Kentucky Living March 2011

CELEBRATING THE ENERGY OF YOUR COMMUNITY

TREE STORY The 10 best trees to grow in Kentucky THE SWEETEST 16

High school’s March Madness

FOR THE BIRDS

Making homes for feathered friends POWER PICKLE

How a crush of new rules could raise your electricity costs MARCH 2011 • K E N T U C KY L I V I N G.CO M

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Leases • Crop Insurance 1-800-444-FARM • www.e-farmcredit.com

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• Never a better time to Ironclad your home with a • Never Re-Roof Again • Your 35% Energy Savings • Never a better time to Ironclad your home with a Meridian Metal Roof GUARANTEED FOR LIFE! • Never Re-Roof Again • Your 35% Energy Savings Plan will pay for your roof

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Mar 2011 VOL 65 • NO 3

2011 laWn & gardEn issuE

27 20 top 10 trees 27 sweet sixteen 34 bird retweet

Step-by-step instructions for building three birdhouses that will have birds fluttering to check in.

The best Kentucky trees to enhance your landscape, for planting this spring or fall. covEr story

Four sweet days of high school boys’ and girls’ basketball, when fans of all ages go mad each March cheering on their favorite team.

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lincoln logs

Stanford’s 1777 Logan’s Fort is being reconstructed into Logan’s Fort Living History Center.

20 dEpartMEnts 5 KL on tHe weB 6 KL community 7 FRom tHe eDitoR 8 LetteRS 9 commonweALtHS A writer with a dream, farm facts on tour, Youth Tour member wins national award, and more

on thE grid

14 tHe FutuRe oF eLectRicity Clouds of uncertainty

16 cutting coStS When dirty ducts need cleaning

17 gADgetS & giZmoS Battle of the bulbs

18 co-oPeRAtionS on thE covEr Renee Hutchison, nursery manager at Bernheim

Arboretum and Research Forest, Clermont, hugs a ginkgo, or maidenhair tree, one of the 10 recommended trees in the “Top 10 Trees” feature beginning on page 27. Photo by David Modica.

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Helping at home and far away

1 9 eneRgy 101 Beware of “miracle devices”

28A LocAL eLectRic cooPeRAtive newS

KEntucKy culturE 41 woRtH tHe tRiP Celebrating a century of Bill Monroe

43 eventS Kids festival, Kentucky Crafted arts marketplace, canoeing on Tygart Creek, teaching young anglers, and more

45 cHeF’S cHoice At the sign of the Purple Cow

46 gReAt outDooRS Making anglers’ dreams come true

47 gARDen guRu Carpet your landscape with pachysandra

48 SmARt moveS Best test for prostate cancer Tips for investing in a 401(k)

49 SnAP SHot For the birds

53 KentucKy KiDS 54 ByRon cRAwFoRD’S KentucKy Pot-bellied stoves and liars’ benches

KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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this Month at EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Paul Wesslund Managing Editor

Anita Travis Richter adMinistrativE assistant Ellie Hobgood contributors Dave Baker • Byron Crawford • James Dulley • Mike

Jennings • Linda Allison-Lewis • Angie McManus • Shelly Nold • Brian Orms • Sandy Gladfelter • Sara Peak

ADVERTISING STAFF

PRODUCTION STAFF production ManagEr Carol L. Smith graphic dEsignEr/illustrator Kate Wheatley graphic dEsignEr Jim Battles Quality control Paula C. Sparrow WEb MastEr Tammy Simmons

KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES prEsidEnt Bill Corum chairMan Eston Glover vicE chairMan Tommy Hill sEcrEtary/trEasurEr Carol Hall Fraley

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

TO CONTACT US phonE: (502) 451-2430 FaX: (502) 459-1611 E-Mail: e-mail@kentuckyliving.com u.s. postal sErvicE: P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232 non-postal sErvicE shipping: 4515 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218

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AND NOW FOR THE LEGAL STUFF Kentucky Living, Vol. 65, No. 3, (ISSN 1043-853X) is published monthly by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives Inc., 4515 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218. Periodicals Postage Paid at Louisville, Kentucky, and at additional mailing offices. copyright, 2011, by Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives Inc. All rights reserved. subscriptions: $2.87 per year for members of co-ops that subscribe on a monthly basis; all others, $15 for one year, $25 for three years. nEWsstand cost: $2.95. postMastEr: Send address changes to Kentucky Living, P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232. addrEss all corrEspondEncE to Kentucky Living, P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232. Kentucky Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Manuscripts, photographs, and artwork must be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes with sufficient postage. to be returned. Kentucky Living does not guarantee publication of material received and reserves the right to edit any material published.

Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations

pet care for soldiers We see lots of news stories about family and friends left behind when a soldier is deployed, but we forget about the others left behind: the pets. Many pets had no place to go but the animal shelter until Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet was formed, a fostering program for pets waiting for their soldiers to come home. The picture here shows Leo, the first dog fostered by Miché Branscum through the program. Read the latest Creature Comforts column: at www.KentuckyLiving.com, click on Kentucky Showcase.

More favorite trees If the top 10 trees listed in the cover story aren’t enough for you, go to KentuckyLiving.com, type “tree tips” in the Keyword Search box, and click “Go.” You’ll find links to Bernheim Forest’s descriptions of 50 trees, a list of award-winning trees, and tons of tree info from university ag departments around the country.

For birdhouse artists After reading this month’s feature “Bird Retweet,” learn how to attract birds to your back yard, sign up to build a bluebird box at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in April, or begin work now on your artsy birdhouse entry for the 10th annual Birdhouse Display and Benefit Auction in September. Find out details at KentuckyLiving. com, by typing “birdhouse building” in the Keyword Search box, and clicking “Go.”

and Much MorE! reader services at www.Kentuckyliving.com l contact us:

Send questions, comments, or a letter to the editor.

l subscription sErvicEs: Renewals, gift subscriptions, change of address. l advErtisErs: Check our editorial calendar, special sections, pricing, reader

demographics.

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Ask about freelancing.

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Miché BranscuM

advErtising ManagEr Lynne Christenson advErtising salEs rEp. Curt Smith advErtising salEs rEp. Monica Pickerill salEs coordinator Arlene Toon advErtising assistant Kathy Wade

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

chEF’s choicE

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snap shot

sEnd us snapshots oF s, you “horsing around” (yE E th and thE aniMal) For

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KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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From the editor

the sense in a dollar

How a few pennies can teach valuable energy lessons

P

icture yourself breaking a dollar bill into 100 pennies. That mound of coins can tell you a lot about energy in America.

Imagine each penny as part of the fuel that generates your electricity in Kentucky.

Count out three cents—that’s the share of electricity generated by burning petroleum.

Count out two cents—that portion comes from hydroelectric dams.

Pull out one penny—that’s how much electricity comes from burning natural gas.

Finally, set aside one more penny—that’s the share produced from renewable energy like solar, wind, wood, and methane from landfill gas (actually it would be less than a penny, but we won’t make you cut it into pieces).

The remaining pile of 93 coins shows how much electricity comes from burning coal—nearly all of it.

The big energy debate in the United States these days focuses on people who think 93 coins is too many. They say coal pollutes and causes global warming. They propose replacing coal with renewable energy.

Let’s say we somehow triple our production of renewable energy in Kentucky and use it to replace coal. To show what that would look like, move two pennies from the coal coins to join the one penny in the renewable energy stack. You’ll notice the pile of coal coins is still about the same size.

After the huge effort to create three times the wind farms, solar panels, and biogas plants, and building the transmission lines to ship electricity from wherever this alternative energy is produced to where people want to use it, we will still get nearly all of our electricity from coal.

No matter what you think of coal, for a long time into the future it will produce most of our electricity. We need to learn to use it in the most efficient, effective, and environmentally sustainable way possible.

This month’s The Future of Electricity column describes new federal rules that will make generating electricity with coal a lot more expensive. With so much of your electricity coming from coal, it’s easy to see that those rules will be bad for people in Kentucky.

Electric co-ops will be working hard with officials in Washington to change those rules so they keep our electricity as reliable and affordable as possible. Stay tuned to Kentucky Living for updates on these efforts, and what you can do to help.

PAuL weSSLunD

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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letters

Allowance=welfare Your otherwise helpful 2011 Financial Planning Guide in January contains an unfortunate piece of really bad advice: start a weekly allowance for your children and expand it when they are teenagers. My dear old dad was right.

Allowances are child welfare. Don’t put your kids on the dole. Pay them for chores, whether it’s taking out the garbage, emptying the dishwasher, or making their beds. Teenagers can babysit, cut grass, or, as my son did, create a business of taking out and bringing back garbage cans for seniors who have trouble doing it themselves. Let’s teach our kids the work ethic, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the value of money, not an entitlement mentality.

is what causes people to spend more money. It’s much like saying that because I have a big house, I must have a big family; the logic is simply flawed.

Jennifer mattingly, Bardstown

oceans of windmills The Future of Electricity in the January issue, “New power in Portugal,” was a great column, but your editorial points out differences between Portugal and the United States, mostly size. You overlook the greatest benefit. Every kilowatt saved means less that has to be made by coal, oil, or gas. We have big oceans on two sides of our country. Why not start building wind and ocean turbines and partially supply the East and West coasts with cheap, clean energy?

edmund Adams, cincinnati

Lee Davidson, Barbourville

teach budgeting early

Free cancer screening

As a program manager for Junior Achievement, I was pleasantly surprised to see Sam Swope JA BizTown mentioned in the 2011 Financial Planning Guide in January. We have had countless parents and adult volunteers tell us they wish they had been taught budgeting at an early age. It’s never too early to start learning financial literacy. JA also has in-school programs for students from kindergarten through high school, and these programs are available to students in all counties of Kentucky.

I was pleased to see the article on the University of Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening Program in your January magazine. However, as a member of the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association, I know that the screenings are free to any woman resident of Kentucky who is over 40 and still has her ovaries, and that should have been emphasized. Younger women with a family history of ovarian cancer also qualify. Knowing it’s free could encourage many more women to sign up.

Linda Lawrence, water valley

Kathleen Seger, Lebanon Junction

the truth about credit cards January’s 2011 Financial Planning Guide failed to address the reasons why people spend more when they use credit cards. People tend to use their credit cards for larger purchases because they don’t want to deplete their supply of cash on hand. It is not true that use of the credit card itself

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WritE Kl Please address letters to the editor to: Letters, Kentucky Living, P. O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232 or e-mail by going to www.KentuckyLiving.com and clicking on “Contact Us.” Letters may be edited for style, length, and clarity.

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commonwealths Louisville author Dan Williams has always been a man with a dream. Some dreams have become reality faster than others, some authors have had more successful results than others, but this doesn’t stop Williams. Twelve years ago, he simply wrote a title in a journal not knowing what it would become. After stewing on it across many miles and years in his truck-driving career, Williams sat down one day in his Sunday school classroom and finally wrote the story to accompany the title.

The Duck that Lost His Waddle (Xulon Press, $24.99 softcover, 34.99 hardcover) is the story of Egl, a duck who wants to soar like the eagles.

His grandfather encourages

his attempts without fail despite the other barnyard ducks who try to keep Egl grounded. When Egl realizes his dream, a lesson is taught about never giving up, about setting goals, and about working to achieve them.

Williams understands Egl’s plight. It wasn’t until junior high school that Williams, at almost 6 feet of his eventual 6 feet 5 inches, felt like he fit in. He credits a basketball coach who was willing to give him a chance playing the center position, telling him to “go out in the middle and just be big.” He went on to play college ball, but misguided priorities left his grades lacking, putting an end to his college education for the time being. After

single-parenting his three children through successful academic and athletic careers, Williams returned to college with his son in 1999.

“I mostly wanted to be able to have lunch with him every now and then,” he says.

Taking one class at a time over a period of 10 years, Williams graduated with honors from the University of Louisville in 2009 with a BA in philosophy.

After 32 years of driving his truck almost 4 million miles, enough to circle the world 160 times, Williams’ new goal is to make writing his full-time career.

“I believe if you shoot for the moon, you just might hit a star,” Williams says. He hopes that children who read his books will be encouraged,

keLLY Marsh

driVen to dream

Dan williams

as well, to “dream on, dream and do” as he has done. And to those who might be interested in writing, he advises, “If you have an idea about writing, write it down and don’t lose it! It might turn into something.”

Penny wooDS FoR JoSePHBetH BooKSeLLeRS, PennymouSe1@yAHoo.com, (800) 248-6849, www.

JoSePHBet H.com.

energy efficıency ninety percent of the energy it takes to wash clothes is used to heat water. if you wash in cold water, you could save as much as $40 a year. “it’s monday morning, and look who’s all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.”

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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commonwealths

a co-op is the best format for a distribution utility. You are innovators, and i like innovators. Your leadership in the areas of smart grid and energy efficiency is very important.

tiME 50 yEars ago in capsulE KentucKy Living

annual meeting emphasizes strength of rural electric cooperatives

—Jon wellinghoff, chairman of the Federal energy Regulatory commission, at a meeting of electric cooperative ceos

Danny curtis of mt. olivet, shown here, won the most coveted national grand American Handicap trapshooting competition last August in Sparta, illinois. “it’s like the Super Bowl of trap shoots,” he said. “i even won a gold ring like they do for Super Bowl,” he adds. “it was the biggest thrill and surprise for me when i heard.

Some guys shoot in this for a living and have sponsors. i didn’t join the AtA until 2003, but my fascination with guns goes back to childhood.”

According to www. shoot AtA.com, “trapshooting is a specific form of clay target shooting. it is a game of movement, action, and split-second timing. there are three disciplines:

Utility family scholarships A state electric safety group is starting a scholarship for families of utility workers who were injured or died while on the job.

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Deadline for the Kentucky Roundtable for Utility Safety Memorial Scholarship is April 15. Requirements, application form,

LoveLess PhotograPhY of tennessee

shooting star

Danny curtis

Singles, Doubles, and Handicap, with Handicap being considered the most prestigious.”

and more information are available by contacting your local electric cooperative, or by contacting Robyn Bybee, (270) 8862555, rbybee@precc.com.

Editor’s note: To update the stats in the second paragraph from 1961 to 2011, today there are 915 electric systems with 18,682,396 members in 47 states representing about 42 million citizens.

The strength of rural electrification was displayed in Dallas, Texas, when more than 7,000 persons attended the 19th Annual Meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The visitors to Dallas represented 962 rural electric systems with their 4,209,111 members in 46 states and representing nearly 17 million citizens.

Approximately 150 cooperative leaders from Kentucky attended the meeting to support the goals of the state’s rural electric systems.

Walter Harrison, president of NRECA, delivered a speech in which he stated that the cooperative enterprise system is one of the most effective ways to curb monopolistic enterprises in the nation.

“Many of our rural people have grown tired of being relegated to minor roles, of being classed as second class citizens unworthy to sit at the counsel tables or receive an impartial hearing before the bar of public opinion,” he added.

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history in portraits LESSONS IN LIKENESS— Portrait Painters in Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley, 1802-1920, by Estill Curtis Pennington (University Press of Kentucky, $50) depicts an era before events or individuals could be captured with photographs.

Pennington’s colorful 12 x 9 book features images of paintings, lithographs, and etchings throughout, many from The Filson Historical

Society, and consists of two parts. The first examines the careers of artists from the area and provides historical information surrounding the cultural and artistic environment of their period.

The second, a biographical study, describes those artists who crisscrossed the region searching for subjects and a livelihood.

Pennington, a longtime scholar of Kentucky

Pruning improvement

portraiture, offers a valuable resource of history.

Farm Facts on toUr

kY soYBean ProMotion Board

Myths clutter communications between food producers and consumers, say the organizers of CommonGround, a program of information about agriculture. Decisions about nutrition and health often originate from moms, making farm women logical ambassadors for agriculture.

To talk about issues ranging from food safety to property values around farms, four Kentucky spokeswomen will begin hosting speaking events this spring at coffee shops and grocery stores

Ashley Reding, shown with her son, Andrew, will be one of the speakers at agriculture forums this spring.

around the state.

Corinne Kephart, Pleasureville, a fourthgeneration Kentucky farmer, says, “Less than a third of American adults have visited a working farm over the last five years.” Kephart, Shelby County Extension horticulture technician, lives on a family farm in Henry County and was elected the first female president, 2010, of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association.

Carrie Divine, 7th generation raised on the family farm in Union County, now resides on a farm in rural Morganfield. Divine, Workforce Development liaison for Henderson Community College, coordinates workplace training programs for Union County’s Business and Industry. She serves as Young Farmer chair for Union County Farm Bureau and has placed more than 1,000 agriculturally accurate books in Union County school libraries and daycare centers.

Ashley Reding is a managing partner of Homestead Family Farms in Howardstown. The original farrow-to-finish swine operation has evolved into a row-crop operation, growing corn, soybeans, and winter wheat. Reding currently manages human resources, public relations, and landowner relations for the farm.

Denise Jones, dairy consultant with Kentucky Dairy Development Council, lives on a family farm that runs a 300-cow dairy. Jones works directly with dairy farmers in 16 counties of south-central Kentucky. The farm also produces corn silage and wheat haylage for the dairy cattle.

CommonGround, sponsored by the United Soybean board and the National Corn Growers Association, wants to set the facts straight about American food and farming.

Join them to dispel myths and learn facts about modern agriculture production. For information, visit www.find ourcommonground.com.

Like many people, Owen Electric Cooperative customer Dennis Frommeyer looks for coMMunity a better, faster, and easier way.

Unlike most people, faster, and easier.

“When I trimmed our bushes, I got real aggravated

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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YoUth toUr insPiration High school juniors who participate in the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperative’s pErsonality Washington Youth Tour program often meet with leaders when they go to the nation’s capital. As it turns out, last year’s Kentucky Youth Tour class had a national leader among its members.

Chance Anthony, a senior at Breckinridge County High School, participated in Kentucky’s 2010 Washington Youth Tour program through Meade County Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Brandenburg. Anthony was recently named the winner of the High School Football “Rudy”

Award when he was selected as the Most Inspirational High School Football Player in America.

What makes Anthony inspirational is that he was born missing the lower half of his right arm.

Growing up, Anthony didn’t let only having one hand deter him from athletics. He’s a four-year starter for the football team, and plays basketball when he’s not on the gridiron.

He was selected from more than 250 football players from across the country, and the selection committee was led by Super Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The award is named after Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, whose struggles to play football at Notre Dame was the basis of the film Rudy.

As the winner, Anthony

will receive a $10,000 college scholarship from the awards program, which is presented

by Trusted Sports Inc., based in Bend, Oregon. The road to the Rudy began last September with nominations, and altogether, more than 2 million online votes were cast as part of a process that included paring the contestants down to a Top 50 and Top 12.

“Nothing matches the purity of the heart and desire of a high school athlete determined to overcome all obstacles,” Bledsoe says of the annual award.

But Anthony doesn’t see himself as someone with a disability. “One hand or not, you can still catch a football and still catch a basketball,” he says.

“Sometimes my friends forget I’ve only got one hand. I do as

Breckinridge Herald-news

commonwealths

chance Anthony

much as anyone else at school.

It’s how you deal with adversity that counts. If somebody gives you the opportunity, you better take it and run. Don’t look back and question why.”

Anthony received his award during a ceremony in Hardinsburg in February.

—Karen combs

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Three educators will be inducted in the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame this month at the state Capitol in Frankfort. Created in 2000 through a gift by former Gov. Louie B. Nunn, the Hall of Fame “recognizes the vital role that primary and secondary teachers play in the education of young people and the positive impact education has on the state’s economy.”

A statewide selection committee chose: Artie Johnson Hankins, a native of the Big Hill community, who taught in Butler County schools for 44

horse historY “Kentucky, racehorses, and Southern colonels just seem to go together naturally. Whether picturing authors Bluegrass horse farms or their close relative, the Kentucky Derby, many of us cannot summon one of those images without calling up all three.”

So begins Maryjean Wall’s introduction in How Kentucky Became Southern, A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders (University Press of Kentucky, $29.95).

Native Kentuckians and transplants alike can learn about the historical roots, trials, and turmoil of what has garnered Kentucky’s current status— “Horse Capital of the World.”

years. (Hankins died in March 2010.)

Patricia J. Morris, a native of Louisville, who taught history for 30 years. Since 1986, she taught American history three educators will be inducted into the Kentucky teacher Hall of Fame this month: Artie Johnson Hankins, who died in march 2010, of Butler county schools; and Advanced Hazard native Deidra Hylton Patton; and Patricia J. morris of Ballard High School Placement in Louisville. Photos courtesy of whitlock Photography, Ashland, and the morris and Hankins families. classes at Ballard High School. contact Cathie Bryant, Cannonsburg Elementary.

Deidra Hylton Patton, Nominations are now College of Education and a native of Hazard, has been being accepted for the Behavioral Sciences, Western a teacher for 28 years.

2012 class of inductees into Kentucky University, 1906 Since 1999, she has been the Teacher Hall of Fame.

College Heights Blvd., #11030, the gifted/talented coDeadline for nominations Bowling Green, KY 42101-1030, ordinator at Boyd County is July 15. More info is cathie.bryant@wku.edu, or schools and K-5 gifted available online at http:// education teacher at

edtech.wku.edu/kythf, or

phone (270) 745-4664.

Wall’s fascinating epic, lenges and obstacles turned into including three Eclipse Awards— complete with vintage photos, successes when she secured a the Thoroughbred industry’s reveals a wealth of information. job with the Lexington Heraldmost prestigious recognition.

Wall, a native of Canada, grew Leader as a turf writer.

She received three awards for up with a passion for horses; at Wall spent 35 years as a journalistic excellence in harness age 12 she became interested turf writer, published articles racing, and was nominated twice in Thoroughbred racing and in renowned horse magazines, for a Pulitzer Prize. In 2009, she saw her first Kentucky Derby and has been the recipient of was inducted into the Kentucky on a black and white televinumerous awards for her writing, Athletic Hall of Fame. sion. She moved to Lexington in the 1960s, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in history, and her infatuation with the horse-racing industry grew.

Despite obstacles of discrimination against women in that sphere at the time, she was determined to be connected with the maryjean wall, shown here at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, describes in her new sport. Her chalbook how the relationship between horses and Kentucky started and grew.

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Mark corneLison

hall of Fame teachers

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on the grid clouds of uncertainty Utilities face higher costs as they scramble to comply with new federal rules nAncy S. gRAnt

F

orecasting the future has always been a full-time job for electric utilities. Population trends, business activity cycles, summer and winter weather patterns—planners keep an eye on many things to figure out how much electricity people will want today, next year, even 10 and 20 years from now.

Electric utilities use these short- and long-term predictions to set operating schedules for their existing power plants, buy fuels, decide when they’ll need to build new power plants—and work out what everything will cost. It’s a tough job.

higher expenses for utilities to meet new guidelines will mean higher rates for electricity customers A flurry of new rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making the job even harder. These new rules add another level of expenses that will dramatically increase the cost of electricity.

Throughout the United States, electric utilities have made huge investments to reduce six kinds

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the FUtUre oF electricitY of emissions since the Clean Air Act of 1970 set a new direction for public policy with many laws and regulations.

“train wreck” timeline: derailing utilities’ plans During those four decades, utilities could count on an orderly regulatory process. As proposals for new rules came along, there’d be ample time for the EPA to talk with industry pros about the kinds of technology available or what still needed to be developed to do the things required by new rules. Then the EPA would set long-range timelines, often spread out over 10- and 15-year chunks, to reach a series of goals for each item.

Typically, as stricter rules came into effect for one item, there wasn’t much new action concerning the other five going on at the same time. Big changes were staggered over long intervals to allow utilities time to find the best technology, line up the money to pay for new equipment, and then install it.

Electric utilities planned accordingly, with new rules and expenses spread out over long periods of time.

Today, things are very different.

A colorful new slide showing up in talks at energy conferences highlights the EPA’s new, faster approach.

Dates march across a timeline with dots and arrows pointing to events through the year 2017. Each mark notes proposed rule changes, plus the starting point for each phase of new regulations, all on top of old existing rule dates. Events are crowded so close together that folks in the electric utility industry call this “the train wreck slide.”

The coming collision of so many overlapping rules is derailing electric utility companies’ previous plans, plans that were made in good faith according to laws then in effect and based on careful forecasts.

This new timeline includes new rules regulating old items, plus rules about many new substances.

All these new rules mean refiguring budgets for a lot of different possibilities. Planning how to deal with each item must be done separately, and then all the different things put into a utility’s master plan.

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Utilities’ costs may rise to meet new guidelines A look at just one item, the Clean Air Transport Rule, shows how the new rules change previous predictions and plans. The Clean Air Transport Rule adds new limits for certain alreadyregulated emissions from power plants.

In 2002 leaders at one Kentucky power generating co-op, Big Rivers Electric Corporation based in Henderson, decided to add new equipment at a coal-based power plant to meet the regulations timetable then in effect. The special new scrubber began operating in 2006.

Mark Bailey, president and CEO of Big Rivers, says, “We took a pro-

active role back then to install this technology to reduce sulfur-dioxide emissions by 50,000 tons (about 60 percent system-wide). Now (under the Clean Air Transport Rule), the EPA wants us to reduce emissions by another 12 percent company-wide starting in 2012.

Even if we could find some newer technology to do that, there is no way to get all the permits in time to comply, much less have enough time to design, engineer, order, and erect it.”

Other utilities that rely on coal to produce electricity face similar problems as they examine the effect of new regulations. East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), based in Winchester, uses coal and natural gas at separate plants to generate about 2,900 megawatts of electricity. EKPC has already spent $666 million on a variety of emissions-control technologies and devices at its coal-based Spurlock Station.

Tony Campbell, CEO of EKPC, discussed the effect of new EPA rules at a recent Kentucky Public Service Commission meeting. Campbell noted that under one EPA proposal, the electric utility may not get credit for much of its previous investments and the reductions in emissions it has already accomplished.

Proposed new EPA computer modeling techniques also seem likely to produce data far different from the actual physical measurements that have been the rulebook

standard for many years.

As utility companies revise their operating plans to play by a different and much thicker rulebook, they expect their expenses to rise as they make changes to meet the new guidelines. In turn, Kentucky electricity consumers will continue to see the rates on their monthly electric bills go higher. KL

UTILITIES ARE “STARVING FOR PREDICTABILITY” As electric utilities consider how best to change their operations to meet new rules, they must answer many questions: • When will energy-efficiency programs reduce demand?

• When will an economic recovery increase demand?

• What will happen to the price of coal or the price of natural gas?

• Will large amounts of energy from sun and wind be widely available in Kentucky? What will each cost?

In an uncertain world, Tony Campbell, CEO of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, says, “The whole industry is starving for predictability.” So today’s electric utilities are preparing best- and worst-case estimates to help guide decisions about the future.

Energy journalist NANCY GRANT is a member of the Cooperative Communicators Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

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cUtting costs

when dirty ducts need cleaning when my furnace was serviced, i was asked if i have had the ducts cleaned. i am concerned about my family’s health and clean indoor air. How can i tell if they need to be cleaned, and how do i select a company?—Michael n.

H

ealthy indoor air is important for any family. This is particularly true in today’s more energy-efficient, airtight houses where the air quality is often worse than outdoor air.

In addition to some dust from the ducts, there are many sources of indoor pollutants, including cleaning and cooking. Many of these can be removed with a combination of whole-house, furnace-mounted air cleaners and individual room air cleaners.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, much of the dust in heating and air-conditioning ducts tends to adhere to the duct surface, and it never gets into the air circulating throughout the house.

lEarn MorE choosing a duct cleaner When selecting a duct-cleaning company, your best assurance of quality is to start with a reliable contractor. Always check references with past customers.

The National Air Duct Cleaning Association is the trade group that launched the first industry program to certify HVAC system cleaning professionals. The certification requires extensive training. Find a national listing of certified companies at www.nadca.com.

16

Besides a benign, fine layer of houseth hold dust, there can be some potentially harmful particles inside ducts. Mold spores inside ducts can cause serious allergic reactions in some people.

Very fine particles, from cigarettes or wood-burning fireplaces, can become airborne A technician inserts a long vacuum hose into the wall return and cause respiratory duct. the hose is connected to an indoor vacuum unit with a problems. Test kits HePA exhaust filter. are available to take a sample of the dust from inside the your HVAC system also does duct ducts and have it tested for mold and cleaning, you may get a discount other harmful contaminants. by having the service and cleaning done at the same time. The typical cost ranges from about $500 to cleaning the entire system $1,000, depending on the size of your Although it is commonly referred to home and the complexity of the duct as “duct cleaning,” if you choose to system. have it done, it is important to have You might want to have the duct the entire HVAC (heating, ventilation, system inspected before going to air-conditioning) system cleaned. the full expense of a cleaning. Look This includes such items as the furnace and air-conditioner blower, heat for a company that will deduct the inspection cost from the total project exchanger/coils, and drain pans in cost should you choose to have addition to ductwork. it cleaned. Kl Air conditioner evaporator coils can collect a lot of dirt because they get damp when the unit is running, Mail requests and questions to James Dulley, Kentucky Living, 6906 and dust in the air sticks to them.

Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244, This reduces the system’s efficiency. or visit www.dulley.com.

If the contractor who services

WidMers cLeaners

JAmeS DuLLey

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gadgEts &giZMos

Eco consuMEr

miKe JenningS

Battle of the bulbs

california leads the way

deadlines loom for phasing out most incandescent lights

By January 2014, the manufacture or importation of most types of incandescent household light bulbs will be banned in the United States, unless opponents in the U.S. House of Representatives succeed in overturning the standards.

The federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 gives special attention to lighting, which can account for 15 percent of a home’s electricity use.

The law sets efficiency standards, much like auto gas mileage standards. The effect of the rules will be a three-year phaseout of most incandescent bulbs, starting with the 100watt variety in 2012. The ban extends to 75-W incandescent bulbs in January 2013, and 60-W and 40-W bulbs in 2014.

Once each type of incandescent bulb is removed from the market, incandescent bulbs offered in their place must be about 28 percent more efficient at converting energy to light. They must also be rated to last longer—at least 1,000 hours, compared with today’s incandescent bulbs’ average life of 750 hours.

*For California, efficiency standards take effect one year earlier.

the chart shows efficiency standard dates when commonly used incandescent light bulbs will no longer be imported or manufactured for use in the united States. A detailed brochure on this phaseout and alternate lighting choices, Lighting Options for Your Home by the national electrical manufacturers Association, can be downloaded at www.nema.org: search for “Lighting options for your Home” to download a PDF. Source: national electrical manufacturers Association

sMart shoppEr efficient bulbs produce more light, less heat Technically, someone could invent a much more efficient incandescent bulb that would be allowed under the efficiency rules. In the meantime, other kinds of lighting already meet the standards.

Meeting the new standards should

prove a snap for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and solid-state bulbs, also known as light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

A typical incandescent bulb relies on a thin metal filament that emits light when heated. It produces about 15 lumens per watt and burns off about nine-tenths of the energy it consumes as heat.

CFLs create ultraviolet light by passing a current through mercury vapor. A standard CFL yields up to 100

California has moved up its timetable for adopting the new lighting standards by one year; in that state, 100-watt bulbs made since January 1 are legal for sale in California only if they use about 28 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs made before 2011.

In 2012 and 2013, California will impose the federal law’s new standards on bulbs of lower wattage.

But California could ultimately stand alone in switching off the incandescent lights. Twenty-two House Republicans are sponsoring the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act, which would repeal the federal energy-efficiency standards.

lumens per watt while producing less heat than an incandescent bulb.

LEDs—small light sources activated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor—are more efficient and longer-lasting than either incandescent or fluorescent lighting, but they’re also a lot more expensive. LEDs are already commonly used as the numbers on digital clocks and other electronic equipment.

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co-oPerations gRAySon LouiSviLLe

Helping at home and far away PAuL weSSLunD

energy-saving team

based co-op that makes and sells transformers and other supplies, offered its semi-trucks for the job.

grayson Rural electric co-op energy advisor tina Preece in front of a piece of equipment called a blower door, which tests houses for air leaks. the test is one of the ways in which the grayson co-op works with area agencies to help people save money on home energy costs.

Afghanistan aid via co-op LouiSviLLe

Lisa Freeman didn’t know how she was going to get 2,600 pounds of donated school supplies from an apartment in Mississippi to a military facility in Indiana and then to children in Afghanistan.

Then electric co-ops rode to the rescue.

United Utility Supply, a Louisville-

MattheW freeMan ProJect

Grayson Rural Electric Co-op is working with three area organizations to help coop members finance energy-efficiency projects.

The Northeast Community Action Agency, Frontier Housing, and the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development and its Howsmart On-Bill Financing, offer different types of financing assistance. Combined with state and federal tax incentives, and rebate programs through Grayson Rural Electric Co-op, the joint effort can make energy-saving home improvements more affordable.

Under the program, energy use experts develop a plan to insulate a home or business, or upgrade heating and cooling equipment. The program will also help find qualified contractors to do the work, assure it’s done properly, and offer tips for effective operation.

JuLie LeWis

gRAySon

18

In 2009, Marine Corps Capt.

Matthew Freeman phoned his mother, a retired teacher in Georgia, from Afghanistan. He told her how children there were desperate for paper and pencils, and asked her to start a collection. Two days later, he was killed by a sniper.

To honor her son’s interest, Lisa worked with her local electric co-op and rallied the local Boy Scouts, who sent supplies as part of The Matthew Freeman Project: Pens & Paper for Peace.

Another wave of donations came last fall from the hometown of Matthew’s widow, Theresa. With help from her local electric co-op, the Gulfport High School student council collected more than 5,000 items, filling 38 plastic tubs.

The Gulfport electric co-op asked for help from Touchstone Energy, a national electric co-op network, which turned to United Utility Supply and its fleet of 13 trucks. UUS sent a rig and driver to move the supplies to Camp Atterbury in Indiana, where a military cargo plane took over, finally getting the goods to a girls’ school in the Afghan village of Nangaresh. troops at camp Atterbury in indiana hold some of the school supplies bound for Afghanistan, brought there by the united utility Supply co-op truck shown in the background.

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EnErgy 101 Beware of “miracle devices” some gadgets don’t live up to their energy-saving claims “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” That saying rings especially true for claims about energy-saving devices dramatically cutting heating and cooling costs.

Ads made to look like news stories abound for “Amish style” fireplaces, a “miracle device” that supposedly can slash heating bills. The appliance is simply a space heater hidden inside a false fireplace with a wooden mantel. Amish workers make the mantels at a factory.

On the flip side are evaporative coolers that say they will inexpensively cool a room. The inside of the unit consists of cold water and ice packs, like those used in lunch boxes. The water wets a curtain; a fan blows air through the curtain and over

EnErgy basics

“When it comes to saving energy, there are no magic solutions.”

—Brian Sloboda of nRecA’s cooperative Research network

the ice packs, theoretically providing a cool breeze.

But do they work? Consumer Reports found that even in desert-like conditions, one device cooled a test room only two degrees.

There’s no substitute for old-fashioned measures like weatherstripping around doors, caulking around windows, and adding insulation to your attic.

—nRecA cooPeRAtive ReSeARcH netwoRK

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Bird Retweet

homey ouses for

h

Feathered Friends

by aMy cobb • photos by JiM pEarson

A cardinal and nuthatch check out the log cabin birdhouse built by the elkton Road church youth group in greenville specifically for this article and also as a community service project. the birdhouses were donated to area nursing homes.

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Lydia Bryant attaches the roof of the bluebird house with the assistance of project coordinator Aaron cobb, as Kaitlyn and matthew Hunley watch.

S

pring in Kentucky brings robins flitting across green lawns, cardinals perching on fence posts, and hummingbirds hovering in blooming flower gardens. If you enjoy watching the antics of these lively creatures, consider turning your yard into a bird retreat, one that will have birds fluttering to check in.

Begin by setting up feeding stations. Choosing foods that will appeal to the birds you most want to attract will make your yard difficult to resist.

Blends of seeds geared toward various bird species are readily available at local markets, hardware stores, and pet supply stores. Don’t limit yourself by only offering one kind of feed. Ornithologist Craig Scharf, Rosewood, says, “Essentially, the greater the varieties of food, the greater variety of birds.”

Birds need water for drinking and bathing too. This feature is easy to include in your yard by simply adding a birdbath. Consider offering water sources of varying heights.

Scharf says, “Having a birdbath that is at ground level can encourage some birds to your back yard that would not come otherwise. A small decorative fish pond can also attract a wide variety of birds.” However you choose to offer a water source, just be sure that for the safety of the birds it is securely fastened. Also, remember to keep the water clean by changing it often.

Finally, one of the best ways to attract birds to your yard and to keep them there for an extended period of time is to provide nesting boxes, or birdhouses. Scharf says that providing a nesting box, along with supplemental food, can significantly increase the parents’ ability to raise more and robust young. “In the end,” he says, “the birds may be increasing their chance of being successful breeders.”

The Elkton Road Church youth group in Greenville realizes the importance of offering nesting boxes to birds. As part of this article, they recently built birdhouses and donated them to area nursing homes for a community service project. Aaron Cobb of Dunmor assisted the youth with their project. Cobb says all ages can actively participate in building a birdhouse. “If they are young children, assist them in marking where your next cut will be, or have them help hold the wood as you fasten it together. If they are old enough to use tools, let them make cuts, drill holes, and fasten the wood together.

Let it be their project, and you be the assistant.”

When it comes to building birdhouses, the design possibilities vary almost as much as the species of birds. The most important thing is to research the bird species you most want to attract to your yard.

Cobb says, “Build your house to the

specifications required to attract the birds you wish to attract. Building birdhouses is not a one-size-fits-all project. Each bird requires its own dimensions.” The youth group at Elkton Road Church built birdhouses to be used by house wrens, Carolina chickadees, and Eastern bluebirds.

Once your completed birdhouse is ready to hang, give some thought to where to place it. For example, most backyard bird species are territorial, and you’ll want to be sure not to hang houses too close together.

Ornithologist Craig Scharf says, “Some birds need open spaces around their nest box in order to feel >> 26

spotting birds For more information on identifying bird species, attracting them to your yard, or birdhouse specifications, check out the following Web sites: Kentucky ornithological society www.biology.eku.edu/kos/default.htm Kentucky audubon council www.kentuckyaudubon.org national audubon society www.audubon.org north american bluebird society www.nabluebirdsociety.org cornell lab of ornithology www.allaboutbirds.org information on bird watching www.birding.com

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House Wren Birdhouse Materials list All lumber is 3⁄4 inch thick untreated pine; buy 1” X 6”, actual size is 3⁄4” X 5 1⁄4” 1 Roof left side 6 1⁄2" X 7" 1 Roof right side 5 3⁄4" X 7" 1 Bottom left 4 1⁄2" X 4 1⁄2" 1 Bottom right 5 1⁄4" X 4 1⁄2" 2 Front and back 5 1⁄4" X 5 1⁄4" 2 hinges, 1 1⁄2" 2-inch safety gate latch 2 eyehooks, 1 3⁄16" 1 lb box 5⁄8-inch galvanized deck screws (you’ll have plenty left for other birdhouses) Spade bit, 1 1⁄8" Drill bit, 1 1⁄8"

from the point at the top.

A Place the right side of the roof (5 3⁄4" X 7") board up to the left side of roof (6 1⁄2" X 7") board. Secure together with hinges.

Make sure the hinges are positioned so that the 5 3⁄4" board will open fully when raised.

2. Place the bottom left board (4 1⁄2" X 4 1⁄2") up to the bottom right (5 1⁄4" X 4 1⁄2").

D On back board (5 1⁄4" X 5 1⁄4"), measure down 1" from the point at the top. Drill three 1⁄8" vent holes. This will allow for air circulation in your birdhouse.

E Place the front of the house over the assembled bottom section. Align the edges, predrill holes, and fasten with screws.

Repeat this step securing the back to the bottom.

Remember that the entrance hole and the vent holes will be at the top of the birdhouse.

A

B Predrill holes through the bottom right board. Secure with screws.

Drill two 1⁄8" drainage holes in the bottom to allow for water drainage. This will leave you with a 5 1⁄4" by 4 1⁄2" bottom.

C

G Attach the safety gate latch to the underside of the hinged roof and the bottom. This keeps the roof closed but allows for easy cleanout.

C On front board (5 1⁄4" X 5 1⁄4"), measure down 2 inches from the top and drill a 1 1⁄8" hole for the opening.

Remember that the house is diamond-shaped, so measure down

H Predrill and secure 2 eyehooks to the point of the roof to allow for hanging.

House Wren Facts

Table or hand saw Jig saw Drill Drill bits (1⁄8", 1 1⁄8", and 1 1⁄2") Phillips drill bit or Phillips screwdriver Speed square (triangle measuring tool) Tape measure Pencil Protective gear: safety goggles or glasses; gloves; earplugs

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and rarely build their nests more than 100 feet from wooded areas.

Place the birdhouse 5 to 10 feet above the ground.

Unsure if a wren is building in your birdhouse? Look at its tail.

Wrens tend to tip their tails upward.

C

ThinksTock

RECOMMENDED TOOLS FOR BUILDING BIRDHOUSES

These social birds readily settle into birdhouses and may return to nest in the same one for several years.

Wrens often build nests in unusual spots, such as shoes left outdoors, old hats, or boxes in the garage.

They may compete with other birds for nesting holes, and sometimes “evict” other birds from their nests.

Offer wrens sunflower seeds or suet. They also eat a variety of insects, including beetles, flies, and earwigs.

While wrens avoid nesting in heavily wooded areas, they do prefer to have trees nearby

F Place the roof on the house (allowing for equal overhang at front and back of house). Predrill holes and secure with screws.

Remember not to fasten the side of the roof that hinges open.

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carolina chickadee birdhouse Materials list Base and roof are ⁄4” thick wood; buy 1” X 6”, actual size is 3⁄4” X 5 1⁄4” 3

1 Base 9 1⁄4" X 12"

angle at each end. This will leave one edge 7” and one edge 5” long. Predrill two holes, and secure to the top of last 7” log with screws. This is the beginning of the roof support.

9

1 Left side of roof 7 1⁄4" X 12" Rebecca Shepherd drills entrance holes.

1 Right side of roof 6 1⁄2" X 12" Note: The following “logs” are 1" x 1" (we used a table saw to rip an untreated pine 2x6 into 1" x 1" “logs”—or you can buy 1x1s, like those used for a trellis) 16 logs, 7" long

E

14 logs, 4" long 2 logs, 5" long 2 logs, 3" long 2 hinges, 1 1⁄2" 1 safety gate latch, 2" 2 eyehooks 1 3⁄16" 1 lb box 1 5⁄8" galvanized deck screws Spade bit, 1 1⁄8“

12 Attach safety gate latch to underH side of right side of roof. Attach eyehook to right side of house so the roof can be secured down, but be easily opened for cleaning.

A Center 7” log one inch from back of the short edge of base (running parallel with back of base). Predrill two holes, and secure the log to base with screws.

B Place two 4” logs 1⁄4” from end of the 7” log. Predrill two holes, and secure to base with screws. This will be the overhang that gives your house the log cabin look.

C Place another 7” log up to the 4” logs, allowing for 1⁄4” overhang. Predrill two holes, and secure to base with screws.

D Drill four 1⁄8” holes in floor of house for drainage.

E Repeat steps one through three, alternating logs seven layers high to give the house a cabin look.

9

13 Attach two eyehooks to top of house H for hanging, and you are done.

onlinE

H Take 3” log and cut 45-degree angle at each end. Predrill one hole and secure with screw to remaining 5” long log.

Drill bit, 1 1⁄8”

C

G Take 5” log and cut a 45-degree angle at each end. You will have one edge 5” and other edge 3”. Predrill holes, and secure to last 7” log with screws. Tip: To reduce possibility of injury, if using a power saw, we suggest you cut the 45-degree angle in both the 5” and 3” logs from a longer section.

Position roof so it is flush with roof supports. Predrill four holes through left side of roof and secure to roof support with screws. Do not secure right side of roof because it will need to be opened for easy cleaning of house.

More birdhouse building Get more tips for attracting birds to your back yard, find out about building a bluebird box at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort on April 6, or learn how to enter an artsy birdhouse contest at the 10th annual Birdhouse Display and Benefit Auction, September 11, at The Arboretum, Lexington. For more info, go online to KentuckyLiving.com and type “birdhouse building” in the Keyword Search box.

9 Measure up 7 inches from floor on H the front of house, and drill a 1 1⁄8” entrance hole.

10 Place the right side of roof next to H left side of roof and fasten together with hinges. This will give you a 7 1⁄4” X 7 1⁄4” X 12” long roof that hinges.

11 Position roof on house. Allow for 1” H overhang off the back side roof support.

carolina chickadee Facts With its black cap and black throat, the Carolina chickadee closely resembles the black-capped chickadee. In fact, where the range area overlaps for the two species, they sometimes hybridize.

Curious and acrobatic birds, they often hang upside down on twigs, in search of insects.

A pair of male and female Carolina chickadees may stay together

for several years. Together, they choose a nesting cavity or nesting box.

They will eat insects and spiders, but also frequent bird feeders to eat sunflower seeds and suet.

They are identifiable by listening to their song: “Chickadee-dee-dee.”

Hang birdhouses from trees or near trees, approximately 5 to 15 feet from the ground.

F After you have seven layers high, take two 7” logs and cut a 45-degree isTockPhoTo

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Eastern bluebird house Materials list All lumber is 3⁄4” thick untreated pine; buy 1” X 6”, actual size is 3⁄4” X 5 1⁄4” 1 Back 6 1⁄2" X 18" 1 Front 6 1⁄2" X 9" 1 Left side 5" X 10" 1 Right side 5" X 10 1⁄4" 1 Floor 5" X 5" 1 Roof 7 1⁄4" X 7 1⁄2" Spade bit, 1 1⁄2" Drill bit, ⁄8" 1

1 lb box 1 5⁄8" galvanized deck screws Freestanding post or existing fencepost for fastening birdhouse

A On both right and left sides, start at one corner and measure down 1 1⁄2".

Mark a line from there to the opposite corner, and cut along the line.

B On the roof make A a 15-degree bevel cut along the 7 1⁄4" long edge.

This will allow the roof to sit flush with the back when attached.

C On the front make a 15-degree bevel cut along the 6 1⁄2" edge. This will allow the front to sit flush with the roof.

D In the center of the front board, measure down 1 1⁄2" from the bevel cut. Drill a 1 1⁄2" hole for the entrance of the birdhouse.

E Measure down 2" from the top of the back, and draw a horizontal line. This will be where the top of the roof is.

F Measure down 1" from the top

24

center of the back, and drill a 1⁄8" hole. This hole will be used to secure the top of the birdhouse to the post.

G From the bottom of the back board, measure up 5 1⁄2" and mark a line. From this line down, free-hand a decorative design to be cut away. Be creative, but leave enough wood so that a 1⁄8" hole can be drilled to secure the bottom of the birdhouse to a post.

H Place the right side board up to the front board, aligning the angles. Predrill E holes and secure with screws.

I Measure 3⁄4" down from roofline on the back board and position the top of the right side. Align the right side edge with the

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that can be removed to allow left side to open for cleaning.

J Measure 1⁄4" up from the front, right side, and back to position the floor. Predrill two holes in each and secure floor with screws. Drill four 1 ⁄8" drainage holes in bottom of floor.

13 Position roof with equal overJ hang on each side. Make sure to have beveled edge sitting flush with back board. Predrill holes and secure with screws to front, right side, and through back.

Do not put screws in left side. Left side should have 1⁄4" gap from roof to allow for ventilation.

11 Dry fit the left side in place, J aligning the bottom with the bottom of the front board.

Measure down 1" from the front, and mark a straight line so that holes can be drilled through the front and back across from each other. Predrill holes. Secure with screws but do not tighten completely. This is the hinge that will allow the left side to be opened for easy cleaning.

12 Measure up 1" from the bottom J on the front board (left side) and predrill a hole. Secure with a screw

14 Using the J 1 ⁄8" holes from steps 6 and 7, secure birdhouse to a post.

eastern Bluebird Facts Found east of the Rocky Mountains, males are brilliant blue with rusty red breasts.

Bluebirds tend to frequent clearings such as meadows or pastures.

They eat wild fruit and berries, as well as spiders and insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers.

Bluebirds usually have more than one brood each season, and young occasionally help parents with subsequent nests.

Position the bluebird house on a post about 3-6 feet above the ground, preferably facing a nearby shrub or tree to provide a safe place for young birds to fly to.

If tree swallows frequent the same area as bluebirds, hanging more than one birdhouse will help to eliminate competition for nesting sites between the two species. thinkstock

edge of the back. Predrill holes and secure with screws.

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the elkton Road church youth group members who built the birdhouses are: front row, Kaitlyn Hunley, mika Hankins, tiffany Hunley (center front), JoLyn Dorris, Shelby Buchanan, Rachel Shepherd, emily Shepherd, matthew Hunley; back row, megan Hunley, Bethany Bryant, calvin Shepherd (far back), Rebecca Shepherd, Lydia Bryant, Andy Shepherd, and Berea Bryant.

BiRD Retweet >> protected from predators. Other types of birds prefer their boxes to be placed on posts in open fields, and others prefer having boxes placed higher up on the trunk of trees in wooded areas.” And be sure to avoid placing nesting boxes in areas where pesticides are in use. Scharf adds, “Young developing birds are especially sensitive to the use of chemicals. Most nestlings are fed a high protein (insect) diet, even if they are to grow up to be seed eaters. Spraying for bugs in the area of the nest and in their feeding habitats can cause serious problems.”

Now that you’ve found the perfect spot for your birdhouse, there is a minimum amount of maintenance involved.

Regularly ensure that it is securely attached to the tree or post it hangs from.

You’ll want to clean out your birdhouse and remove any old nesting materials each year. Check the hardware on your birdhouse often. Is it in good repair? Does it still fasten securely? If you have purple martin houses, you may want to take those birdhouses down each fall for storage until spring. Also, be sure to monitor birdhouses for competing bird species that you may not want to attract, and for predators such as cats or squirrels.

By offering a variety of food, fresh water, and birdhouses, your bird retreat will

26

make for happy tenants, some of which will flock to your yard year after year.

Handy hints for attracting birds Although colorfully painted birdhouses may be beautiful to us, most birds prefer more natural looking homes for nest building. If you can’t resist the urge to paint, latex paint may be less harmful, and be sure to only paint the outside.

To make cleaning your nesting box a snap, be sure to include a clean-out door via a hinged roof, or a sidewall that easily unscrews.

Drainage holes are important too.

Cobb says, “Drainage holes allow water to drain from the house, preventing baby birds from sitting in a saturated nest. It also helps to prevent the wood from soaking up water and decaying faster than it would naturally.”

It’s not necessary to add a perch to your birdhouse as most birds don’t need them. In fact, perches may make it easier for predators to invade the nest inside.

Don’t forget to ventilate your nesting boxes by leaving a gap just below the roofline or by drilling a few extra holes on each side, below the roof.

For more tips, go to KentuckyLiving. com and type “birdhouse building” in the Keyword Search box. Kl

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American yellowwoods can grow to a height of 30-50 feet and 40 to 50 feet wide over time. one of this size, located in the Spring grove cemetery in cincinnati, is not typical.

A yellowwood is considered a medium-size tree and is often planted in the landscape setting for its prized flowers and beautiful bark, despite heavy maintenance required from its frequent droppings of branches, seedpods, and leaves. Photo

by Scott Beuerlein/the cincinnati Zoo and Botanical garden.

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coveR StoRy

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Trees

Kentucky tree experts provide their list of diverse tree recommendations for homeowners, with tips for choosing and planting so they will thrive

by JaMEs nold Jr.

O

ne of the botanical ideas most of us have learned in the last few decades is the idea of “invasiveness”—the non-native plants that, once introduced into an ecosystem, spread everywhere.

Kudzu is the classic example.

Peter Barber, the partnership coordinator of the Kentucky Division of Forestry’s urban and community forestry program (www.forestry.ky.gov) shares his thoughts on the problem of ecological invasiveness. Tree of Heaven (also called stinking sumac) >> 31

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For small to medium lots

American hornbeam t Botanical Name: Carpinus caroliniana Height: 20-30 feet Spread: 20-30 feet Foliage: Thin, simple, dark green leaves that turn various colors.

Care needs: Needs moist soil; does well in

This native tree is known as “musclewood,” from the sinewy appearance of its blue-gray trunk and stems, as well as “ironwood.”

Tony Nold, owner of The Plant Kingdom in Louisville (with his wife Shelly, this magazine’s garden columnist), calls it “a good, tough urban tree.” Kristopher Stone of the Boone County Arboretum calls it a good smaller alternative to beech (it has similarly smooth bark).

Pawpaw u Botanical Name: Asimina triloba

drooping leaves; turns yellow in the fall; purple flowers.

Care needs: Moist, slightly acidic soil; does well in full sun or shade.

Purpose: Shade; fruit; street tree

BoonE counTY arBorETuM

Height: 15-20 feet Spread: 15-20 feet Foliage: Long, thick,

This native tree produces a fruit that’s universally described as “custardy.” Tony Nold calls its foliage “tropical-looking” (it comes from a tropical family). It’s known for attracting butterflies. In its native habitat, it forms suckering colonies from its roots. Kentucky State University is a leading center of research on the pawpaw, which may have potential uses in cancer therapy and as an organic insecticide.

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American yellowwood p Botanical Name: Cladrastis kentukea Height: 30-50 feet Spread: 40-50 feet Foliage: Compound leaves have 7-11 alternately spaced leaflets; clusters of white flowers appear every 2-3 years; turns yellow in the fall.

Care needs: Best growth in full sun to partial shade; needs pruning to form strong branch angles, but should be pruned only in the summer.

Purpose: Shade, specimen tree (a tree you select for some unique characteristic that appeals to you or particularly compliments your site; is planted alone in a landscape to stand out for its particular merits, i.e., good shade, great shape, great fall color, interesting bark, spectacular flowering)

Not just native, but KenscoTT BEuErLEin/ThE cincinnaTi Zoo anD BoTanicaL GarDEn

shade; difficult to transplant.

Purpose: Shade; fall color; street tree (a tree that is hardy enough to thrive in an urban environment or along a street)

scoTT BEuErLEin/ThE cincinnaTi Zoo anD BoTanicaL GarDEn

BoonE counTY cooPEraTiVE EXTEnsion

tuckian through and through —check out the botanical name; the tallest example in the country is in Jefferson County. While it’s rare in the wild, it’s easy enough to find in nurseries, and has many fans among horticulturists (it was a 2004 Theodore Klein Plant Award winner). It’s tolerant of Kentucky’s limestone-based soils; its leaves turn yellow after many other trees have already defoliated.

Fun fact: Indians used its wood to make a yellow dye.

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BoonE counTY arBorETuM

Sweetbay magnolia p Botanical Name: Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’ Height: 20-30 feet Spread: 15-25 feet Foliage: Simple leaves 3-6 inches long; fragrant white flowers bloom in early summer; poor fall color (brownish-green).

Care needs: Best in full sun in moist, welldrained soil, but adaptable to many soil conditions.

Purpose: Street tree, specimen tree, flowering tree

This tough plant is considered to be the most trouble-free of lilacs. It blooms early in its life, and profusely, in large terminal clusters.

Stone prefers a less-used variety called China Snow Pekin Lilac (syringa pekinensis)—it has a mahogany red bark that peels off in curls that he prefers to the bark of the Japanese.

the year; creamy white, lemon-scented flowers, smaller than those of other magnolias, bloom in late spring and occasionally during the summer.

Care needs: Wet to swampy soil, full sun to partial shade; needs acidic soil.

Purpose: Specimen tree; screening

Another tough urban tree, with good drought resistance. It sometimes takes on a low, multitrunked, shrublike appearance. Stone likes the ‘Northern Belle’ cultivar, which he says is more upright and narrower than other sweetbay magnolias and is especially hardy in the cold (it keeps its leaves well below zero).

BoonE counTY arBorETuM

Japanese tree lilac

q Botanical Name: Magnolia virginiana Height: 15-25 feet Spread: 10-20 feet Foliage: Elliptical leaves stay green for most of

For large lots Ginkgo/maidenhair tree

q Botanical Name: Ginkgo biloba Height: 40-80 feet Spread: 30-40 feet Foliage: Distinctive emerald green, fan-shaped

Japanese Zelkova

leaves turn brilliant golden yellow in fall.

leaves; fall color can be showy, with a mix of red, orange, yellow, and purple.

Care needs: Prefers full sun and welldrained, deep, moist soil; adaptable to wide range of pHs. Purpose: Shade tree, street tree

prefers deep sandy soils and moderate moisture.

Purpose: Street tree, specimen tree, shade

This vase-shaped tree, with its upright arching limbs, is used widely as a substitute for American elm. The bark can exfoliate in a pattern that shows the orange inner bark peeking through.

It’s highly drought-tolerant. Look for individuals with well-spaced limbs to ensure strong branching (the limbs have a tendency to clump together at a single point on the trunk).

shELLY noLD

BoonE counTY arBorETuM

This Chinese native is the only survivor of a prehistoric order of trees, kept alive into our time by being tended in Buddhist temple gardens. You want to get a male tree: the female has an unpleasant odor (it’s prohibited to plant female ginkgo trees in public right-of-way easements or along roads in a number of cities, including Louisville and Lexington). “They’re such darn tough trees,” says Stone—droughttolerant and well-suited to urban areas. The ginkgo’s eccentric branches usually spread into a rounded form, but there’s a narrow variety (or cultivar) called “Princeton Sentry.”

BoonE counTY cooPEraTiVE EXTEnsion

Care needs: Adaptable, but does best in full sun;

u Botanical Name: Zelkova serrata Height: 50-80 feet Spread: 40-50 feet Foliage: Pointed, elliptically shaped

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toP 10 tReeS >> “can colonize our fields and woodlands,” Barber says.

“Wherever they’re growing, a native tree is not growing.”

But trees that aren’t ecologically invasive can be harmful in a more subtle way, by a kind of invasiveness of the imagination—they reduce an ecosystem’s biodiversity by being used too widely.

Dena Rae Garvue, horticulture director at Bernheim Forest (www. bernheim.org), says, “Basically, maybe 20 to 25 trees are the most common for urban settings and you see them throughout” cities and towns.

Barber notes that while the pin oak is a fine tree, it’s been planted so widely (especially in cities) that there’s really not much point in planting another one. Kristopher Stone, director of the Boone County

Arboretum in Union (www.bcarbo retum.org) and blogger for Kentucky Gardener magazine, nominates the red maple as another overplanted species. “Not that we shouldn’t plant them, but you always want to have a way to avoid monoculture,” he says.

So let’s get more diverse. This article, based on recommendations from several Kentucky tree experts, suggests some trees that homeowners might like to plant. They’ve been chosen to bring some new, or at any rate less common, varieties to your attention. A good number are native trees; all of them are suited to Kentucky’s climate, are pest-resistant, and not invasive.

But don’t just take our list and head for the nursery. You’ve got a lot of work to do first.

The cliché in horticulture is “the

tree watching the glasgow garden club created a brochure celebrating last year’s Arbor Day with photos and sightseeing directions to 22 of the oldest and most unusual trees in Glasgow. The largest white ash in Kentucky is located at 1101 South Green Street. For a brochure or more info, e-mail lindacraiger@hotmail.com.

Boone county Arboretum has a vast number of tree collections. Download a visitor’s guide at www.bcarboretum.org/ VisitorsGuide.aspx.

Join in for the Dogwood Dash 5K Run/ Walk on Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m. Call to register. Don’t miss the Spring Plant Sale, May 14, 9 a.m.–noon, for great bargains on perennials, shrubs, and trees. And learn how to identify spring trees and shrubs on May 26, 1:30–3 p.m.

For more information go online to www. bcarboretum.org and look under “Events & Education” or call Laura Kline (859) 586-6101.

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yellow and red; 1-inch oval acorns.

Care needs: Grows in wet or dry soils;

White oaks are a more diseaseresistant group of oaks, and this native oak is one of the faster-growing. It’s iceand windstorm-resistant (surviving the storms of 2008 and 2009 quite well) and tolerant of high-pH soils. The exfoliating gray-brown bark on its branches provides excellent winter interest, and it’s long-lived (lasting up to 300 years).

Bald cypress p

Green Giant Arborvitae u

Botanical Name: Taxodium distichum Height: 50-70 feet Spread: 20-30 feet Foliage: Short, soft needles that emerge

Botanical Name: Thuja (standishii x plicata) ‘Green Giant’ Height: 40-60 feet Spread: 10-15 feet Foliage: Thin delicate needles, densely packed.

Care needs: Adaptable to many soil types; needs little pruning.

Purpose: Windbreak

bright yellow-green, darken in the summer, and turn russet in the fall.

Care needs: Full sun; prefers wet soils but will adapt to dry; prefers acidic soil.

Purpose: Shade tree, screening

This is one of several conifers that

right tree in the right place.” But that simple formulation involves a lot of thinking.

The most important factor is to look into the future—to know how your tree is going to grow. “People purchase plants when they’re in a small container and they go, ‘Oh, I like this. It has beautiful architecture, I really like the bark, and the leaves are beautiful,’” says Garvue. “And they put it in the ground not knowing what it’s going to be like in 30 years.” Which leads to trees that fall onto your roof, or have to be cut in an unappealing “U” because they’ve grown up into power lines.

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Boone countY arBoretuM

This hybrid grows tall, narrow, and fast: Kristopher Stone cites one at the Boone County Arboretum that was 4 or 5 feet tall in 2002 and is now 35 feet. It has a stately, narrow, formal shape—Stone compares it to an upside-down ice cream cone. Maintains dark, green color, and its foliage has a dark green color and is slightly shiny.

ernie Wiegand

prefers acidic pH. Purpose: Shade, specimen, interesting bark, fall beauty

Boone countY arBoretuM0

Boone countY cooPerative eXtension

Swamp white oak t Botanical Name: Quercus bicolor Height: 50-60 feet Spread: 50-60 feet Foliage: Shiny, dark green leaves that turn

Indeed, where your utilities are located is the first factor to consider.

According to Barber, large trees (ones that will grow to be more than 40 feet tall) should be planted at least 40 feet away from overhead lines (electric lines being the most crucial); plant medium trees (growing 25-40 feet tall) 15 feet or more away.

Barber recommends having your utility company spray-paint or flag your lawn to indicate where underground utility lines run. This can be requested by contacting the Kentucky Call Before You Dig number, (800) 752-6007, or simply dialing 811. All trees should be kept at

shed their needles. In the wild, they can top 100 feet tall; in very wet settings, they grow the unique extra roots called “knees” that are believed to help anchor them to the soil. The pond cypress, Taxodium ascendens, is a related tree that Stone believes has “an even more fine-textured look and more narrow growth habit to it” than the bald cypress but is used less often.

least 10 feet away from the underground lines. All tree roots will grow as far as they can, following the path of least resistance. The soil around pipes tends to contract and expand, allowing water to condense on the pipe, and making the soil moister and more attractive to the probing roots.

Large-growing trees should be planted as far away from driveways, curbs, and sidewalks as possible— Barber recommends a minimum of 4 feet. And he says large- and mediumgrowing trees should be planted 10-20 feet away from building foundations.

Other considerations are whether the tree is suited to your type of soil

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and drainage, as well as a site’s exposure to sun and wind and the tree’s susceptibility to disease. It’s also worth thinking through what the tree will drop—some people don’t like the mess of cleaning up crabapples or plums; others are annoyed by the percussive dropping of nuts, especially when they put a dent in the new pickup truck.

Barber points out that many cities have lists of trees that are acceptable to plant (and other trees that aren’t approved). Any of the 38 Kentucky communities that participate in the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program has a tree board that can be consulted about preferred trees.

Choose orientations that maximize the effect you’re going for—for example, having shade fall on the east and west sides of your house.

And then there are the aesthetic choices—all the multiples of shape, leaf, flower, and bark that a landscaper can use with a painter’s eye.

onlinE

online tree knowledge For more tree recommendations and research, go online to www.Kentucky Living.com and type “tree tips” in the Keyword Search box to locate four Web sites that will help you find the right tree for you.

Will it be a shade tree? Is it providing fall color? Is it supposed to be a specimen tree, considered a standout that attracts attention? Or a foundation one— the plants that provide the framework for your landscaping? What “habit” (typical growth pattern) are you looking for? In other words, what look do you want—sweeping boughs, or weeping ones? Is the overall shape vaselike, columnar, or round? Are you looking for flowers, or ornamental bark?

Choose a tree that speaks to you and it will also shade and enrich future generations. Kl

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celebrating

sweet sixt When March arrives in kentucky, you don’t have to wonder if that refers to a birthday or basketball. and you can guarantee there’s going to be a four-day party, uniting people of all ages for the coveted high school boys’ and girls’ basketball championships by gary p. WEst

collEgE basKEtball tEaMs throughout thE statE gEnEratE thEir sharE oF EXcitEMEnt during March, but it is the consistency of high school teams year in and year out that makes basketball in Kentucky what it is today.

Perhaps nothing grabs the entire state like high school basketball. From Wickliffe in the west, to Pikeville in the east, and from Maysville in the north to Franklin in the south, few escape the enthusiasm, excitement, and sometimes even uproar over a game played by teenage boys and girls in not-so-short britches.

And for most schools the ultimate of success is reaching the High School Sweet Sixteen.

For the girls it’s the Houchens Industries Girls’ Sweet Sixteen in Bowling Green, this year March 9-12, and for the boys it’s the PNC Boys’ Sweet Sixteen, March 16-19

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in Lexington, for single-elimination tournaments.

According to Julian Tackett, commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (www. khsaa.org), several years ago before consolidation there were 600 schools.

Now he says 272 boys’ teams and 270 girls’ teams that begin play in 64 districts throughout Kentucky have hopes and dreams of reaching their respective state tournaments. These districts melt into 16 regions—thus the name—with one winner in each.

“Our priority is on the 16- and 17-year-olds and the game itself,” Tackett says. “But it’s also much more than that. It’s a reunion, a chance for people to see each other here that they don’t normally see anywhere else. An atmosphere has been created that really makes this a special event for both the teams and fans.”

In the essence of life, long after the

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xteen

n the annual Sweet Sixteen boys’ and girls’ high school basketball tournaments bring out all ages and types of fans, not just from Kentucky but from many other states. this lively crowd scene is from the ohio county vs. george Rogers clark game of the 2010 Kentucky High School Athletic Association girls’ Sweet Sixteen state tournament in Diddle Arena in Bowling green. Photo by Joe imel. www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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uniforms and tennis shoes have been put away, and memories have faded as to which team won in what year, anyone who has ever attended just one state tournament never forgets it.

Wayne Gaunce grew up in Carlisle and now lives in Glasgow. He hasn’t missed a boys’ tournament in 60 years.

“Saw my first one in 1950 at the old Armory in Louisville,” he says. “I have friends I only see one time a year and it’s there.”

Bobby Flynn, from Lexington, says he’s only missed two tournaments since 1946.

“I like Georgia football in the fall,” says the Bonaire, Georgia, resident. “But when it gets cold weather I put my blue shirt on and get ready for basketball.”

He says trips to Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, the Masters, Kentucky Derby, and seeing the Celtics and Packers don’t compare with the Boys’ Sweet Sixteen.

“There’s no sporting event like this,” he says.

Many youngsters in Kentucky, from the time they learn to dribble a basketball or shoot at a backyard

272 boys’ teams and 270 girls’ teams begin play in 64 districts throughout n emily goetz of Louisville’s mercy High School drives to the basket against Henderson county’s Lauren Rodgers defending last march during a Sweet Sixteen state girls’ high school basketball tournament game at Diddle Arena in Bowling green. Photo by Joe imel.

kentucky. these districts melt into 16 regions, with one winner in each.

“I even refereed three games in the mid-60s,” he says.

Perry Jones now lives in a nursing home near Prestonsburg, but he hasn’t let that stop him from coming to the games, wheelchair and all.

“I’ve been to 50 straight,” he says of the 2010 tournament. “I live for coming here.”

Mike Perry grew up in the ’40s and ’50s in Feds Creek in eastern Kentucky, and moved with his family to Georgia when his dad quit working in the mines after a coal mining accident, and even though he didn’t see his first tournament until 2006, he plans on being a fixture at the boys’ tournament for years to come.

n Scott county’s Audriana christopher, #11, drives to the basket between Boone county’s Stacie Shrout, right, and another Boone player during a KHSAA girls’ Sweet Sixteen state tournament game last year. Photo by Joe imel.

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goal, begin the dream.

For the boys it’s Rupp Arena in Lexington, and for the girls it’s Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has the responsibility of overseeing all prep sports throughout the state, but by far the most visible and financially rewarding are the two high school basketball championships.

onlinE

greatest show in hoops Learn how Kentucky’s Sweet Sixteen boys’ and girls’ state basketball tournaments are unique, and find statistics of the past state champions, and individual and state team records. Go to www.KentuckyLiving .com and type “sweet sixteen” in the Keyword Search box.

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The boys’ tournament began back in 1916 with only eight teams, but hasn’t always been played in Lexington. The first three years, in fact, were played at Centre College in Danville before moving to Lexington’s UK Gym and then to Alumni Gym in 1924. From there it was back and forth over the years.

The Armory and Freedom Hall in Louisville hosted multiple events, while Memorial Coliseum and Rupp Arena were the sites in Lexington.

But in 1995, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association decided Rupp would be the permanent venue.

The girls’ tournament dates to 1920, first being played in Winchester before moving to Lexington.

But then something happened.

From 1933 through 1974, there was no girls’ high school basketball tournament in Kentucky. Resuming in 1975, the tournament was played in Richmond until it moved to Bowling Green in 1985. Over the next several years, it was played in Frankfort and Richmond before settling back in Bowling Green in 2001.

Joyce Seymour, Louisville, has seen every girls’ state tournament since it was revived in 1975.

“There is a growing fan base that has evolved much like the quality of girls’ basketball,” Seymour offers.

“The opportunity for kids to play on a university campus in a first-class facility, and then just imagine the opportunity a young girl has in getting a four-year scholarship to play basketball. Girls’ basketball was on hold for so many years, and now we’re catching up.”

Both tournaments are for the young as well as the young at heart, and unlike oil and water, basketball in Kentucky easily mixes them together.

They arrive by yellow school bus loads. Screaming students, many with painted faces, horn-playing bands, and clapping cheerleaders,

all add to the atmosphere. The socalled old-timers sit back and watch.

It’s the one time it doesn’t matter how loud it gets. Kl

n ethan Spurlin of Stanford’s Lincoln county grabs the face of Shelby county’s Alex matthews as he drives to the basket in the opening round of the 2008 Sweet Sixteen.

Photo by tim webb.

n Joyce Seymour, Louisville, has seen every Sweet Sixteen girls’ basketball state tournament since 1975. She is shown at the Rockcastle county vs. Scott county game last year at Diddle Arena in Bowling green. Photo

by Joe imel.

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n elisha Justice of Pikeville’s Shelby valley maneuvers through traffic during the 2010 title game against covington Holmes’ team. Justice, who was named tournament mvP, led his eastern Kentucky team to both All “A” classic and Sweet Sixteen titles, becoming the first team to ever win both state tournaments in the same year. Justice, Kentucky’s 2010 mr. Basketball, now plays for the university of Louisville cardinals. Photo by tim webb.

n Rockcastle county’s Kristin Abney, #5, grabs a rebound against murray’s Sian House during one of last march’s girls’ high school basketball tournament games in Bowling green. Photo by Joe imel.

n nigel Phelps of elizabethtown’s north Hardin drives the basket against maysville’s mason county in the opening round of the 2010 tournament.

Photo by tim webb.

n elliott county’s evan Faulkner loses the handle on the ball against covington Holmes’ Jamel Riley in the 2009 semifinals. elliott county, the small-town team from Sandy Hook, won over the hearts of tournament fans with their great shooting hustle, and impeccable sportsmanship. Photo by tim webb.

n A fan cheers for the Rockcastle county Rockets girls’ team against george Rogers clark during last year’s girls’ Sweet 16 state tournament game. Photo by Joe imel.

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the last of a triangle of historical forts in Lincoln county —frontier Logan’s fort in stanford—is being reconstructed by dEbra gibson • photos by tiM WEbb

n A log fence, or palisade, was built to protect living things inside Logan’s Fort in Stanford as part of the initial reconstruction project last year, similar to the original 1777 fort. n Joe Long of clinton, tennessee, drives a team of mules during Logan’s Fort reconstruction last march. the crew of log builders from tennessee used authentic methods to rebuild one of Kentucky’s original forts.

a pair oF WorK MulEs arE thE First thing you sEE. Hand-hewn logs trail behind the sturdy animals as men guide them with their heavy load. At the clearing lies the goal: the site for the first blockhouse in Logan’s Fort.

If not for the cars encircling the site, you might easily think it is 1776 and Benjamin Logan has returned from Virginia. Since building has just begun, that would mean Logan has convinced some of his friends to build their cabins at the fort.

Instead it’s actually March 2010 and a bevy of leading citizens watch as the walls of the first reconstructed blockhouse in Logan’s Fort go up, barn-raising style with men pulling heavy, hand-notched logs into place with ropes. The leaders insist the authenticity of the building process mirror the historical correctness of the materials used, as well as the history that the townspeople have so diligently researched.

Later a palisade—a large fence or wall built to pro-

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n the completed blockhouse with palisade is the first of several structures—seven cabins, three blockhouses, a gristmill, walking trails, and a refurbished icehouse— that will become the Logan’s Fort Living History center in Stanford.

tect living things inside—was added at the front along with a large east gate. Work resumed in 2011 with the reconstruction of a corner log cabin expected to be complete by April.

Logan’s Fort is part of a triangle of historical forts in the area that was originally Lincoln County— including Fort Harrod and Fort Boonesborough— according to Irene Jaggers, president of Logan’s Fort Foundation. The foundation is one of three partners on this project, including the City of Stanford and the Lincoln County Fiscal Court, with a seven-member board overseeing the construction.

Planning the ambitious undertaking took 14 years from concept to initial construction. Fund-raising began in 2007. This 90 X 150-foot fort replica, being built in close proximity to the original fort site in Stanford, will ultimately include seven cabins, three

logan’s Fort Facts • Logan’s Fort was completed and occupied by February 1777.

• The attempted court-martial of Daniel Boone took place at Logan’s Fort.

• Early settlers often referred to 1777 as the “Year of the Bloody Sevens” or “The Bloody Year of the Three Sevens.” The state was held by a handful of people confined to three forts—Ft. Harrod, Ft. Boonesborough, and Logan’s Fort. All three were part of Lincoln County at the time.

• Records at the Lincoln County Courthouse are among the oldest in the state, dating back to 1778. A few were written on sheepskin.

• The land around the fort was cleared of all trees and cane so Indians would not be able to hide and shoot at the fort.

For more information, go online to www.LogansFort.org.

Donations for continued work on Logan’s Fort can be made using the “Membership/Donations” form; all donations should be mailed to Logan’s Fort Foundation, P. O. Box 1775, Stanford, KY 40484.

There will ultimately be a plaque in the welcome center inscribed with donor names. Anyone can make a donation in their own name or to honor or commemorate someone else, whose name will appear on the plaque.

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blockhouses (a log structure with an upper story overhanging the first), a gristmill, walking trails, and a refurbished icehouse that will house a welcome center, museum, and gift shop.

Jaggers notes proudly of the community involvement, “We received donations from $10 to as large as $25,000. Schoolchildren saved their pennies to buy logs. Thirteen classes each bought a log. We later received one grant for the welcome center and have applied for grants for the fort.”

Residents of this history-rich and heritage-proud county are not new at restoring historical treasures.

The William Whitley House, a State Historical Site and the first brick house west of the Alleghenies, has been restored, as well as the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, now a museum. The Lincoln County Historical Society purchased and preserved the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Ottenheim, a touchingly beautiful late-1800s structure in the German-Swiss community featuring a hand-carved altar.

No one will be more pleased than Jaggers, who is often at the epicenter of action. Her coiffed gray hair tucked neatly under a hat, green eyes sparkling, she says others are excited about the fort as well. “People have been hearing about it all these years. Now they see it is really going to happen. We don’t just want to protect part of our history; we want to help all history in Lincoln County.” Kl

n irene Jaggers, president of Logan’s Fort Foundation, one of three partners working on the project, holds a picture of a model of how historic Logan’s Fort may have looked. the reconstruction project is a work in progress as funds become available.

Another corner, a log cabin, is expected to be complete in April.

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kentUckY cUltUre celebrating Bill monroe KAtHe Rine tAnDy BRown PHotoS couRteSy oF inteRnAtionAL BLuegRASS muSic muSeum

worth the triP long excuse for bluegrass jamming in every corner of Kentucky.

“Bill Monroe’s 100th has been in the planning stages since 2008,” says Renetta Romero, executive director of Ohio County Tourism. “We wanted to give him the recognition he deserves and to spotlight bluegrass music as an art form.”

Think of the development of bluegrass as a tree. Its roots are in Scots-Irish and African music, jazz, black and white Southern gospel, and blues. These were combined into the traditional sound of bluegrass—the tree trunk—from which have grown musical branches such as progressive, old-time, and jazz bands.

Bluegrass is one of only a handful of musical genres original to America.

The influence of its “high, lonesome sound” on today’s primarily acoustic music is phenomenal.

PhiL ZiMMerMan

E

very music fan worth his Salt (Creek) knows that 2011 is the Bill Monroe 100th Birthday Celebration, a tribute to the Rosine-born Father of Bluegrass Music and his contributions to the homegrown musical genre that musicologist Alan Lomax called “folk music in overdrive.”

The series of events, a lively observance of the influence bluegrass has had on the music world, is also a year-

Now dozens of countries claim established bluegrass music cultures with tens of millions of fans worldwide. And it all began in western Kentucky’s hill country where, come September, a slew of the best bluegrass performers will gather to honor Monroe, who died in 1996.

“Bill Monroe is the only person in our nation’s history that an entire genre of music can be traced back to,” says Gabrielle Gray, executive director

owenSBoRo RoSine

of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro’s RiverPark complex, 30 minutes from Rosine.

A Bill Monroe exhibit and a Monroe-inspired art exhibit are already open at the museum.

From June 23-25, its annual ROMP festival features bluegrass “roots and branches” music, including recent Grammy winner Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Punch Brothers

Bill monroe performing at the Berkshire mountains Bluegrass Festival, Hillsdale, new york, 1976.

featuring Chris Thile.

The museum’s yearly mandolin camp ushers in the September festivities with a concert on the 10th. From September 12-14, its Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration rocks RiverPark Center. The celebration includes The Life & Lively Music of Bill Monroe, an original musical with bluegrass songs by area elementary school students, with professional actors, dancers, and musicians.

In a documentary premiering at the museum September 13, the Blue Grass Boys, former members of Monroe’s band—Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys—tell stories about him, and an exhibit of their memorabilia opens.

“Over time, at least 155 musicians played in his band,” Gray explains.

“He trained three generations of outstanding musicians, although many, like Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, were already established professionals.”

Events at Rosine—Homeplace Life

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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Worth thE trip

RoSine RememBeRS September 10 Homeplace Life Day A trip back to Monroe’s days at the family farm. Costumed guides make butter and soap, shoe a horse, and offer old-fashioned snacks.

September 11 gospel concert A reverent afternoon tour of the Rosine Methodist Church, site of Monroe’s funeral, followed by a gospel service and music at Rosine City Park.

September 13 Birthday Party on the Lawn

ron Petronko

Share a piece of bluegrass birthday cake at the Homeplace with a side of bluegrass jamming. bill MonroE sitEs to sEE and placEs to bE

Bill monroe Homeplace 6210 Hwy. 62 east (Blue moon of Kentucky Highway), Beaver Dam

Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free admission.

(270) 274-9181 • www. jerusalemridgefestival.org

ron Petronko

September 27-october 2 Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass celebration

the monroe Brothers, charlie and Bill, at top, performed as a duo from 1929 to 1938. in center, Danny Jones, Joe Stuart (partially hidden), Kenny Baker, and Bill monroe. Bottom, Bill monroe with John Duffey, late founder of the country gentlemen and the Seldom Scene, with John wearing Bill’s hat.

Day, a gospel service, and the Bill Monroe birthday party—will be interspersed with the above events (see Destinations sidebar), so fans can do it all.

“There’s so much history here in Rosine,” says bluegrass musician Campbell “Doc” Mercer, executive director of the Jerusalem Ridge

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Annual bluegrass music festival (270) 274-9181 www.jerusalemridgefestival.org

Bill monroe 100th Birthday web site Information on Bill Monroe’s history, Kentucky 2011 bluegrass festivals www.billmonroe100birthday.com

Rosine Barn Jamboree 8205 Hwy. 62 east (Blue moon of Kentucky Highway), Rosine

Live music every Friday. 6 p.m.

(Closed after second Friday in December until first Friday in January.)

Bluegrass Music Foundation. “It’s what made Bill Monroe the talent he was— the hill country lifestyle, the music his mother, uncle, and neighbors all played while he was growing up.”

But the heartstopper is September 12-14, the Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration at RiverPark, where every

Free admission.

(270) 274-9744 weekdays; (270) 2745552, evenings and weekends

June 24-25 Blue moon weekend at the Rosine Barn Friday Night Jamboree, Saturday performance by some of Monroe’s original Blue Grass Boys.

Free admission. (270) 274-5552

inteRnAtionAL BLuegRASS muSic muSeum September 12-14 Bill monroe centennial celebration 207 e. Second St., owensboro For tickets, call (270) 926-7891. www.bluegrassmuseum.org

June 23-25 RomP (River of music Party) Roots and Branches of Bluegrass yellow creek Park, 5710 Hwy. 144, Daviess county

Three-day pass (until June 16): adults $70, museum members $50, students $55, seniors and active military $60.

One-day ticket (at gate): $25. Children under 13 free. For tickets call the museum at (270) 926-7891.

ohio county tourism commission 100th birthday events, songwriting contest (through March 13), Mandolin Trail contest (270) 298-0036 www.visitohiocountyky.org

owensboro Daviess county convention and visitors Bureau Area events, food, lodging (800) 489-1131 www.visitowensboro.com

active member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and their bands will perform. Elite guests include many bluegrass pioneers and the Blue Grass Boys.

“If you want to meet all the living bluegrass greats at one time in one place,” Gray says, “this is it.” Kl

KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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EvEnt calEndar

canoeing on tygart creek

A festival just for kids Kidsfest will entertain and educate children in Shepherdsville, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 12 at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre, exit 117 off Interstate 65. Children must be supervised by an adult. Free admission. For details, go online to www.bullittchamber.org or call (502) 955-9641.

Kentucky crafted spotlights the arts Kentucky Crafted: The Market, an award-winning arts marketplace, is coming to Louisville on March 19-20 in the South Wing B of the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The event, now in its 29th year, is produced by the Kentucky Arts Council. Shop for fine art and crafts, enjoy musical performances, meet Kentucky authors, explore Kentucky traditions, and take home Kentucky Proud specialty food. Go online to www.kycraft.ky.gov or call (502) 564-3757 for details.

carter caves State Resort Park in olive Hill will sponsor the tygart creek Regretta canoe excursion on April 9 and may 14. take a 6-mile canoe excursion down the beautiful gorge cut out by tygart creek. canoe experience required.

(Participants without experience would find out why the event is called a “regretta.”) A guide, canoes, paddles, life jackets, and transportation to and from the creek are provided. Bring warm clothing, extra change of clothes, sack lunch, bottled water, and a dry bag for supplies. cost is $20. Limited space is available, and pre-registration is required. call (606) 2864411, ext. 2543, to register.

teaching young anglers The 4-H Fishing Club teaches kids about casting, bait, hooks, and more, at 5-6 p.m. on March 8, April 12, and May 10, at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, 50 Kendall Road, Jamestown.

The club is for kids ages 5 and up who are enrolled in Russell County 4-H. For details, go online to www.fws.gov/wolf creek or call (270) 343-3797. kentucky living event calendar brought to you by the kentucky department of Travel. For a complete listing of destinations, attractions, and events happening in your own back yard or throughout the entire state, visit kentuckyTourism.com.

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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EvEnt calEndar

EvEnt calEndar tuE mAR 1

Rowan County Regional Quilt Show (606) 784-8392 Through the 19th.

Conference Center, Morehead. thu mAR 3

Chapeze House Bourbon Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through the 5th.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through the 5th.

Bardstown.

FRi mAR 4

MainStrasse Village Mardi Gras (859) 491-0458 Through the 5th.

Covington.

The Bardstown Opry

(859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

First Friday Homeschool Event: Sic Semper Tyrannis (502) 753-5663 Frazier International History Museum, Louisville.

Scrapbooking Weekend

(800) 325-1711 Through the 6th.

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs. thu mAR 10

Chapeze House Bourbon

Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through the 12th.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through the 12th.

Bardstown.

Fri mAR 11

Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show (502) 297-9979 Music Barn, Shepherdsville.

The Bardstown Opry (859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

Contra Dance

(859) 552-5433 ArtsPlace, Lexington.

An Antique Affair (859) 296-2429 Through the 13th.

Lexington.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

tHu mAR 17

Chapeze House Bourbon Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through the 19th.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through the 19th.

Bardstown.

FRi mAR 18

Bluegrass 101

(502) 297-9979 Music Barn, Shepherdsville.

Trigg County Civil War Days (270) 522-9214 Through the 20th.

West Cadiz Park, Cadiz.

The Bardstown Opry (859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

Contra Dance

(859) 552-5433 ArtsPlace, Lexington.

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

A Variety of Line Dancing

SAt mAR 19

(502) 252-9462 Through the 12th.

Springhill Winery & Bed & Breakfast, Bloomfield.

Sun mAR 13

Dining at the Mansions & Silent Auction

(502) 637-2922 JB Speed Mansion, Louisville. tue mAR 15

Nature Rocks!

Family Nature Club (270) 343-3797 Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Jamestown.

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

Sue-Jean Park

(270) 821-2787 Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville.

Quilters Day Out (270) 842-6842 Statewide.

Irish Heritage Trail Ride

(270) 618-7500 Long C Trails, Scottsville.

Saturday Nite Sock-Hop Show

(859) 336-9839 Bluegrass Entertainment & Expo

to view a comprehensive listing of events, go to www.

KentuckyLiving .com and select travel & events. you can search by month, city, or event. Published events are subject to change. Please call ahead to confirm dates and times.

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

44

Complex, Bardstown. tHu mAR 24

Chapeze House Bourbon Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through the 26th.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through the 26th.

Bardstown.

Union County Bicentennial Quilt Show

(270) 389-4420 Through the 26th.

Camp Breckinridge Museum & Arts Center, Morganfield.

FRi mAR 25

School House Rock (270) 389-4420 Through the 26th.

Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville.

Total Fitness Connections Run/ Walk for Children (270) 781-6714 Through the 26th.

Basil Griffin Park, Bowling Green.

Outdoor Inquiries Workshop

(270) 343-3797 Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Jamestown.

FSHS Spring Musical: Once on this Island

(270) 586-6799 Through the 27th.

Goodnight Auditorium, Franklin.

The Bardstown Opry

(859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

Dean Osborne Band (502) 297-9979 Music Barn, Shepherdsville.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

SAt mAR 26

Earth Hour

(270) 343-3797 Wolf Creek National

Fish Hatchery, Jamestown.

Contra Dance

(859) 985-5501 Russell Acton Folk Center, Berea.

Meet the Flock

(270) 487-8481 Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Tompkinsville.

Antique Show & Sale

(800) 638-4877 Through the 27th.

Nelson County High School, Bardstown. tHu mAR 31

Hairspray

(270) 432-2276 Through April 17.

Barn Lot Theater, Edmonton.

Chapeze House Bourbon Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through April 2.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through April 2.

Bardstown.

FRi APR 1

Hairspray

(859) 336-5412 Through the 10th.

Opera House, Springfield.

Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain

(502) 297-9979 Music Barn, Shepherdsville.

The Bardstown Opry

(859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

Cochran & Greg Martin

(270) 325-3958 Hardin County Schools PAC, Elizabethtown.

68 Jamboree

(270) 692-2747 68 Jamboree Showplace, Lebanon. tHu APR 7

Kitchen Sink Theatre

(270) 821-2787 Through the 8th.

Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville.

Chapeze House Bourbon Cooking School

(502) 349-0127 Through the 9th.

Bardstown.

Chapeze House Spirits & Spirits Tour

(502) 349-0127 Through the 9th.

Bardstown.

FRi APR 8

Wildwood Valley Boys

(502) 297-9979 Music Barn, Shepherdsville.

The Bardstown Opry

(859) 336-9839 BGEEC, Bardstown.

An Antique Affair (859) 296-2429 Through the 10th.

Lexington.

A Visit with the Spirits of Wickland

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

SAt APR 9

Southern Fried Jazz

(502) 507-0808 Wickland, Bardstown.

(270) 821-2787 Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville.

First Friday: Museum Careers

68 Jamboree

(502) 753-5663 Frazier International History Museum, Louisville.

SAt APR 2

Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series: Bobby

(270) 692-2747 68 Jamboree Showplace, Lebanon.

Whiskey City Cruisers

(800) 638-4877 Bardstown. Kl

KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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, CHEF S CHOICE At the sign of the Purple Cow Landmark Beattyville restaurant has been feeding hard-working families since the 1930s

READER RECIPES

LINDA ALLISO N-LEWIS

March Madness Recipes BEATTY VILLE THE BEATTYVILLE ENTERPRISE

has been home to the Purple Cow since the early 1930s. The restaurant moved to its current location at 146 Main Street around 1966. Ask anyone in Beattyville about this local landmark, and they will probably smile. Its walls are adorned by a huge purple cow that artist Elise Patrick painted and signed in 1968. Once a Chicagoan at O’Hare International Airport remarked to a fellow traveler (who happened to be the owner’s sister) that he knew of Beattyville because he had seen the “big purple cow.”

Proprietor NINA MILLION, above, speaks with pride of the people who live and work in the Beattyville area.

“We are suffering like everyone in this

economy, but it’s important to keep the restaurant going, especially to keep people working.” She adds that, “Even with food prices going so high, we try so hard to keep giving people good value for their money.”

The Purple Cow, (606) 464-0710, is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Daily specials are tenderloin or roast beef, and catfish on Fridays.

Side dishes vary and include mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, mustard greens, sauerkraut, fried apples, mac and cheese, mac and tomatoes, and corn.

Menu items also include family-style soup beans and cornbread, homemade biscuits and gravy, the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, and burgers with slaw and home fries.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches 1 medium onion, sliced 1 small bell pepper, sliced 2 Tbsps oil for sautéing 4-6 thinly sliced steaks (Steak-ums or Steak-eze recommended) 1-2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste 4 hoagie buns, split and toasted

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast 1 bottle (12 oz) Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce, or other hot sauce 1 stick butter 12 oz cream cheese 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese 1 bottle (2 C) ranch or blue cheese dressing (optional; dish is spicier without it) Cook chicken until done, then shred or cut it into small pieces. Melt butter in frying pan, add the chicken and hot sauce. Sauté for 15 minutes. Take off burner and add cheese and dressing.

Spread cream cheese evenly in bottom of 13” x 9” pan. Spread the chicken mixture over it, bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve with celery or tortilla chips.

Submitted by MARTHA PARKER, Shelbyville

Clam Dip 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened 1 tuna-size can minced clams, with most juice drained Major Grey’s Chutney 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp

Sauté onions and peppers in oil until tender. Remove from heat and add steak slices to pan, cooking and separating into small pieces until well-browned. On one half of hoagie bun, add steak pieces, peppers and onions, and shredded cheese.

Add top of hoagie bun and enjoy! Serves 4.

Mix cream cheese and clams until wellblended and form into a ball. Cover with chutney and crumbled bacon. Chill and serve with assorted crackers.

Submitted by THERESA ATHA, Shelby Energy Cooperative, who writes: “You really must try this simple yet very good recipe.

It’s great for basketball parties for UK games.”

LINDA ALLISON-LEWIS writes from her home EDIS CELIK

in Bullitt County. A former restaurant critic, her latest cookbook is Kentucky Cooks: Favorite

Submit your recipe. See page 6 for details.

Recipes of Kentucky Living.

WWW.K E N T U C K Y L I V I N G . C O M • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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great oUtdoors

making anglers’ dreams come true state’s annual forecast tells where to find the big fish

K

entucky has more than 1,200 square miles of water, so finding a good place to fish can be daunting if you have no idea where to look.

The fishing forecast, published every year by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, is a great resource. The forecast, which is based on fish population studies and interviews with anglers, tells you which lakes and rivers have the best concentrations of a variety of fish.

insidEr tips hElp prEvEnt the spread of unwanted exotic plants and mussels by thoroughly cleaning your boat and trailer after visiting an infected lake.

Affected areas and their exotic invaders include carr creek Lake (hydrilla), clear creek Lake (eurasian watermilfoil), Dewey Lake (zebra mussels, hydrilla), Fishtrap Lake (zebra mussels), Paintsville Lake (hydrilla), and Pan Bowl Lake (eurasian watermilfoil). See the Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide for more information.

46

For example, if you’re looking for good places to catch smallmouth bass, the forecast suggests Laurel River Lake, Elkhorn Creek, Lake Cumberland, or Dale Hollow Lake. If you’re experts like fisheries biologist John williams, holding smallafter bluegill and redear mouth bass from Laurel River Lake, help compile Kentucky’s annual fishing forecast. sunfish, try Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, tailwaters. These are fish factories Dewey Lake, McNeely Lake, Lake Reba, that deserve at least one visit a year. or Marion County Lake.

Turn to the forecast for your first If you’re after the three major few trips. You’ll learn, for example, varieties of catfish—channels, blues, that you can catch bass in the spring and flatheads—it’s time to take a trip by fishing jigs around the yellow to Green River or the Ohio River. For both walleye and sauger, Barren River mustard flowers, or throwing topwater baits around weed beds in late is hard to beat. spring through early fall.

However, there’s a truism among Kentucky’s fishing forecast is free.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife employFind it online at the Kentucky Fish ees who spend their days on the and Wildlife Web site, www.fw.ky. department’s fish-stocking boats: gov. Copies are available by calling just because you can see the fish the department at (800) 858-1549. doesn’t mean you can catch them. To Get your copy and ready those help anglers have a better day on the water, the forecast includes a number rods and reels! Kl of tips ranging from where to find the davE baKEr is editor of Kentucky Afield fish to what months are best or what magazine, with the Kentucky Department of bait to use.

Fish and Wildlife Resources. Visit www.

Two pages of the forecast are kyafield.com or call (800) 858-1549 for devoted solely to fishing tips for more information.

Kentucky and Barkley lakes and their

John southern

DAve BAKeR

KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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gardEn guru carpet your landscape with pachysandra onE group oF hardy plants comes alive in the spring, slowly and almost without notice: the groundcovers. this broad category consists of any plant that can be used to cover the ground like a carpet. the plants can be evergreen or deciduous, flowering or nonflowering, and grow in sun or shade, but generally they are less than 12 inches in height when mature.

asK thE gardEnEr Q How do you grow eggplant? a Growing eggplant is very rewarding, and it is a tasty treat to put on the summer dinner menu. Eggplants are considered warmseason vegetables. This means they should only be planted after the frost-free date has passed and the soil has had time to warm up. They are susceptible to cold damage, so planting them at the right time is the first step to a healthy crop.

Other factors to consider include the amount of available sunlight, nutrients, and space. As with other vegetables, eggplants require a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should be nutrient-rich and not too compacted to allow good air circulation for the roots.

Eggplants should be spaced a good 30-36 inches apart. Smaller fruited types will require less space, so when you purchase starter plants, make sure they have a grower’s tag in them so you will know what you are growing and how much space they will need.

Purchasing transplants as opposed to growing from seed is a better option for Kentucky gardeners because of the length of our growing season. Seeds will take eight to 10 weeks to produce a starter plant, and 50 to 80 days to harvest. You might consider having your soil tested before the planting season arrives. Contact your County Cooperative Extension Service for more information.

onE oF thE Most WidEly plantEd groundcovers is Pachysandra terminalis, Japanese pachysandra. this shade-loving evergreen groundcover, below, makes an impressive carpet and is often used in traditional as well as contemporary landscapes. growing only 6 to 12 inches in height, this upright groundcover spreads by underground roots called rhizomes. thE FoliagE is a glossy darK grEEn in the shade and a lighter green where it gets more sun. too much sun and the foliage will become pale and will decline over time. Pachysandra is one of the best groundcovers for deep shade. pachysandra can bE an EXpEnsivE groundcovEr to establish due to the number of plants required for a large planting. when working on a budget, simply plant a small area each year. once the new plants are established, you will not know where the older planting was and the new planting began. that is the beauty of pachysandra. shElly nold is a horticulturist and owner of The Plant Kingdom.

Send stories and ideas to her at The Plant Kingdom, 4101 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40207.

sheLLY noLd

Angie mc mAnuS havE a gardEning QuEstion? Go to www.

KentuckyLiving.com, click on Home & Garden, then “Ask The Gardener.”

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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smart moVes

PSA still best test for prostate cancer Follow-up screenings are vital for assessing men’s risk KeitH HAutALA

S

sMart hEalth

everal recent studies have raised questions about the value of prostate cancer screening.

The controversy arises from the fact that doctors are now finding cancers in earlier stages. Some of these are low-volume, low-grade cancers that may not cause any problems. A single screening result does not provide enough information to inform a treatment decision.

“The problem is that there is currently no way to tell which cancers will cause a problem and which ones won’t,” says Dr. Stephen E. Strup, chief of urology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

The current method of screening for prostate cancer uses a blood test that measures levels of a protein called prostate specific antigen, or PSA. Since the PSA test was introduced in 1986, an additional 1 million men have been diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer.

scrEEning advicE get a baseline PSA screening at age 40. After that, if everything is normal, he recommends annual PSA screenings. if results continue to be normal, testing frequency can be adjusted over time.

strup rEcoMMEnds MEn

48

Some studies have confirmed that “active observation” for appropriate low-risk cancers is safe, so not every positive finding warrants aggressive treatment, Strup says. However, between 20 percent and 30 percent of men who choose to “watch and wait” will eventually go on for treatment of cancer.

“Over the years, we’ve used the PSA test differently,” Strup says. “At first we relied on absolute numbers for the level of PSA, but it’s hard to fit one number to everyone. More recently, we’ve used the PSA as an individual test, for a baseline, similar to what’s done in mammogram screenings.

“With follow-up screenings, we watch what happens to the level. If it’s a flat curve, we know the individual’s risk for cancer is lower. If it’s a steeper curve, there is more cause for concern.” Kl

sMart MonEy tips for investing in a 401(k) SARA PeAK

Besides deciding how much money to contribute to your 401(k), you also need to decide how it should be invested. asK your Financial advisor to review the investment options available in your employer’s plan. To keep costs low, most company plans offer limited investment options. However, they usually offer at least a few mutual-fund choices in each major asset class, such as bonds, large cap equities, and money market funds. plans should providE information about each of the funds available.

Research investment options and 401(k)s using sites such as www.finance.yahoo. com; or at www.money.cnn.com, under “Personal Finance” select “Money 101” for Lesson 23. Recheck plan allocations at least once a year. thE closEr to rEtirEMEnt you are, the more conservative your portfolio should be, meaning investment choices with less risk of losing your investment. However, there is no right or wrong asset mix. It is a matter of each person’s risk tolerance, financial situation, and time until retirement.

The most important question you should ask is this: “Will this asset mix Download at KentuckyLiving.com Article Search: Financial Planning Guide

cause me to lose any sleep at night?” If you answer “yes,” you are investing too aggressively. Kl sara pEaK is a freelance writer with

expertise in finance and wealth management.

KEith hautala provides health

Have a money question? E-mail us at e-mail@

information for UK HealthCare.

KentuckyLiving.com.

KentucKy Living MARCH 2011

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2/14/11 2:49 PM

snap shot

p hEads up “where did my wooden deck go?” this red-bellied woodpecker seems to be saying as he tries to figure out what all this white stuff is. Photo by Julie Holloway, mt. washington, member of Salt River electric cooperative.

for the birds

t robin’s WrEath A mama robin built a nest in Diana Brumfield’s front door wreath and she took photos of the babies as they grew up. Photo by Diana, member of taylor county Recc.

q oh tWEEty bird muffin bird-watches from Lee Ann Beck’s office window, Bowling green, just waiting for the bird to poke its head out of the house. Photo by Lee Ann, member of warren Recc.

p northErn visitor Kathleen niece, warsaw, says this was the first time she had seen a northern Flicker woodpecker visit her homemade bird feeder, along with some european starlings. Photo by Kathleen, member of owen electric cooperative.

Submit your photo! See page 6 for details.

www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

KYL 0311.indd 49

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MARKETPLACE Open Sundays • Closed Saturdays

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50

KentucKy Living • MARCH 2011

Marketplace 0311.indd 50

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KentucKy Living • MARCH 2011

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KENTUCKY

KIDS

Green Team Tip

You are a star

Instead of going to school in a bus or car, ride a bike to school.

Tip submitted by Santana Turpin, age 9

Everyone has a talent. Some people can sing. Others can draw, write, or hit a baseball. Whatever your talent is, don’t be afraid to let your talent shine.

Win a T-shirt!

Send us your Green Team Tip, and if it gets printed, we’ll send you a free CFL Charlie T-shirt! Send your best tip for conserving energy, in 50 words or less, and name, address, and shirt size to KYKids@KentuckyLiving.com or Kentucky Living, Green Team Tip, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232.

A

SAFE!

PLAYGROUND

SAFETY push or roughhouse 1 Never while on jungle gyms, slides, seesaws, swings, or any playground equipment.

you’re swinging, watch out for 2 Ifpeople who might be getting too close. If you’re walking around the playground, don’t get too close to the swingers.

you jump off equipment, 3 Ifalways land on both feet with knees slightly bent.

Did You Know?

Goldfish can’t close their eyes. This makes sleeping a little different for them. Instead of closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep, they sleep with their eyes open, usually at the bottom of the water.

Starts with “A”

Can you find the items that start with the letter “A?”

JENNY MUST BE AT SCHOOL 30 MINUTES EARLY FOR A CLASS TRIP TO THE ZOO.

Answer: Acorn, Ant, Apple, Airplane

PLAY IT

Making New Friends It can be hard making friends if you are new to a school, a class, or a team. In places where there is an adult in charge you might be introduced to the rest of the class. On the playground you will have to make the effort. Look for people that seem to have interests that you share and say hello.

You just might make a new friend.

JOKE!

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What has big teeth, but can’t bite?

Send your favorite joke to KYKids@KentuckyLiving.com.

Put Jokes in the subject line, and include your address.

If it gets printed, we will send you a free gift!

BEWARE OF COMB

A comb.

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www.K e n t u c K y L i v i n g . c o m • M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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bYron crawFord’s kentUckY

Pot-bellied stoves and liars’ benches Bygone country stores were vital social centers ByRon cRAwFo RD

A

few of them are still around, but sadly most of Kentucky’s rustic country stores have gone the way of the nickel Coke and the 20-cent bologna sandwich.

Many of us who grew up in rural Kentucky during the first three-quarters of the 20th century have fond memories of a country store not far from our house.

Don Carter, who lives on Big Hickman Creek in Jessamine County, was mourning the passing of country stores a few months ago in sentiments bordering on poetic.

The essence of his lament was that country stores were once the cultural hitching posts of most rural communities.

On their porches and around their pot-bellied stoves and liars’ benches, everything was discussed from family problems to politics to farming, to romance and high finance, more often laced with humor than rancor.

Carter remembered a local character known as “Pup” Corman, who had a large family. As Pup left the store one winter afternoon, someone asked, “Pup, why are you leaving so early?”

“I’ve got to get home and crack enough walnuts to feed 13 children,” Pup answered.

At Penn’s Store near Gravel Switch, one of Kentucky’s oldest country stores, the high water marks from local floods through the decades are still visible on the primitive counter.

At R.C. Weddle’s old store in neighboring Casey County, soft-drink bottle caps covered the parking lot, and Weddle’s regular customers all knew that if a stick of firewood was propped against the screen door, it meant the store was closed.

The community of Tolu in Crittenden County is said to have taken its name from a whiskey-based tonic made from a Colombian tolu tree extract that was served at a

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country store in the settlement during Prohibition.

During the 1950s, there were more than 1,000 country stores nestled among the hollows and crossroads of southeastern and southern Kentucky where the Laurel Grocery Company delivered its wholesale orders.

Don Chesnut of London, whose father, W.J. “Bill” Chesnut, co-founded the grocery company along with George Griffin, tells of a country store owner in Clay County who was unable to pay the wholesaler a $60 debt, a sizeable sum in the early 1930s.

Chesnut and Griffin went to collect and found that there was little left to claim as collateral. Then they noticed a cow grazing behind the store and made a deal with the storekeeper to square the debt in exchange for the cow.

They promised to send a truck to haul her back to London.

Weeks passed and winter set in, and the truck never made it to get the cow. Then one day in the spring, there came a notice in the mail from the storekeeper that Chesnut and Griffin owed him a feed bill for keeping their cow all winter.

The bill, he said, amounted to about $60. They agreed to settle the debt in exchange for the cow. Kl byron craWFord is Kentucky’s storyteller—a veteran television

and newspaper journalist known for his colorful essays about life in Kentucky. E-mail him at bcrawford@KentuckyLiving.com.

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