER 5 Held from May to August at the Owensboro riverfront, Friday After 5 has become known as where the weekend starts, but it is also home to one of the largest selections of live music throughout the summer. More than 80 bands perform over the season, with multiple bands playing every Friday night on three or four stages.

Kirk Kirkpatrick, a member of the Friday After 5 board, said the festival has expert producers running each stage to ensure a balance of music.

“Each venue has personality, and we try to get people that fit those atmospheres,” Kirkpatrick said. “Each of the venues has its own producers that look at all the bands that submit their information and take in account bands that were crowd favorites.”

Kirkpatrick said stage producers searched through more than 200 submissions last season to pick the best acts that work for each stage and also considered which new acts may have a chance to grow by performing at the event.

“We are always evolving,” he said. “I think our producers really understand what meets with our fun atmosphere and what we want to project.”

Friday After 5 is currently accepting submission from bands at friday after5.com/bands/.

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CYO CYO Brewing, a Second Street craft beer haven that also boasts a wide selection of bourbon, has become known for its local and regional musical acts performing every Friday and Saturday. Each weekend, music is literally the centerpiece of the bar as patrons at the downstairs and upstairs bar circle around the central stage.

CYO owner Drew Mitchell said he has tried to make the bar’s stage a home for local musicians and also a place for something new.

“We try and give an opportunity for local musicians to have a place to be seen, but also a place for customers to be exposed to something different,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had bluegrass and newgrass and even rock reggae.”

Mitchell said CYO also has something new in the works for local music lovers. The bar has used booking agents and word of mouth in the past to pick the best acts but now incorporates the suggestions of its customers to recruit bands from across the country.

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PHOTO BY EVAN MATTINGLY

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro Bringing theater to life for more than 60 years It’s safe to say Donna Risley is a theater woman.

Risley, who was inducted into the Theatre Workshop Hall of Fame in 2016, has been in theater since she was 5 years old. She became involved with TWO in the 1960s, which, at that time, was inactive. Shortly after she returned to Owensboro, she and a group of locals decided to reboot the theater program.

“It took off, and we’ve been going ever since,” Risley said. “Now we have two professional and historical properties, and we are a staple to this community.”

In 2011, the group purchased the location now known as the Empress Theatre at 418 Frederica St. Since then, its board of directors and staff members have been devoted to preserving more than the art of theater in Owensboro, including making significant upgrades and renovations to the building to ensure it can be enjoyed for years to come.

Running an operation out of a historic building isn’t new to the theater company, said Todd Reynolds, TWO’s executive director. The Trinity Centre, at 407 W. Fifth St., has been a permanent home for TWO since the early 1970s. Built in 1875, the building is one of the area’s oldest examples of Gothic architecture, Reynolds said.

Just as striking as its famous, older properties, TWO includes a large family of loyal and consistent supporters and followers, including Risley.

Throughout the years, she has worn many TWO hats — volunteer, performer and member of the board of directors, and she has even donned the headgear of interim executive director when she was needed.

Reynolds said Risley has made “a huge impact” on community theater in Owensboro over the years. It’s because of that she was honored as a Hall of Fame member and also why he works hard to make sure she understands how much she is appreciated.

Reynolds said it was Risley and her peers, along with their passion to

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WRITTEN BY Bobbie Hayse

revitalize Theatre Workshop in the ’60s, that keeps the group just as prominent and important today.

Putting the workshop back into Theatre Workshop of Owensboro is something Reynolds said its board of directors, staff, volunteers and performers are interested in pursuing in the next few years. That means theatergoers will have an opportunity to participate in workshops on set decoration, props, costume design and even Foley sound.

Foley involves reproducing everyday sounds, and Reynolds said he would love to incorporate some sort of sound effects workshop.

“We want to offer all of those kinds of workshops that folks might find interesting,” he said.

The group has also recently performed sensory plays that are geared toward individuals with autism, and it has plans to add more such productions in the future.

One change to the program in the coming year will be melding right into that goal. Taking “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” slot this year will be “Crowns,” a musical with an all African-American female cast that will be staged from Feb. 15-24 at the Trinity Centre.

“It is described as a powerful exploration of African-American history and identity following six women in the South whose stories of love lost and sisterhood are woven into the hats that crown their heads and the dynamic, gospel songs that speak their truths,” Reynolds said.

It involves something the organization wants to keep in mind moving forward: improving diversity.

“We are looking at a couple of ways to help do that right now, including the Penguin Project,” he said, which involves providing access to everyone interested in community theater, including those who have the challenges of a disability.

Find out more about TWO by visiting theatreworkshop.org.

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Owensboro symphony is community’s

orchestra WRITTEN BY Bobbie Hayse

PHOTO BY GREG EANS

With more than 50 years of history in the area, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra continues to be laser-focused on community engagement.

It is, as its CEO Dan Griffith says, “the community’s orchestra.”

The orchestra is for the people, Griffith said, because they have made an investment in the arts organization. For a city the size of Owensboro to have such a high-caliber orchestra “is absolutely phenomenal.”

“Owensboro has been blessed to be able to have such an orchestra,” he said.

The orchestra also serves regional cities. It travels, whether in full, small groups or as the Second Street Big Band — a 19-piece ensemble of musicians from Owensboro and Evansville and other surrounding areas — to regional counties.

The Owensboro symphony is also involved in local outreach programs, such as health and wellness programs that “lift spirits,” Griffith said.

One such program is Music On Call, designed to heighten, change lives and bring comfort to those who are experiencing difficult situations. The orchestra visits nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and the Daviess County Detention Center, where musicians reach out to those in the community who could benefit from music therapy.

The orchestra also is involved in providing music access for children. Kindermusik at the Owensboro Symphony Academy consists of in-house classes at Hager Elementary School and the H.L. Neblett Community Center with a goal to reach at-risk youth.

Along these lines, the orchestra provides a number of programs for several of the schools in the area, including live performances,

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OSO serves with shows and outreach

storytimes, instrument lessons and more.

“Our quest is to be more than ever the region’s orchestra in all avenues,” Griffith said. “We are an important part in economic development and hold an important role in the state.”

The symphony’s season typically begins in October each year. It performs about four primary concerts each season, as well as a few specialty performances.

Kicking off the 2019 season will be “Songs From The Stage and Screen,” set to be performed at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.

It will include Broadway performer Linda Eder as well as favorite hits from the screen and stage. Next up will be the 7 p.m. March 2 “Disney In Concert” show featuring hits from “Frozen,” “Mary Poppins” and other classics for the whole family.

International violinist Fabiola Kim will be featured in the 7 p.m. April 20 show, “Fantasy Takes A Fiery Flight,” which will include music from the films “Rocky” and “Chariots of Fire.”

Troy Quinn, symphony music director and conductor, said this season is “very diverse,” which is what he aims for when arranging performances. The key is to make concerts “the go-to event” and accessible to as many people as possible.

“I think there literally is a concert for everyone,” he said.

“There is not one concert you’ll want to skip.”

Grif fith said Quinn has responded to audiences and designed a program and season “that will be fun for everyone.”

Season tickets are on sale through the symphony website, theoso.com, or by calling 270-684-0661, extension 11.

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Evolve Counseling Services

Founded in 1904 and acquired by the Kentucky United Methodist Children’s Homes in 1984, the Mary Kendall Campus serves adolescent children and families who have experienced various forms of abuse, neglect, substance use, abandonment or trauma.

Visit www.kyumh.org for more details of all programs and services we provide.

Evolve Counseling Services is an extension of the Mary Kendall Campus of Kentucky United Methodist Children’s Homes. The program provides community outpatient services that are committed to the wellness of children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.

Evolve serves community members who are seeking behavioral/mental health and substance use services on their own.

Mary Kendall Campus 201 Phillips Court • Owensboro, KY 42303 (270) 683-6481 • evolve@kyumh.org

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270-926-3200 l omu.org/internet G R E A T E R

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Member FDIC. Only deposit products are FDIC insured. © 2016,

THESE ARE LOCAL MEMBER DISCOUNTS FOR DAVIESS COUNTY FARM BUREAU MEMBERS.

Beckman Tire & Auto Center

Free sink base cabinet with the purchase of kitchen cabinets (or) free standard stainless steel sink with the purchase of counter tops. Minimum purchase applies 2930 Frederica St., Owensboro • (270) 240-5136

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20% off In-Store Items, Special Orders, & Repairs.

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Call us for delivery or a pick up order and receive 10% off select menu items.

10% off trail rides for 2 or more riders with FB membership, during the 2019 riding season.

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5760 Little Hickory Rd. • Philpot (270) 314-9133 • (270) 314-4032

$250.00 Credit at Closing

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10% off a $100 purchase or more of regular priced merchandise. Excludes any sales or discounts.

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20% off custom framing

20% off all services excluding restoration services

5% off Kitchen and Bath restrictions apply call store for details

105 W 3rd St • (270) 685-3958

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2 Years No-Charge maintenance included with purchase of a new Ford or Lincoln

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2645 Frederica St. Owensboro, KY 42301 270-926-9600 G R E A T E R

THESE DISCOUNTS EXPIRE 12/31/2019.

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3230 Kidron Valley Way Owensboro, KY 42303 270-685-5300

O W E N S B O R O

10% Discount

for all qualifying Daviess County Farm Bureau Members 17th & Sweeney• (270) 685-5404

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4600 Hwy 144 Owensboro, KY 42303 270-684-3227

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a r e s t t n a p e l C e k r a P r e v Ri r 2 o f 5 y y t i e a n r u s m m o c of WRITTEN BY Austin Ramsey

In 25 years serving the region, Owensboro’s RiverPark Center has become a staple that binds together so much of what makes the thriving Ohio River community special.

The world-class performing arts venue was the foundation on which a revived downtown sector was built. It has matured into a focal point of regional arts education, and it continues to create memories that will last a lifetime.

“I can promise you that the experience you can have seeing a show or attending an event at the RiverPark Center is not like going to the movie theater or watching TV at your house,” said Executive Director Roxi Witt. “You’re at home here.”

The people who live, work and play in and around Owensboro can take pride in the RPC, not only for the unmatched entertainment experiences it has attracted over the years, but because it was the residents of this community who helped make a regional performing arts venue a reality.

Leaders in the community first began exploring the possibility of a performing arts venue in Owensboro as early as the 1950s, Witt said, but it wasn’t until the late ’80s that those conversations generated any real plans. Two institutions in particular helped illustrate the need for a

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theater — the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and Theatre Workshop of Owensboro. Both were nearing 50 years old by that time, and both had proven themselves as unmatched sources of entertainment in a relatively small community.

“The only performance venues at that time were high school auditoriums,” Witt said. “Those were small and in a lot worse condition back then. Owensboro had a longing for a great place for those great arts groups to be able to really showcase their talents, and the community wanted the opportunity to see other things, like Broadway in particular.

That was the impetus of what we have here today.”

A $4.5 million state challenge grant in 1988 got the ball rolling. In just a few short years, local government and the community championed that grant as an opportunity to build in Owensboro something western Kentucky had never had. More than 3,000 individuals and businesses in the community donated a remarkable $9 million to the cause, Witt said, and construction on the center near Owensboro’s historic Glover H. Cary “Blue” Bridge commenced in early 1991. The hard work and dedication of so many in Owensboro led to a 100,000-square-foot facility that included a 1,479-seat auditorium at Cannon Hall, the 300-seat Jody Berry Cabaret Theatre, meeting rooms and a bricked courtyard.

On a clear mid-September evening in 1992, the RiverPark Center opened with the fanfare and grandeur of a Hollywood special.

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PHOTO BY GREG EANS

A 300-member cast, $250 tickets, Florence Henderson, John Denver, a symphony, an opera company, a dance company, an all-star bluegrass band and more made it a night without comparison in the city’s history.

Today, the RPC plays host to more than 700 events a year. It has launched dozens of national shows in Owensboro and has been at the center of several high-profile televised events, like the 1996 U.S. Senate debate and An Evening at the Governor’s Mansion. In 2009, RPC’s International Mystery Writers’ Festival premiered a two-hour live performance of four Agatha Christie works that was carried through the local NPR affiliate WNIN and streamed online for listeners.

Witt said the facility has become a civic center of engagement where all walks of life blend to enjoy performing arts and attend graduations, awards ceremonies, corporate meetings, festivals, rallies, news conferences, wedding receptions, class reunions and more.

“Things are a little more difficult now than they used to be, because of the whole notion of competition,” she said. “We were the first big thing that was built down here. Now that you have shows the convention center does and the bluegrass museum does, there are only a certain number of entertainment dollars and time. The whole notion of getting out of the house for entertainment is a mystery. But, we are still the community’s living room, and that hasn’t changed. We still are the place where memories are made, and that hasn’t changed. People are graduating here, having weddings here and receptions here. Those are all significant memories that are made by whole families and people.”

Plus, Witt said downtown events centers complement each other.

When visitors come to Owensboro for an event at the Owensboro Convention Center or Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, they G R E A T E R

may also take in an evening show at the RiverPark Center and vice versa.

Things have changed over the years the RiverPark Center has been operating, the most notable of which, officials say, is the BB&T Plaza at the Ohio River’s edge. That has not only expanded RPC’s event space but also served as a catalyst for riverfront development that is still ongoing. Other changes have been more technical, aimed at keeping up-to-date sound and lighting systems in Cannon Hall to be able to continue to attract world-renowned acts using cutting-edge technologies.

But RPC is a nonprofit too, board chair Jeff Ebelhar said. It provides children from surrounding counties in western Kentucky and southern Indiana with arts education that they may not have otherwise had the chance to see and experience. Arts education and its mission to enrich the lives of young people is something early leaders may have never truly realized, but it’s become a critical part of the RiverPark Center’s mission today, he said.

“There’s no question arts education will always be one of the RiverPark Center’s core offerings,” he said. “We are able to introduce to children in our area a world’s worth of experiences.”

The future is bright, Ebelhar added. The board continues to innovate and build on the successes of what he called the inspired leaders before them. A renewed focus will be put on attracting events of regional significance and modifying the center for uses that may attract a younger generation unfamiliar with traditional concert or theatrical events.

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Advertiser Index 323 Staffing Solutions................................................................................................87 Aleris Rolled Products.............................................................................................103 Allstate...............................................................................................................................93 Allergy & Asthma Specialists...................................................................................79 Bar Louie...........................................................................................................................39 BB&T...................................................................................................................................99 Bryant Engineering......................................................................................................35 Castlen Steel...................................................................................................................25 Cavanaugh Pools.......................................................................................................107 Century 21 Partners.....................................................................................................21 Cherokee Millwright.....................................................................................................3 Cheetah Clean Car Wash...........................................................................................98 City of Owensboro.......................................................................................................34 Culver’s..............................................................................................................................39 Danco Construction....................................................................................................87 Daviess County Board of Education....................................................................48 Daviess County Extension Service........................................................................83 Daviess County Farm Bureau..................................................................................99 Daviess County Public Library................................................................................90 Daviess County Teachers Federal Credit Union..............................................83 Diamond Lake Resort.................................................................................................48 Discount Floors/Carpet One....................................................................................43 Domtar..............................................................................................................................28 Edward Jones And Company..............................................................Inside Back Envision Contractors...................................................................................................22 Ecig Source......................................................................................................................98 Evergreen.........................................................................................................................28 Foundation for Daviess County.............................................................................48 Gene’s Health Food Supplies..................................................................................43 German American Bank..............................................................................................1 Glenn Funeral Home...................................................................................................78 Green River Appliance............................................................................................106 Greenwell Chisholm....................................................................................................12 Haley McGinnis..............................................................................................................18 Hampton Inn..................................................................................................................88 Hasgoe..............................................................................................................................85 Helton Insurance..........................................................................................................89 Hollison LLC....................................................................................................................57 Home Builders Association......................................................................................55 Home Realty Inc............................................................................................................78 James H. Daviess Funeral Home............................................................................76 Jeremy L. Bradley, MD, PSC......................................................................................53 Kentucky Legend.........................................................................................................42 Kentucky Wesleyan College....................................................................................61 L. Steve Castlen Realty...............................................................................................95 Lanham Brothers General Contractors...............................................................75 LinGate Hospitality Group........................................................................................34 Malco Cinema 12..........................................................................................................41 Marcus Bosley & Associates.....................................................................................13 Mary Kendall Home.....................................................................................................97 McCarty’s Towing.........................................................................................................55 Meagan Aull, DMD.......................................................................................................78 Mellow Mushroom......................................................................................................41

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Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn..................................................................................................83 Mount St. Joseph..........................................................................................................55 MPD Inc.............................................................................................................................53 Murphy Excavating......................................................................................................59 Nick T. Arnold..................................................................................................................25 Norman King Electric..................................................................................................78 O’Bryan Contracting & Leasing..............................................................................48 Ohio Valley 2-Way Radio...........................................................................................77 Old Hickory Bar-B-Q....................................................................................................48 OMU........................................................................................................................... 75, 97 Owensboro Catholic High School........................................................................65 Owensboro Community & Technical College ...........................Inside Cover Owensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau.......................................................82 Owensboro Convention Center............................................................................91 Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport...............................................24 Owensboro Dermatology Association...............................................................69 Owensboro Federal Credit Union.........................................................................57 Owensboro Health Regional Hospital......................................74, Back Cover Owensboro Lions Club..............................................................................................58 Owensboro Museum of Fine Art....................................................................26-27 Owensboro Public Schools......................................................................................91 Owensboro Symphony Orchestra........................................................................90 Peacocks & Pearls Boutique.....................................................................................18 Perdue Farms..................................................................................................................35 Purcell Tire........................................................................................................................35 RBS Design Group........................................................................................................23 Real Hacienda................................................................................................................39 Red Wing Shoes............................................................................................................77 Regional Water Resource Agency.........................................................................41 Republic Services.........................................................................................................55 Richard C. Good, MD.....................................................................................................2 River Valley Behavioral Health................................................................................71 RiverPark Center............................................................................................................88 Risner & Associates......................................................................................................41 Roshan Mathew, MD Advanced Cardiology....................................................76 Rowland Family Dentistry LLC................................................................................68 Scott, Murphy & Daniell LLC.................................................................................108 Settle’s Group - Hilliard Lyons.................................................................................23 Shoe Stop.........................................................................................................................61 Shogun Steak House..................................................................................................42 South Central Bank......................................................................................................21 Summit OB/GYN, PSC.................................................................................................65 Sunrise Children’s Services.......................................................................................91 The Earle...........................................................................................................................25 The Family Bakery........................................................................................................39 The Women’s Pavilion.................................................................................................69 Tom Blue Furniture......................................................................................................53 Transcend Credit Union.............................................................................................89 US Bank.............................................................................................................................60 Wendell Foster Campus............................................................................................58 Western Kentucky University-Owensboro.......................................................59 Winsupply of Owensboro........................................................................................91 Wright Implement.......................................................................................................85

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By the numbers Q U I C K

P O P U L AT I O N

S U M M A RY

FA C T S

D A V I E S S

C O U N T Y

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates

U N E M P L O Y M E N T

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2018

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Annual Estimates, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

D A T A

P R O V I D E D

B Y

200 E. Third Street, Suite 200 Owensboro, KY 42303 270-926-4339 edc.owensboro.com

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R A T E

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A V E R A G E

W E E K L Y

W A G E

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

$300M n e a r ly

Greater Owensboro receives Site Selection’s 2018 Great River Cup for most per-capita projects along the Ohio River corridor.

Amount of tax incentives granted by the Kentucky Cabinet of Economic

Development to industries in the Greater Owensboro area.

Site Selection

G R E A T E R

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www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC

“When I learned I had cancer, I researched nationwide but was referred back to great care, right here.”

“My work as an engineer helped me understand the benefits of technology, attention to detail and the value of innovation.

So when I learned I had cancer, I researched nationwide but was referred back to great care, right here.

Owensboro Health met all of my criteria and I found that innovations I had been a part of years ago worked to help make a difference in healing me today.”

Charles Mattingly, 74 PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVOR

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