Owensboro Living August / September 2016

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FROM THE EDITOR

Publisher/Creative Director Jason Tanner

HEARING FROM OUR READERS

Editor Steven Wilson

More and more frequently, I am greeted with kind words about Owensboro Living from friends and acquaintances in our community.

As our readership grows, those of us that contribute to this publication have the privilege of sharing the stories of our city with a wide range of people. For the past three years, those stories have included features on local businesses, local government, local organizations, and the local people that make those entities move.

Ad Sales Brock Quinton Robert Williams Photographers David Grinnell Lucas Wiman Cover Photo JAA Studios

Because of Owensboro’s growth and progress since our first issue, we’ve never run short on content. But we also know that even in a city the size of Owensboro, it’s impossible for us to cover everything that’s happening. For this reason, there is a myriad of stories – those of remarkable individuals, places, and events - that we’ve yet to tell.

And that’s where you, our readers, come in. As a staff, we do our best to bring you pieces that represent a wide variety of topics in various areas of interest. But we also want to hear from you. Know about someone with an interesting story to tell? Belong to an organization that’s hosting an event to raise awareness for a worthy cause? Then we want to hear about it.

Granted, we may not be able to include every idea that comes across our desk – trust me, we have plenty of our own that never make it past the first stages of our editorial meetings. But we can’t publish a story if we never hear about it. So let us hear from you, Owensboro.

Because everyone has a story to tell, and you never know whose life your story might impact.

Ad Design Andrea Roberson Jason Tanner Taylor West

"EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHOSE LIFE YOUR STORY MIGHT IMPACT."

Steven Wilson Editor, Owensboro Living steven@owensboroliving.com

PHOTO BY JAA STUDIOS

ON THE COVER: FISH TACOS FROM GENE'S HEALTH FOOD Owner Andrew Keller prepares the cod tacos to serve on their food truck, "Fresh. by Genes." The tacos have become a staple item on the food truck, and are also offered about once a month at their Sweeney Street location. Served on non-GMO, glutenfree corn tortillas, the tacos are topped with house-made organic mango salsa and a chipotle sour cream that they also prepare in-house. Organic avocado slices and shredded cabbage give the dish a bright, fresh finish.

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Contributors Beth Cecil Jacqueline Jordan Nicholas Hardesty Danny May Taryn Rice Norris Jaime Rafferty Melody Wallace Steven Wilson Lora Wimsatt Online www.owensboroliving.com facebook.com/owensboroliving twitter.com/owensboroliving issuu.com/owensboroliving Offline Owensboro Living Magazine PO Box 9503 Owensboro, KY 42302 888-304-5416 Subscribe Delivery of Owensboro Living is available by visiting owensboroliving.com/subscribe Advertise Owensboro Living is a FREE magazine because of community support. Thank you to the great group of businesses & organizations who advertise.

TANNER PUBLISHING CO. www.OwensboroLiving.com

AUG SEPT

2016

[08]

THE BUZZ

THE REAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY

[12]

THE PULSE

FOOD LABELS

FEATURES [16] CASA ROCKS THE HOUSE

[34]

[19] OWENSBORO'S FIRST FAMILY COURT [22] BLUEGRASS' NEW HOME [26] THE GREATEST LEAVING HIS MARK [34] FINDING YOUR CREATIVE NICHE [38] EAST BRIDGE FESTIVAL

[26]

NOW SPANS TWO DAYS [42] AIMING FOR THE PRIZE

[48]

THE DINING GUIDE

DISCOVER THE FLAVOR OF OWENSBORO [58] CRAVINGS FOR A CURE [60] REMEMBERING NIKO

[48]

[65] RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

[70]

THE SCENE

[60]

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AND AROUND OWENSBORO

[22] www.OwensboroLiving.com

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BUZZ

PHOTO BY DAVID GRINNELL

THE

WFIE 14 NEWS OWENSBORO STUDIO The WFIE 14 News Owensboro remote studio and offices are now located inside the Historic Bell House building on Veterans Boulevard next to the RiverPark Center.

With a large 14 News sign perched atop the roof and large screen TVs broadcasting live streams displayed on either side of the building, the

remote studio is easily recognizable.

A large window allows onlookers to see what’s being filmed in the studio. “We’re excited to be here.

This type of coverage is long overdue for this community,” said General Manager Jay Hiett. “But this is just the beginning. Now that we have a presence here, it will only get stronger.”

FERGUSON NAMED LADY PANTHERS COACH Jordan Ferguson has been named the head coach of the Lady Panthers girls’ varsity basketball team at Daviess County High School.

Ferguson is entering his

DAZZLING DAYLILIES PHOTO BY LUCAS WIMAN

The Western Kentucky Botanical Garden held their 7th Annual Dazzling Daylilies Festival with Balloons Over the Garden from June 20-26.

Sponsored by US Bank Home Mortgage, Atmos Energy, Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront, Kenergy, Betty Sue Hill, Moonlite Catering & Moonlite Bar-B-Q and Jackson & Barkley, the event included guided tours of the daylilies, a sculpture dedication, and the fan-favorite hot air balloons.

eighth season as a basketball coach. His experience includes two years as seventhgrade boys’ basketball coach at Burns Middle School, three years as the freshman boys’ coach at Apollo High School, and was an assistant coach with the boys’ basketball programs at Daviess County and Owensboro Catholic high schools.

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OwensboroLiving.com is proud our FREE Owensboro Living

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NEW OWENSBORO HEALTH FACILITIES

BBQ FEST VOTED AMERICA’S 3RD FAVORITE BY USA TODAY

In support of their continued mission to promote health and wellness here in Owensboro and the surrounding counties, Owensboro Health PHOTO BY JASON TANNER

Owensboro’s own International Bar-B-Q Festival was selected as the third place winner in the Best BBQ Festival category of USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice 2016 awards.

According to their website: “Summer is BBQ season, and 10Best set out on a mission to find the best barbecue battles, hog fests and smoky celebrations of meat in the nation.” A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Ardie A. Davis (America’s Best BBQ, Revised) and competitive pit master Rod Gray were chosen based on their experience in the barbecue festival circuit.

is in the process of constructing three new “healthplexes” in Henderson, Madisonville, and Powderly, Kentucky.

The goal of these new facilities is to target

NEW INDEPENDENCE BANK OPERATIONS CENTER Independence Bank continues its growth locally with a new facility at 2426 St. Ann Street. Executive Vice President, Jacob Reid, says the new 32,000 sq. ft. building is designed to look like Independence Square, the existing main branch at 2425 Frederica Street. The structure will be three stories with a basement, and will come equipped with movable walls to accommodate department growth. It will also have a skywalk above the bank teller drivethrough attaching the operations center with Independence Square.

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the health needs of the communities into which they are expanding.

Another projected benefit of the healthplexes will be to decrease the volume of emergency care patients in those geographic areas.

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WORLD WAR II HONOR FLIGHT

The mission of non-profit organization Honor Flight is “To transport America’s Veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends.” In June, 17 Owensboro-area WWII veterans participated in an Honor Flight trip to D.C. During the trip, the veterans were accompanied by a police escort as they visited five war memorials in Washington, D.C, as well as Arlington Cemetery. One of the men on this flight was 92-year-old Colonel Edward Francis Pickett, who amazingly is a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He is also a Silver Star Recipient for

PHOTOS BY LUCAS WIMAN

Valor and was elected “trip commander” on this Honor Flight.

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THE

PULSE

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BETH CECIL COMMUNITY WELLNESS SERVICES, OWENSBORO HEALTH

We've all been there.

You grab a convenience-size package of your favorite snack, flip it over to check the calorie content and think to yourself “140 calories isn’t bad.” Then you read the fine print: The package is actually three servings, 420 calories in all. Ugh!

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As a registered dietitian nutritionist, an avid

public health concerns, including diabetes,

promoter of health and wellness, and health-

obesity and cardiovascular disease.

conscious mother of two teenagers, I rely on

Serving sizes will see changes, too. By law,

food labels to provide me with the nutrition

the label must now reflect what is typically

facts of the foods I eat and serve my family. I also

eaten, or what most individuals are eating in a

recognize this panel of information provides

sitting, rather than what they should be eating.

challenges to the consumer. In fact, I once lost

If you are like me, you are probably wondering

a debate with my son who claimed that three

why. People already often eat too much; so now

(yes, three!) chocolate-covered cream-filled

we give them permission? That is not the intent

snack cakes were actually a serving. This was

of this change. Instead, it is meant to ease the

indeed true, according to the box.

work of calculating serving sizes with calorie

Much of this confusion should be changing.

content. For example, we know most people

It’s been a long time coming, but the Nutrition

who open a 12-ounce beverage don’t drink only

Facts Panel is getting an update. This past May,

8 ounces, which is currently the serving size on

the Food and Drug Administration finalized

a can. They most often consume the entire can,

is first major overhaul of the Nutrition Facts

so now we can expect to see the serving size as

Panel since 1993.

12 ounces, along with the corresponding calorie

The FDA recognizes the significant impact

total.

diet can have on the prevention of chronic

Nutrient information is changing, too.

diseases and has updated the Nutrition Facts

Vitamins A and C will no longer be required

Panel to help consumers make better-informed

on the label, as Americans are generally getting

food choices. Specifically, the new panel will

enough of these vitamins. However, potassium

provide a better reflection of serving size and

and Vitamin D will now be required, as people

the nutrients Americans should focus on, with

aren’t always consuming these in sufficient

a design that is intended to be easier to read.

amounts. Vitamin D is essential for bone

So what can consumers expect from the

health, and potassium may be linked to heart

changes? Read on for breakdown of some of the

health and blood pressure. Calcium and iron

most notable label updates:

will also stay on the label.

Both calories and serving size will now be

identified in a larger bold type. This calls

on the label is information about “added

attention to these parts of the label, which

sugars.” These are a key addition to the new

are especially important in impacting today’s

Nutrition Facts Panel. Added sugars will appear

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Something that has noticeably been missing

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in both grams and percent of daily

right away, as manufacturers will

value. While some foods contain

have until July of 2018 to be fully

naturally-occurring

compliant with the requirements,

sugars,

the

consumer needs to be on the lookout

and

for sugars added during processing.

companies will have an additional

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that no more than 10 percent of our total daily calories come from added sugars.

Calories from fat are going away on the new label, but fat grams will

smaller

manufacturing

year. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about reading the Nutrition Facts Label or an overview of the changes visit www.eatright.org or www.fda.gov.

remain. I like this change, as the

Beth Cecil is a licensed dietitian, registered

type of fat really is more important

dietitian nutritionist and manager of

than the calories from fat. Limit

Community Wellness Services at Owensboro

saturated and trans fats, as these are

Health. She also is a certified lifestyle coach

linked to heart disease.

for diabetes prevention and teaches wellness

and weight management courses.

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Don’t expect to see these changes

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BY JAIME Y T RAFFER

CASA ROCKS THE HOUSE O

n Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the Owensboro Convention Center from 6:30-11:00 p.m., CASA

are dedicated to using donated funds to recruit, train

is flashing back to the 80’s for the benefit of children

This annual event evolved from an art auction

who need court-appointed assistance. So bring your

into “Rock the House.” Funds will be used to train

leg warmers, big bangs, and air guitars for an evening

additional CASA Advocates to serve more abused and

of fun to benefit those in need of CASA’s services.

neglected children in Daviess, Hancock and Ohio

CASA’s (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

County. Since January, CASA has added an impressive

mission is to be a voice for the Daviess, Hancock

16 advocates to the program.

and Ohio County innocent child victims of abuse

Committee members came up with the “Rock

and neglect caught up in the court system through

the House” theme because they wanted a fun-filled

no fault of their own. The program is dependent

fundraiser where people would feel comfortable

on the generous donations they receive from event

coming as they are, without the worry of dressing

sponsors and supporters to fulfill this mission. The

in formal wear. They chose “Rock the House” as the

funds ensure a sustainable and strong organization to

signature event, allowing the music theme to change

create community awareness of the tragedy of child

each year, and keeping the party relative and fun.

abuse and neglect, while encouraging involvement

This year, they are throwing back to the 80’s. Who

and action from the volunteers who donate the best

doesn’t love neon colors and popped collars?

gift of all - their hearts - to be a voice for the children

CASA serves. The CASA board of directors and staff

80’s style, whether they are donning a dress, ripped

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and support these wonderful volunteer advocates.

Attendees are welcome to wear their favorite gnarly

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PHOTO BY DAVID GRINNELL

jeans, or a favorite concert t-shirt, and organizers give a special award for “Best Dressed.” Last year, one winner had a white tuxedo and light-up fish bowl shoes. Though he remained unnamed by the committee, they say, “He knows who he is!”

For the reasonable cost of $50 per person, the evening includes live entertainment by the Nashville 80’s band, Bueller, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, live & silent auction, and dancing. A few of the live auction items include vacations to NYC (exclusive tickets to Hamilton on Broadway with hotel & air), 7-day Marco Island trip with 2 airline tickets, California wine country, 4 Disney World one-day hopper tickets, St. Louis Baseball tickets for 4 with dugout box, SEC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament-2 session booklets, Derby & Oaks weekend, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, gourmet dinners, and more.

Items are being added as the committee gets closer to “Rock the House.”

For more information, check out CASA of Ohio Valley’s Facebook page for all up-to- date information on the “Rock The House” party (tickets go on sale starting August 15, 2016, and can be purchased at the Owensboro Convention Center or online at owensborotickets.com).

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BY STEVEN WILSON

Owensboro’s

FIRST FAMILY COURT

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ne of the cornerstones of any successful

with criminal and other civil cases for judicial time.”

government is its ability to fairly administer

Additionally, Family Court judges also handle

justice on behalf of the community it serves. Here

family law matters that were traditionally decided in

in Owensboro, we are fortunate to have a dedicated

District Court, including divorces, custody disputes,

group of elected officials focused on protecting the

child support and visitation, and adoption. In short,

rights of the residents of Daviess County. However,

Family Court allows at least one elected judge to

for a population nearing 100,000 citizens, those

concentrate only on domestic relations matters,

seven officials (two circuit judges, three district

instead of attempting to juggle other cases, too.

judges, and two domestic relations commissioners)

can only handle so many cases each year.

were served by a family court, and Owensboro was the

According to a recent study conducted by the

largest area in the Commonwealth without a family

Kentucky Supreme Court to measure caseloads

court judge. To be clear, the need for Family Court

across the state, Daviess County was underserved

in Daviess County had been evident for quite some

with respect to its number of elected judicial

time. However, beginning in 2014, the movement

officials. One of the main issues highlighted by this

for Family Court began to gain traction.

study, titled “Judicial Workload Assessment Study,”

More specifically, in 2014, Kentucky Supreme

was the lack of a family court in Daviess County.

Court Chief Justice John Minton certified the need

According to the Kentucky Court of Justice, “Family

for a Daviess County Family Court to the Kentucky

Court gives cases involving families and children

legislature. With that certification, the legislature

the highest priority, [so] these cases do not compete

had to, by statute, create a new judgeship for the

Prior to January 2016, 71 counties in Kentucky

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IN MID-JULY, A JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THREE NAMES TO FILL THE JUDGESHIP: JULIE HAWES GORDON, SUSAN MONTALVO GESSER, AND ANGELA THOMPSON. GOVERNOR MATT BEVIN WILL APPOINT ONE OF THOSE ATTORNEYS TO THE FAMILY COURT POSITION UNTIL AN ELECTION IS HELD IN NOVEMBER.

certified need. However, while the position was technically created, the legislature declined to fund it, meaning Daviess County wouldn’t see a Family Court judge in 2014.

In response to the legislature’s failure to fund the judgeship, Chief Justice Minton began a push to get the community behind the Family Court effort. Judge Jay Wethington, Chief Circuit Court Judge for the 6th Judicial Circuit, which presides over Daviess County, helped rally the necessary parties to advocate for Family Court in Owensboro. According to Judge Wethington, “This community came together at crucial stages in anticipation of the 2016 legislative session. Daviess County got the legislature’s attention with the help of the local CASA board and its current director, Sandra Bowman, Candance Brake and the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Madison Silvert and Economic Development and the Daviess County Bar Association.”

With so many local organizations on board, the state legislature took notice, and included the funding for a Family Court Judge in Daviess County. In practical terms, this means that the people of Daviess County will experience a more streamlined legal process when it comes to domestic relations cases.

Judge Wethington articulated the benefits of having a

Family Court: “When Family Court is operating optimally, one court and one judge will adjudicate matters that are currently being handled by sometimes four different judges.

Most importantly will be the family court’s ability to utilize CASA in making timely and life-changing decisions for children. Fewer court appearances with less attorney fees and loss of work are the immediate benefits to the litigants.”

Undoubtedly, the new Daviess County Family Court will

have a positive impact on the families in our community. Its creation also demonstrates what the people of Owensboro can achieve when individuals and organizations with varying interests unite for a common purpose.

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BLUEGRASS'

NEW HOME

BY NICHOLAS HARDESTY

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ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23, LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS, CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND GUESTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME BROKE GROUND ON A NEW $15.4 MILLION FACILITY IN THE HEART OF THE NEW OWENSBORO RIVERFRONT. IT TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK TO FINALLY ARRIVE AT SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DAY, AND THE STORY OF THE NEW BLUEGRASS MUSEUM IS NO DIFFERENT. www.OwensboroLiving.com

FROM THE CORN BELT TO THE BLUEGRASS

According to Chris Joslin, the Executive Director

of the Museum, the story began with a meeting in an unlikely place: Dubuque, Iowa. When Ron Payne and other city officials were first thinking seriously about what they might do to revitalize the downtown area and the Owensboro Riverfront, they visited this Midwestern city on the Mississippi River. Comparable in size to Owensboro, the city of Dubuque had just completed a riverfront revitalization of its own, including the construction of a new convention center and the expansion of the National Mississippi River Museum.

Officials from Owensboro were there to see how they did it.

Joslin wasn’t among them – he only came on as

Executive Director in September of last year – but he knows the story well. As he tells it, the Owensboro contingent received some guidance that day that

The Bluegrass Museum was already here, sharing space with the RiverPark Center. A new stand-alone building in a more prominent location would allow the city to do more than ever before to highlight Kentucky’s gift to music and to make Owensboro the epicenter of the genre. They seized upon the opportunity.

Fast forward to 2016, and after investments from

the State of Kentucky, the City of Owensboro, Daviess County Fiscal Court, and many private donors, the new International Bluegrass Music Museum is poised to become one of the final pieces in the plan to revitalize the Owensboro Riverfront.

OLD FIDDLES AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

When the new facility is completed in the Spring

of 2018, it will be much more than a museum. “There will be a lot more going on in the new building,” Joslin says. “The idea is for this to be the definitive place that’s dedicated solely to Bluegrass music.” With a 450-seat

planted the seeds for investing in a new, more high-

indoor concert hall and an outdoor concert area that

profile home for the Bluegrass Museum. “Don’t build

will accommodate up to 2,000 people, the focus will

your convention center too small – that was the first bit

certainly be on the music! These new venues will allow

of advice,” Joslin said. “The second bit of advice was:

the Museum to host live music throughout the year,

If there is anything that your city is known for that you

including a regular bluegrass music concert series, as

can integrate into your downtown riverfront, you would

well as Hall of Fame induction concerts, music events to

be well-served to consider that.”

celebrate the opening of new exhibits, and much more.

When they returned to Owensboro and began to

But, the exhibit area will be a highlight as well.

consider what made our city unique, they eventually

The new building will have twice the exhibit space

settled on bluegrass music. It’s easy to see why. Bill

of the current museum. It will also be less of a static

Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” was born

presentation of history and more like the telling of an

just 37 miles from Owensboro in Rosine, Kentucky.

ever-evolving story.

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“With the expanded core exhibit space, we’re going

preserve the story of bluegrass music, museum officials

to tell the story of bluegrass music,” Joslin said. “As we

began interviewing as many of the old-timers as they

progress through the stages of the story, these exhibits

could. They now have an archive that contains over 160

will be dynamic so that each time a person returns to the

interviews with over 200 individuals.

museum, they won’t be returning to the same thing. We’ll

be able to highlight different things and keep it fresh.”

a part of the visitor experience. “It’s great to be able to

The ace up his sleeve is a massive archive of

see a musician’s guitar or his stage clothes,” Joslin said,

documentary-style video interviews with the pioneers

“but now you’ll be able to watch a clip of an artist talking

of bluegrass music. Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt, two

about his career in his own words.” The Bluegrass Music

legends of the genre, had already passed away before

Hall of Fame, on the second floor, will also benefit from

the original museum was born, and so, in their desire to

this archive. You’ll be able to not only read an inductee’s

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The new museum will finally make this archive

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plaque on the wall, but also watch a video of him or her on a touch screen. Kiosks will be available as well, so that visitors who want to learn more can access the full archive of videos.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

As if all that weren’t enough, the new facility

will also include: • A large multi-purpose space on the 2nd floor for hosting meetings, receptions, and seminars • An expansive museum store • Recording capability • A research library • A rooftop restaurant overlooking the Ohio River on the third floor

With its new home at 311 W. 2nd Street,

adjacent to Smothers Park, the new International Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame will almost certainly become one of the foremost centers of education and entertainment on the riverfront. If you know someone from Dubuque, Iowa, be sure to say, “Thank you.”

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THE GREATEST leaving his mark Countless opponents have absorbed the pounding defeat of his immense hands. Numerous dignitaries have had the honor of receiving a firm, confident handshake. Millions watched as those powerful hands trembled resiliently as they lit the final torch at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Yet only one man can say that he has held Muhammad Ali’s hands inside of his own in order to immortalize Ali’s legacy through the gesture of a gentle thumbprint.

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW GOTTH-OLSEN

BY Y MELOD E C A WALL

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he Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville,

in some way, and suggested doing a glass casting of

Kentucky was founded in 2005 with the

his hands. Knowing how long this process would

mission “to preserve and share the legacy

take to set up and how much heat it would require,

and ideals of Muhammad Ali, to promote respect,

Brook had concerns about the idea and did not want

hope, and understanding, and to inspire adults

to cause “The Champ” any unnecessary discomfort.

and children everywhere to be as great as they

Brook finally contacted the Ali Center with a plan

can be.” After eight years, “the Muhammad Ali

that would not only afford him the opportunity to

Humanitarian Awards were created in 2013 as a way

meet the legend, but preserve the boxer’s legacy for

to publicly recognize and celebrate the greatness of

years to come. When asked what he had come up

people from around the world.” When considering a

with, Brook stressed the need to meet the boxer in

design for the awards, the Ali Center contacted local

person. Brook says that they sounded surprised and

glass artist, and founder of Flame Run Glass Studio,

almost a little doubtful at first, but when he finally

Brook White. They approached the Owensboro

shared that he needed Ali’s thumbprints, there

native about creating a one-of-a-kind art piece that

seemed to be an audible sigh of relief, and perhaps

would recognize others and propel Ali’s legacy into

even that of delightful interest.

the future while he was still alive. Initially, they came

The meeting was quickly arranged and took

to Brook with the idea of symbolizing Ali’s strength

place on a late afternoon in August at a downtown

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Louisville hotel. Brook was given twenty minutes to work with Ali and obtain his thumbprint. Brook recalls of the experience, “I got to be in his presence for a short time.

It was a little bit sad, but so much was cool about it.”

Although many people feel that Ali was just a shell of a man after being diagnosed in 1984 with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, Brook says, “He was in there. He smiled. His eyes kind of lit up. He was aware of what we were doing.

He would put his thumb in the ink and do it himself.”

But what Brook marveled at the most was the size of Ali’s hands. “His hands were huge. My hands looked like my ten-year-old’s hands in his.” Thankfully, Brook’s friend, graphic designer and photographer, Matthew Gotth-Olsen was able to capture a compelling image of this encounter.

While it may seem that obtaining Ali’s thumbprint may have been the most difficult step, it was shortly after that the real work began. There were two levels of awards established, so two unique designs had to be created. A larger award would be given to the Kentucky Humanitarian of the Year, the Lifetime Humanitarian recipient, and

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Michael Bolton, Common, Gina Davis, Susan Sarandon, and Jim Brown receive his beautifully crafted pieces. He has even had the pleasure of meeting both Sarandon and Brown at the event in downtown Louisville.

In addition to the Humanitarian Award, another award

was created to recognize six young people, ages thirty and under, from around the world that served as role models by adhering to each of Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality.

This smaller award consisted of hot-sculpted glass in a lighter blue color surrounding a yellowy-orange flame, which was then combined with a high resolution scan that allowed “The Champ’s” life-size thumbprint to be etched into the glass. There was no intended connection between the image of the flame and Ali’s infamous Olympic flame lighting. Instead, Brook says that the piece was created more as a symbol of Ali “passing on the torch” to future the overall Humanitarian of the Year. These pieces were

young leaders. He also noted that while the flame awards

designed to be “an art piece in and of themselves” that

all resemble one another, each is unique, and is directed by

featured “a magnification of Ali’s thumbprint as an abstract

“whatever my artist’s vision is that day.”

design on the surface.” In order to accomplish this, a piece

of deep blue blown glass was rounded and flattened in the

that he has always been captivated by Muhammad Ali. He

hot shop. Once it cooled, Brook and his team began the

remembers watching him on ABC’s Wide World of Sports

intricate process of adding the thumbprint. First, the print

as a young boy. He loved that Ali could be “funny, witty

was blown-up, and then the vessel was covered with a thick,

with his lines, intelligent, and sincere, yet he wasn’t scared

rubbery vinyl material, rubbed with charcoal, hand-drawn

at any point to stand up for himself.” Brook’s admiration

with Sharpie, and cut out with an X-Acto knife. After this,

for Ali continued to grow, and shortly after he moved to

the piece was sandblasted for nearly two hours to give it

Louisville, the Muhammad Ali Center was constructed.

natural ridges and a three-dimensional, textured feel. In

Brook says, “For me it was a gradual education of who he

all, Brook says it often “takes longer to sandblast a piece

was as a person, rather than the character portrayed on TV.”

than to physically create the piece.” When complete, the

A short while later, Brook was inspired to create a unique

design had an abstract feel like that of a river or body of

piece of art that would represent the letter “A” for Ali in

water, but Brook says it was about “taking something that

a book entitled L is for Louisville. The art piece featured

is his (Ali’s)” and sharing it with others, remembering that

purple glass with a butterfly etched on one side and a black

beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In the last three years,

and yellow spiral with a bumble bee on the other. The piece,

Brook has had the honor of seeing such big names as Harry

which had been made specifically for the book, went to

Belafonte, President Jimmy Carter, Christina Aguilera,

exhibit and, after several months, was returned to Brook’s

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Although Brook can’t pinpoint exactly when, he says

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“THE GLASS PIECE IS A REPRESENTATION OF HIM. THE THUMBPRINT IS AN INTIMATE PART OF HIS HAND…IT’S THE ESSENCE OF WHO HE WAS AS A PERSON.” private collection. While he originally crafted this piece with Muhammad Ali in mind, he never dreamed that Ali would ever see it, much less be presented with it by Yum! Brands some five years later. Yet, when he was contacted by Yum! and asked if he could design a piece to honor Ali at an awards ceremony in California, Brook realized that the perfect award had already been created. Knowing that piece was personally placed in Ali’s hands and displayed in his home helped Brook to feel that he now had “this connection to him.”

Brook joined the town of Louisville, and the rest

of the world, in mourning the loss of “The Greatest” this past June. He watched intently as the nineteenmile funeral procession passed near the studio, and also assured that he had tickets so that he and his children could attend the memorial service. Brook says that he needed to share this experience with his children because, “A ceremony of this magnitude is one that we will probably not see the likes of again… an internationally-known figure that called Louisville his home. He actually stood for something and was about something.” This year the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are scheduled to take place at the Marriott Louisville Downtown on September 17. In the next month, Brook and his team will begin creating these awards and selecting those that will be used for the ceremony. Even though they have yet to announce who this year’s award recipients will be, Brook is looking forward to attending. With the passing of Ali this year, Brook expects this year’s awards “to be quite an emotional affair.” One thing is for certain, Brook White has been given the unique responsibility of preserving the memory of Muhammad Ali in stunning glass art that demonstrates “him leaving his mark on the world.”

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PHOTOS BY DAVID GRINNELL

L

auren Fitzmaurice has always been creative - from designated sign-maker for

her college sorority, to school performances and classroom projects, she incorporates into her role as a local grade school teacher.

Though she has tapped into her artistic creativity with handwriting, she never knew her creative niche until she discovered calligraphy.

In

January

2015,

Lauren

finished

a difficult year, as her youngest child, following birth, had open-heart surgery.

After this challenging time was behind her, she decided that in order to be the best mother, wife, teacher and friend she could be, she needed to strike a balance in her life.

For Lauren the best way to do that was to find an outlet for her creativity.

From her interest in handwriting, she researched and found calligraphy, or lettering, had evolved into a modern form very popular on sites such as Pinterest and Instagram. Her mother bought her an online calligraphy course that she enjoyed immensely. Within a month, she took her first envelope order for a wedding. Lauren quickly knew this time she spent honing her creativity could benefit others for special occasions. So she decided to carve out two hours a day for her art while kids are asleep or outside and other priorities have been attended.

From there, her business, Renmade BY JAIME Y T RAFFER

Calligraphy, was launched. Renmade was born from a nickname given in college. She was one of six Laurens amongst her sorority sisters, and became affectionately known as

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“Ren.” It’s her personal way to deliver a homemade

people follow her work, and she uses that platform to

product - Renmade.

always encourage others (and herself) with a message

of positivity and living creatively.

Lauren took to Instagram to post work and track

her progress as an artist. Though following was

slow, she was pleased in August 2015 to have 2,000

she helps other lefty calligraphers. When she began,

followers. But through collaborations with other

she was unsure how this would impact her lettering.

artists and continued education in calligraphy, as

As a lefty, she had to teach herself techniques on how

well as being chosen, through application to Tombow

to hold her pen. The art does come easier to a right-

Design Team (known for their pens and crafting

handed person, and Lauren has put in thousands of

supplies), Renmade has surpassed 70,000 followers

hours on how to hold her pen or brush, as well as

to date. Lauren is amazed and honored that so many

learning to use muscles in the forearm to keep her

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Lauren is left-handed, and through Instagram,

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hand floating so as to prevent the smearing many

modern calligraphy. To keep up with the growing

people face while writing with their left hand.

interest, she is learning Photoshop and Illustrator

Though she admits she still has the occasional

to further enhance her creativity and turn her work

smear, she agrees practice has helped minimize lefty

into digitized prints to sell in her online shop.

pangs. In addition to learning new techniques for

Lauren is excited to use the position on Tombow’s

herself, Lauren gives tips to her followers to help

Design Team to provide insight and encouragement

them achieve the best result.

She works with many others, spanning the globe,

in a community called “The Letter Lovelies.” This platform allows Lauren and others to share their work.

Her first loves are family and teaching. Her

children are creative by legacy, as her husband is an art teacher. Add that with Lauren's passion for art,

to other artists to share their work.

Renmade Calligraphy shouldn’t be just a challenge for people to take up lettering, but Lauren says she hopes that others will find something that makes them happy, “whether it’s cooking, writing, lettering, anything. Calligraphy has enhanced my whole life, as a teacher, wife, and mother of two.

and it's easy to see why her four-year-old has already

I’m better for others. Just find a couple of hours to

expressed interest in playing with brush pens - like

yourself and practice being creative - live creatively!”

mother, like son.

For

and

As Lauren looks to the future, she will continue

more

Renmade

information Calligraphy

to hone her craft, and plans to host workshops that

Instagram

help other lefties find tips to share their love for

www.renmadecalligraphy.com.

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about follow

(@renmadecalligraphy)

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Lauren her

on

or

at

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BY JACQUELINE JORDAN

East Bridge Festival

NOW SPANS TWO DAYS 38 OWENSBORO LIVING

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One weekend in Owensboro is a bit more colorful than the rest. It's the time of year when all varieties of artists fill downtown and chalk drawings cover the streets.

Mix that with great food and music, and you've got the East Bridge Art and Music Festival on September 2-3.

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T

he festival — now in its sixth run — will

product out there and meet other various peers in the

change from a one-day fest to a two-day event

arts," he said.

this year, taking over Smothers Park for a weekend of

celebrating creativity.

from different backgrounds and show the incredible

"It's always been our goal to progress slowly so

talent existing all around. For a preview of his

we do it right," said festival coordinator Katherine

woodworking skills before the festival, check out

Taylor. "Moving to two days is the next step in our

www.cerberuswoodco.com or @cerberuswoodco on

adventure. It gives the town more opportunity to

Instagram.

support the arts."

Jewelry artist Sara Rapee of Evansville will be

returning this year with lots of pendants, earrings,

East Bridge will team up with Friday After 5 on

He added that art festivals bring people together

September 2 to kick things off with the Kroger street

and bracelets that shine.

fair.

Rapee's jewelry focuses on showcasing the

Attendees can expect to see booths from many

stone, a style that formed when she and her mother

different kinds of media, with as many as 70 artists

began cutting, grinding and polishing stones at the

exhibiting their work.

Evansville Lapidary Society. Every sterling silver

piece is started from scratch, with silver wire and

Woodworking artist Dustin Taylor, of Owensboro,

will be bringing his hand-built wooden signs,

sheet placed to show off the stone.

furniture, and other goods for the first time.

been a part of since its launch. "We love Owensboro

"We're a fairly new business so we'd love to get our

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Rapee is excited to return to the festival that she's

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and we’re impressed with the artistic culture there,"

organizers of East Bridge pride themselves in offering

she said. "The organizers have a great knack for

something better than run-of-the-mill festival food,

putting on a show because they're an art studio. And

and this year will be no different. Katherine Taylor

we love being at the park. It's a really wonderful

said there's been a lot of interest from food vendors,

weekend."

and this year's festival may see the debut of food

Rapee exhibits at five or six festivals in the summer,

and said it's a great way to support the communities and local business.

"Every time I go to one, I try to find something

new and unique," she said. "Even though I do shows, I try to come home with something new. It just makes you smile and enriches your life."

To check out Rapee’s work, search Handmade Stone and Silver Jewelry on Facebook.

trucks.

The much-anticipated chalk contest will also return this year, with the competition taking place on Allen Street. Organizations, businesses, and other groups can apply to participate by going to the East Bridge website at eastbridgeart.com.

Besides being a great way to support the arts, the festival is a unique one and just a fun afternoon,

There's something for everyone at the festival,

Katherine Taylor said.

including the little ones. Independence Bank will

Whatever brings you out to the festival, you're

sponsor the kids’ tent again this year, providing a

sure to have a great time celebrating Owensboro's art

place for young attendees to do free art activities.

scene, and you may find something you just have to

And what's a festival without good eats? The

take home.

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BY TARYN RICE NORRIS

AIMING FOR THE PRIZE B y now, you may have heard the buzz about the

the team first gathered, 84 DCHS students showed

Daviess County High School Archery Team’s

an interest in the newly-formed group. The final,

phenomenal rise to national recognition in their very

nationally-recognized team was a solid crew of 37.

first year as a team. Let’s take a closer look at the

contributing factors to the team’s success.

top so quickly? Head Coach Kristi Wilson attributes

The DCHS Panthers placed 1st or 2nd place at

the success to the team’s self-motivated drive, respect

every regional competition they attended, and went

for peers and coaches, and passion for shooting.

on to secure two national titles in one month. In the

“We don’t have to ask them to practice. They love to

indoor arena, they placed 3rd in the state and 2nd in

shoot!” Wilson said. Talent, skill, and determination

the nation. Before November 2015, archers like Lane

contributed to the new team’s momentum, in addition

Wilson, a sixteen-year old junior, simply exercised

to the two-hour practices the team holds twice a week.

their Hunger Games survival skills by hunting, or

The growing archery program at College View Middle

through competition as independent shooters. When

School can be thanked for giving the Panthers such a

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So how did such a newly formed team rise to the

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PHOTOS BY DAVID GRINNELL

powerful start. Several archers, including Lane Wilson,

coach Redmon, Kynsley Redmon’s interest in archery

became practiced in competitive shooting through

was piqued by the National Archery in School program

similar teams. However, a few of the team members

when she was in elementary school at Southern Oaks,

are brand new to the sport of archery, like fifteen year-

which led her to train with the new DCHS Panther

old junior, Ashlyn Benson. She gave up her love of

team this season.

tumbling for archery, which is more relaxing and fun

Howe says that “archery is 10% skill and 90%

for her. Kristi Wilson explained that the new archers

mental,” crediting the mental preparation and

really blew the coaches out of the water with their

encouragement from his peers and coaches for the

natural talent.

collective success. Head coach and husband to Kristi,

Assistant Coach Lori Ann Redmon said that archery

Mike Wilson believes that concentration, focus,

is a lifestyle for some; the kids go home and shoot all

and dedication are the key elements that led to such

the time. Branson Edge, a fourteen year-old sophomore,

impressive victories from the team.

loves archery because of each team member’s

Aside from the national recognition in both the

commitment to work and improve their skills. Sixteen

indoor and outdoor arenas, talented archers can earn

year-old junior Johnathon Howe was influenced at

big money through scholarships. Howe and Benson

a young age by his dad’s participation in competitive

saw the potential, and are motivated to do better so they

archery. Fourteen year-old freshman and daughter of

can pay for their college. “It’s really cool to get money

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for college doing something you love!”

Benson stated. Kristi Wilson reiterated that the practices, competitions, and scholarships are all just about the kids.

Kristi Wilson said that without the help

of Chris Curtis, regional coordinator of Scholastic 3-D Archery, archery wouldn’t be here in Daviess County. In addition to the Wilsons and Redmon, the Panthers are coached by assistant coaches Brian Sayre, Chad Siddons, David Adkins, Mike Walker, and Scott Whobrey. All of the coaches are also parents of archers, and are committed to the performance of the team.

The Wilsons are thankful for the moral support of the DCHS administration and welcomes sponsors. “We are a selffunded team, and without the parents [of our students], this team wouldn’t have gone as far.” Through overnight stays and transportation to competitions, parents have been supportive in making sure their kids can attend. If you are interested in supporting the DCHS archery team, there are two fundraisers coming up: Tuesday, July 26 at Texas Roadhouse from 4-9pm; and Monday, August 22 at Beef O’Brady’s from 11am-10pm.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

THE BAKER’S RACK

Back to School

FOR US ALL

BY ANNE BAKER LEAZENBY

August has come, another summer is nearly over,

and the children are headed back to school. There is a lot for which to prepare. The kids need new clothes.

Notebooks, pencils and supplies are being collected, and classrooms are being outfitted and decorated.

There is much to do, and waiting until the last minute adds to the stress.

In the case of new teachers, the best of them have

spent much of the summer preparing their lessons and classrooms at a comfortable pace. Their lists of things to do, while large at the beginning, have been getting whittled down slowly. Now, it is just a matter of adding the finishing touches, and opening the door with a smile as their students enter.

For those planning on entertaining or redecorating

this fall, it is still summer. There is still plenty of time to be collecting the ideas, the accents and the

The Bakers Rack has a selection of real wool rugs that can be ordered in various sizes to fit your space. Select accessories that highlight the colors or patterns in your new woven decor. Pace your project, and get the best quality as you go along.

details for a fresh look in our homes and on our

take what they already know and use, add the best of

tables. Starting the process early not only gives one

the new to their repertoire, and continue to improve

time to gather furnishings, art pieces or tableware,

as leaders in the classroom.

but allows us to be selective in choosing which to add

We can use that same approach in our homes,

to our collections. The slower pace also spreads out the purchases, lessening the financial effect on our pocketbooks.

Back in our schools, veteran teachers have much

less work to do than the rookies, but there is still a

adding new details to refine a look, or introducing a group of accessories to give us more versatility as we entertain. Just like good teachers expand their knowledge and skills each year to benefit their

refining that happens each year. After all, teachers can

students, well-outfitted homes are constantly refined

also be learners, and new methods, technologies and

and accessorized, making them more capable,

fields of study constantly appear. The best teachers

composed and comfortable when guests arrive.

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Menus Table of Contents [49] 54 PIZZA EXPRESS [50] BOURBON RIVER BAR AND GRILL [51] DALISHAS DESSERTS [52] GENE'S HEALTH FOOD [53] MELLOW MUSHROOM [54] OLE SOUTH BAR-B-Q [55] PAN ASIAN [56] REAL HACIENDA

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BOURBON RIVER BAR AND GRILL MENU

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DALISHAS DESSERTS MENU

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GENE'S HEALTH FOOD MENU

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MELLOW MUSHROOM MENU

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OLE SOUTH BAR-B-Q MENU

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PAN ASIAN MENU

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REAL HACIENDA MENU

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REAL HACIENDA

PHOTO BY DAVID GRINNELL

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

THE STORY BEHIND THE RESTAURANT VOTED “BEST OF 2016” BY OWENSBORO LIVING READERS

BY DANNY MAY Real Hacienda Mexican Restaurant’s owner, Armando

success in the restaurant business. In particular, he says there

Ortiz, came to Owensboro from Mexico in 1995. The following

are four keys to success: (1) Good Food; (2) Excellent Service;

year, on September 26, 1996, he started his first restaurant in

(3) Nice Atmosphere; and (4) Good Portions for Fair Prices.

Owensboro under the name La Fiesta, which was created

with the vision to offer a warm place where our friends can

serves customer favorites like burritos, taco salads, arroz con

experience the taste and feel of Mexico’s culinary culture.

pollo, tacos, quesadillas, and Armando’s famous queso for

In 2003, the restaurant moved locations to Southtown

nachos.

Boulevard and changed names to Real Hacienda. Two years

later, they opened a second location on Highway 54, behind

locations. We’ll serve people with limited lunch times, especially

Autozone. As the business continued to grow in size and

the large employers around Owensboro,” said Armando.

popularity, Real Hacienda moved its 54 restaurant to its current

location at Highland Pointe (3123 Highland Pointe Drive, Suite

the evenings at locations around downtown Owensboro and

106).

during different events.

Soon after, in 2011, the Southtown location moved just down

This April, Real Hacienda introduced their food truck, which

“We’re going to be rolling around Owensboro at different

The Real Hacienda food truck will also be available during

If employers or festival organizers are interested in hosting

the street to the corner of Southtown and Frederica Street,

the food truck, they can contact the restaurant at 270-684-

where the locally famous eatery sits today (4820 Frederica).

5595 or 270-685-5950.

Among Armando and his siblings, the Ortiz family runs 43

Dine-in, take-out, and catering. To fulfill off-site demand,

restaurants, with locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan,

Real Hacienda offers catering service within a limited area

Ohio, and Pennslyvania. With all that valuable experience in the

surrounding Owensboro.

family, it’s no surprise that Armando knows a thing or two about

Gracias, amigos!

Each recipe has been carried by generations in The Ortiz family and applied to each of our dishes.

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CRAVINGS for aCURE

A

fter a successful fundraising effort for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital last year,

where he joined Chad and Jaclyn from WBKR for 12 hours of non-stop walking and jogging on a treadmill, Bradley Dehart was looking for a new way to raise money for the charity this year.

“I wanted to do something that involved not only myself, but those who have inspired me both at work and in the community,” Bradley said. “And something that would also incorporate the people who donated.”

What

he

came

up

with

sounds almost as crazy as spending 12 consecutive hours on a treadmill: creating and selling a cookbook - by himself.

To pull it off, Bradley used his

tax refund to cover the publishing costs, so that 100% of the proceeds could be donated to the kids at St. Jude.

The idea hit him one day when he was helping a friend move, and they were boxing up kitchen items. “I noticed several cookbooks that were fundraisers. I thought that would be a great way to incorporate more people by inviting them to submit their favorite recipes,” he explained.

BY MAY DANNY

Bradley ended up with over 200 recipes, ranging from potluck favorites to secret family recipes collected from coworkers and other people who have inspired him, and Cravings for a Cure was born.

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“At work, we celebrate with food. We grieve with food. Food unites people,” Bradley said.

Another advantage of the cookbook idea is the ability

to reach more people by accepting orders online. To do that, Bradley set up an online form through jotform.com that’s integrated with an online shopping cart through PayPal, which opened the opportunity for sales to even more people.

Just a few days after opening online sales, orders had already been placed from Oregon, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and several cities across Kentucky. “They are being shipped to 30 states and six countries worldwide!”

Bradley said. “I can’t believe how wide-spread this is.”

His original goal was selling 300 cookbooks. That goal was reached the first day.

Cravings for a Cure was also sold at WBKR’s “Denim

and Diamonds” event on February 26, 2016 at the Empress Theater.

To date, 1,000 copies have been sold, resulting in over $5,000 in proceeds donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

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BY

DANNY MAY

Remembering

NIKO

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PHOTOS BY DAVID GRINNELL - PAINTING BY AARON KIZER

W

ith the passing of Niko Nousiadis, founder of Niko’s Italian Cuisine, April 23 was a sad day for foodies in Owensboro. Since so many people in Owensboro have shared stories and reminisced about Niko since his passing, it seems appropriate to remember Niko’s passion for food in our dining guide.

"He treated everyone like family. People say it feels more like a home than

a restaurant in here. That’s because of him,” says, Christo Nousiadis, Niko’s younger son, who now runs the restaurant with his older brother, Spiro, and mother, Lola.

Employees say the family atmosphere is part of the culture of the restaurant.

“That’s just the way it is here, it’s not just with the three of them, it’s with all the staff and even the customers,” says manager Jack Rickard. “We try to remember customer’s names. We take time to talk with them. We want their experience to feel like a family dinner.”

Each morning since Niko’s passing, Spiro and Christo start their mornings with a cup of coffee near a large painting of their father’s smiling face, which now hangs in a corner of the main dining room, perfectly captured by Aaron Kizer.

Growing up in Greece, the Nousiadis brothers remember Niko cooking all the

time. “Every night after coming home from work, he was in the kitchen making some huge spread. We always had friends coming over. It was just food all the time,” Christo said.

After making the move to the U.S. in 2002, Niko decided to follow his passion

and open a restaurant.

Niko didn’t just love cooking – he lived it. His home was filled with cooking

books and magazines. Lola says that more often than not, even the TV was set to cooking shows. “I would say to him ‘Can’t you get enough? You cook all day and come home and watch cooking at night!’ But he would say back to me ‘You never know what you might see. There may be just one thing I might learn and try.’ He was always hoping for that one thing.”

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He even dreamed about cooking.

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“HE (NIKO) WOULD REMEMBER WHAT PEOPLE ORDERED, AND HE KNEW WHAT THEY LIKED. MANY REPEAT CUSTOMERS WOULDN’T EVEN ORDER OFF A MENU, THEY WOULD JUST HAVE DAD ORDER FOR THEM.” -CHRISTO NOUSIADIS

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One of Christo’s favorite stories is the time Niko

dreamed up the recipe for his shrimp Tabasco appetizer in

Christo had to come to the restaurant in his own time. He

the middle of the night. As the story goes, Niko came in

says he didn’t want to join his father and brother at the

the restaurant the next morning, tried it out, and started

restaurant at first, but anytime he tried another job, his

serving it that day. “People loved it! It became one of our

mind kept drifting back to Niko’s. “I grew up around it. I

best sellers 12 years straight,” Christo said. “Probably 80%

knew it,” he explained. But when Christo came back and

of our customers order it. But, dreaming up recipes? I said

told his father he decided to work in the family business,

‘Dad I think you need a vacation!’ ”

Niko handed him a mop. “I told him I wanted to help keep

The boys learned to cook under the watchful eyes of

the books and work on finances, and he said ‘great’ and told

their father. Spiro started working at the restaurant right

me to start cleaning. I know now that it was just a test. He

out of high school. “He had a good teacher,” Lola admits.

wanted me to learn everything about the business.”

“Spiro learned by taste, like his father. He can taste any

It paid off.

recipe and tell you what it needs… and he’s always right.”

Spiro, Christo, and Lola know all aspects of the business.

Niko was fond of saying he was not a chef; he was just a

“We work as a team. There are no roles. That’s small

cook. “That’s how we do it here; we go by taste, not recipes.

business,” says Lola. “We all know how to keep books. We

Dad didn’t follow recipes. He cooked by taste. And that’s

all know how to cook. We all know how to clean,” Christo

how he taught us,” Christo recalled.

added.

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Spiro always knew he’d follow in his father’s steps. But

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They also had to learn how to plate the food just right. The

“That’s when we knew we were ready to reopen,” Christo said.

food not only had to taste great; it also had to look perfect.

Then came the real test.

Christo remembers having to re-plate many dishes. “If we didn’t

“The most important thing is the customers say the food

have them exactly right, he would make us do it over again.”

tastes the same,” Lola said, which is the biggest compliment

Spiro and Christo could ever receive.

But eventually, Spiro, and later Christo, were given more and

more freedom to make decisions and take more responsibility.

“Without us knowing it, he taught us everything we would need to know to run this restaurant,” Christo said, pausing to reflect.

“He always told us he wouldn’t be around forever and we had to learn eventually – it just came a lot sooner than we thought.”

After the funeral, the brothers were left with a hard decision.

The months since Niko’s passing have been both painful and happy at the same time. Loyal customers continue to fill the dining room, offering condolences and sharing memories of Niko. “People loved him so much. They’ve been showing that to me for months, and they’re still doing it,” Lola said. “To be

Should they close the restaurant? Or keep it going with their

living in a town for a short time – only 14 years – and to have

mother? After taking a week off, they opted to give it a try and

all these people be so good to me, so supportive, so helpful, so

spent an entire Sunday at the restaurant getting things in order.

good to me and my kids … I could not live in a better place in

America than Owensboro. It’s unbelievable.”

All those years of watching and learning from Niko came

full circle. At the end of a long day, the brothers felt confident.

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Niko’s Italian Cuisine is located at 2200 E Parrish Ave (54).

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Dining Guide RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

Owensboro has labeled ourselves the Barbecue Capital of the World, and we were even named Fast Food Capital of the World (per capita) in the late ‘80s.

Here is a list of restaurants that Owensboro Living compiled for this special dining edition. Full disclosure though: with new restaurants popping up every day and long-standing restaurants changing locations, a list like this is difficult to maintain. Openings, closings, and relocations are subject to change. That being said, if you notice any updates we need to make on this list, please email steven@owensboroliving.com.

Asian/Oriental Chopsticks 3023 Highland Pointe Dr (54) Chinese hibachi grill.

Fuji of Japan 4028 Frederica Street Full hibachi menu plus sushi bar.

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant 1650 Starlite Drive Authentic Chinese cuisine.

Mr. Wok Express 3435 Frederica Street Eat in or take out. Szechuan, Hunan, and Mandarin style cuisines.

Mexican Don Mario Taqueria 2100 W 2nd S El Toribio’s 630 Emory Drive (Wesleyan) 3034 E 4th St Locally-owned. Authentic Mexican cuisine with daily lunch and Happy Hour specials. Mexican & American beers.

El Tucan Mexican Restaurant 3600 Frederica St Locally owned restaurant specializing in authentic Mexican cuisine.

Los Cabos 2845 W. Parrish Avenue

New China Buffet 4768 Frederica Street Largest buffet in town, featuring Szechuan, Hunan & Mandarin cuisines. Dine-in or carryout.

Mi Ranchito 2425 W. Parrish Avenue Locally owned, authentic Mexican cuisine.

Pan Asian Chinese Food 2656 Frederica Street Chinese, Japanese, sushi.

Papa Grande 544 Southtown Blvd, Owensboro, KY 42303 Locally owned restaurant specializing in authentic mexican cuisine, drink special, and guacamole made right at your table!

Shogun of Japan 5010 Wildcat Way (South Frederica) Hibachi meals prepared on grills at the tables.

Also offers a full bar service as well as sushi bar.

Tokyo Japanese Restaurant 3415 Frederica Street Japanese-themed restaurant with hibachi meals prepared in the kitchen, plus sushi at affordable prices.

Wasabi Express & Wasabi 54 636 Southtown Boulevard 238 Kidron Valley Way (54) Coming Coming Soon to Soon 2601 West Parrish Ave! Italian Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant 5060 Frederica Street Reasonable prices, food quality traditionally associated with casual dining and quick service, they’ve got something for everyone!

Real Hacienda 4820 Frederica Street 3023 Highland Pointe Drive (54) Authentic Mexican cuisine, serving real southof-the-border dishes with great atmosphere and fair prices.

Salsaritas 3500 Villa Point (54) Casual restaurant serving fresh Mexican foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos & salads.

El Sol Mexican Restaurant 1846 Triplett St Greek Famous Bistro 102 W. 2nd Street Locally-owned, serving lunch & dinner, everything from sandwiches to fine dining with a Mediterranean emphasis on Greek cuisine.

Gambrinus Libation Emporium 116-A W. 2nd Street Non-smoking social facility specializing in premium beers, wines, and cocktails selections, along with tasty food selections.

Maloney’s Pizza & Wings 3030 Highland Pointe Drive Restaurant has a seperate, sound proof sports bar with over 30 flat screen TV’s, serving pizza, wings, salads and more.

O’Bryan Bar & Grill 7006 Highway 815 Family sports bar. Live music.

Rocky’s Bar & Grill 819 Crittenden Street Plate lunches, sandwiches, side items and homemade pies Sandbar 1108 W. 9th Street Show-Me’s 5000 Frederica Street Sports bar located inside Towne Square Mall.

Taylor’s Bar & Grill 2509 W. Parrish Avenue Barbecue Big Daddy’s Barbecue 309 Hill Avenue Located inside Nona’s Market

Niko’s Italian Cuisine 2200 E. Parrish Avenue Fine dining, wine & spirits with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. Locally-owned.

Sports Bars Beef O’Brady’s Family Sports Restaurant 3189 Fairview Drive Family sports pub and restaurant to enjoy good food & sports in a friendly atmosphere.

Dee’s BBQ & Diner 1362 E. 4th Street Locally-owned diner offering plate specials and barbecue. Buffet on Fridays and Saturdays.

Olive Garden 5204 Frederica Street Casual Italian dining featuring authentic entrees, soups, desserts, wines & more.

Buffalo Wild Wings 4736 Frederica St Lively sports-bar chain dishing up wings & other American pub grub amid lots of large-screen TVs.

Fritz’s BBQ Shack 1230 Crabtree Ave Drive through service.

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Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn 2840 W. Parrish Avenue Locally-owned with a world-famous buffet with homemade sides, burgoo, and desserts, plus a full salad bar. Dine-in or carryout. Board Room with meeting space for 40 people. Oak Room with seating space for 100 people.

The Creme Coffee House 109 E. 2nd Street Locally-owned offering a relaxed atmosphere with gourmet coffees, specialty drinks, desserts, soups, and panini sandwiches, all in an historic downtown building. Reception space for up to 30 people.

Panera Bread 4600 Frederica Street Bakery offers freshly-baked breads, bagels, baked egg souffles, pastries and sweets. Café offers sandwiches, soups, Crispani, hand-tossed salads, beverages, kids’ menu.

Old Hickory Bar-B-Q 338 Washington Avenue Locally-owned with dine-in, carryout, drive-thru and gift certificates.

Delis Colby’s Deli & Cafe 401 Frederica Street Locally-owned, offering great breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, cookies & ice cream. Can accommodate up to 65 people.

Pizzerias 54 Pizza Express 1700 Starlite Drive (Off Parrish) 3101 Alvey Park Drive (54) Locally owned pizzas, sandwiches and salads.

Dalishas Desserts 1010 Allen Street, Ste. 200 Dine-in bakery and dessert cafe, with an emphasis on artistic specialty cakes.

Brick House Pizza 2410 Frederica Street Authentic hand-tossed pizzas made from scratch cooked in stone deck ovens! Hot Gourmet Sandwiches, Fresh Salads, Baked Pastas, Wings & more!

Ole South Barbecue 3523 Hwy 54 Serving Owensboro’s best barbecue with a lunch and dinner buffet, and Owensboro’s best breakfast.

Coffeehouses Dunkin’ Donuts 3011 Frederica Street Donuts, coffee, teas, sandwiches & pastries.

Joe Muggs Cafe 4606 Frederica Street Specialty coffee & tea drinks. Located inside Books-A-Million.

Overflow Café 3232 Villa Point (54) Located inside Don Moore.

Starbucks 2402 Frederica Street 5151 Frederica Street (inside Target) 2951 Heartland Crossing (Inside Meijer) Heartland Crossing (on 54)

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Gene’s Health Food, Inc. 1738 Sweeney Street Deli with sandwiches, organic salads, juice, smoothies and more.

Great Harvest Bread Co. & Cafe 3211 Frederica Street 4431 Springhill Drive (54) Locally-owned, serving fresh-made breads, scones, coffees and teas, signature sandwiches, Paninis, soups-of-the-day, and salads.

Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream 2120 W. Parrish Avenue Complete line of hand-dipped ice cream and deli sandwiches in the style of an old-fashioned soda fountain shoppe; also bread, cakes, cookies, and chili.

Cadillac Restaurant & Grecian Pizza 1315 W. 2nd Street Diner meals, pizza and plate specials.

Domino’s 3333 Frederica Street 1003 Burlew Boulevard Fetta Specialty Pizza 118 St. Ann Street 4431 Springhill Drive (54) Italian for “slice,” Fetta serves delicious specialty pizza hand tossed right before your eyes!

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Lil Stevie's Pizza 6530 US-231, Utica, KY Little Caesar’s Pizza 3429 Frederica Street 1650 Starlite Drive Maloney’s Pizza & Wings 3030 Highland Pointe Drive (54) Serving pizza, wings, salads and more.

Com

Mellow Mushroom S ing oon 101 W. 2nd St. Delicious food in a fun and creative environment. We are the originators of Classic Southern Pizza, and our unique and flavorful crust is a true original.

Papa John’s Pizza 2510 Frederica Street 3332 Villa Point (54) Papa Murphy’s 3211 Frederica Street Take and bake pizza.

Pizza By The Guy 3115 Commonwealth Court (54)

Fine Dining/Upscale Casual Bill’s Restaurant 420 Frederica Street Lunch served Tue-Fri, dinner served Tue-Sat. Seasonal menus offering appetizers, entrees and desserts.

Briarpatch 2760 Veach Road Owensboro’s finest locally-owned steakhouse since 1971. Large soup and salad bar, with full bar service and fine wines.

Colby’s Fine Food & Spirits 202 W. 3rd Street Colby’s offers available space for meetings and banquets. Additional patio space available, and full-service food and bar for catering. For more information, contact Craig Brown, Colby MacQuarrie, or Holly Jackson.

Famous Bistro 102 W. 2nd Street Locally-owned, serving lunch & dinner, everything from sandwiches to fine dining with a Mediterranean emphasis on Greek cuisine.

Pizza Hut 4127 Frederica Street 1331 Frederica Street (take out only) 3189 Fairview Drive (54)

Lure Seafood & Grille 401 W. 2nd Street Fresh seafood and more prepared with great expertise and precision with a green conscience.

PizzAroma 3020 E. 4th St 611 Emory Drive (Wesleyan) Locally owned pizzas, sandwiches, calzones and Italian specialties.

Niko’s Italian Cuisine 2200 E. Parrish Avenue Fine dining, wine & spirits with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. Locally-owned.

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Bourbon River Bar and Grill 701 W 1st Street Local bar and grill with great food, exceptional service, and drinks to your thirst.

The Campbell Club 517 Frederica St The Miller House 301 E. 5th Street The Miller House offers a unique opportunity to dine on three levels in an elegant yet casual atmosphere. Located in one of downtown Owensboro’s beautifully restored older homes.

Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, they also offer a full-service conversation bar.

The Pearl Club Grille 6501 Summit Drive Appetizers, entrees, burgers & wraps Diners, Cafes & Family Restaurants Another Broken Egg Cafe 701 West 1st Street New twists on Eggs Benedict and Gourmet Omelettes to unbelievable Biscuits Beignets and Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Inside the Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront. Mon – Sun, 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Bar open until 11:00 p.m.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar 5120 Frederica Street American classics, also offering a Weight Watchers Menu. Separate bar area.

Bee Bop’s 122-A W. 2nd Street 50’s-style diner offering great diner food and daily specials.

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Beef O’Brady’s Family Sports Restaurant 3189 Fairview Drive Family sports pub and restaurant to enjoy good food & sports in a friendly atmosphere.

Buffalo Wild Wings 4736 Frederica St Lively sports-bar chain dishing up wings & other American pub grub amid lots of large-screen TVs. Big Dipper 2820 W. Parrish Avenue Opened in April 1954, the Dipper offers real oldfashioned drive-in burgers, fries, shakes, and ice cream treats.

SFG Artisan Cafe 501 W. 2nd Street Inside Owensboro Convention Center Open Monday thru Friday 10am to 3pm Catfish Willy’s 1007 Tamarack Road Locally-owned seafood restaurant.

Cheddar’s Casual Cafe 3040 Highland Pointe Drive Family dining at affordable prices.

Chef’s Kitchen 3600 Frederica Street Buffet, Salad Bar, Soup of the Day! And a small "cook to order" menu featuring steaks and other options.

Colby’s Deli & Café 401 Frederica St #101B 7am-2pm Country Ham Restaurant 5421 US Highway 60 W. Great country-style cooking.

Cracker Barrel 5311 Frederica Street Homestyle cooking, down-home service. Sit and rock a spell on the front porch in a comfy wooden rocker. Or browse the country store.

Dee’s BBQ & Diner 1362 E. 4th Street Locally-owned diner offering plate specials and barbecue. Buffet on Fridays and Saturdays.

Del’s Place 7478 US Highway 60 W. Deloris’ Cafe 2123 Triplett Street Down-home-friendly diner where you can feel at home with a home-cooked meal.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries 2600 Frederica Street (Wesleyan) Burgers, fries, hot dogs and beverages.

Gary’s Drive In 2220 Veach Road Burgers, homemade soups, ice cream and specialty items such as salmon, turkey and veggie burgers.

Grandy’s 5000 Frederica Street Breakfast, lunch and dinner served. Dine in, carryout, or drive-thru. Chicken, country-fried steak, and cinnamon rolls.

Hayden’s Drive-In 9209 Highway 56 Burgers, sandwiches and sides.

JD’s Restaurant 1420 Breckenridge Street Locally owned diner, breakfasts and plate lunch specials.

Jimmy John’s 2300 Frederica St Freaky fast sandwiches.

Logan’s Roadhouse 2945 Wimsatt Court Mesquite-grilled steaks, chicken, burgers, ribs, and seafoods.

Madewell’s Corner Cafe 924 E. 2nd Street Home-cooked diner meals.

Mendy’s Kitchen 924 Crabtree Avenue Burgers, sandwiches, sides & ice cream treats.

Norman McDonald’s Country Restaurant 6161 Highway 54 Burgers & sides, take out only.

Olive Garden 5204 Frederica Street Casual Italian dining featuring authentic entrees, soups, desserts, wines & more.

O’Charley’s Restaurant & Lounge 5205 Frederica Street Menu with an emphasis on fresh preparation, featuring several specialty items such as handcut and aged steaks, seafood, fresh chicken, homemade yeast rolls, a variety of fresh-cut salads with special-recipe salad dressings and their signature caramel pie.

Spuds-N-Stuff 3500 Villa Point Baked potatoes with any toppings, fajitas, and brownies.

T.G.I. Fridays 5135 Frederica Street Family dining offering a full menu, including Atkins-approved, low carb items.

Texas Roadhouse 943 Mosely Road Fresh-cut steaks, made-from-scratch side dishes, fall-off-the-bone ribs, fresh-baked breads and lively atmosphere. Happy hour specials.

Co

ming The Local Kitchen and Bar Soon 3118 Alvey Park Dr (54) The Local Kitchen and Bar is a modern restaurant with a cool rustic vibe.

Windy Hollow Restaurant 8260 Highway 81 Open Sundays 7a.m. to 1:30 p.m., brunch buffet featuring country ham, fried chicken, red eye gravy & biscuits, fried potatoes, and their famous homemade doughnuts.

Wyndall’s Wonder Whip 2434 E. 4th Street Locally-owned and operated old-style drive-in located on US Hwy 60 E. offering burgers, sandwiches, sides, and frozen treats.

Fast Food Arby’s 2960 W. Parrish Avenue 3401 Villa Pointe Drive (54) 4614 Frederica Street Large variety of sandwiches and sides. We have the meats!

Burger King 1738 Triplett Street 2944 W. Parrish Avenue Clean restaurant, friendly employees, fast service. Drive-thru open 24 hours.

Chick-Fil-A 4601 Frederica Street Chicken sandwiches, salads, shakes and sides.

Culver’s Frozen Custard & Butterburgers 3020 Highland Pointe Drive Frozen custard treats, burgers, salads, kids’ meals, chicken to go.

Penn Station 3525 Frederica Street 3023 Highland Pointe (54) Made-to-order East Coast grilled sandwiches and sides.

Dairy Queen 1715 Frederica Street 3022 E. 4th St 3224 New Hartford Road Soft-serve ice cream treats, cakes, brazier food & beverages.

Dinner Bell Restaurant 6057 Highway 2830 Diner meals and plate specials.

Red Lobster 3410 Frederica Street Family restaurant specializing in seafood dishes.

Serving for lunch and dinner, a full menu of appetizers, salads, soups, entrees and desserts is offered.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries 2600 Frederica St Made-to-order burgers, fries & hot dogs, plus free peanuts while you wait.

Firehouse Subs 5150 Frederica St Made-to-order hot & cold subs, plus a variety of hot sauces.

Shoney’s 4710 Frederica St (Towne Square) Family-oriented chain serving an all-American diner-style menu for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Denny’s Restaurant 4545 Frederica Street Breakfast served 24 hours a day. Full menu also offered.

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Hardee’s 2705 W. Parrish Avenue 3101 Frederica Street Burgers, ham, chicken, roast beef sandwiches, and sides. www.OwensboroLiving.com

Kentucky Fried Chicken 3212 Highway (54) Chicken dinners, snacks, and sides for dine in or carryout.

Lee’s Famous Recipe 1800 Carter Road 1001 Burlew Boulevard Chicken dinners for one or for a family. Dine in, carryout, or drive-thru.

Long John Silver’s 2519 W. Parrish Avenue 2770 Frederica Street (Wesleyan) 3005 E. 4th St Fast seafood, fish and chicken. Dine in, carryout, or drive-thru.

McDonald’s 3328 Highway 54 324 Wesleyan Plaza 2306 E. 4th Street 2730 W. Parrish Avenue 4800 Frederica Street

Coming Popeye's Chicken Highland Pointe (54) Soon "New Orleans-style" menu featuring spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other seafood.

Rally’s 1301 Frederica Street Burgers, sandwiches and sides, fresh and hot.

Ritzy’s 4527 Highway 54 4925 Frederica Street Burgers, fries, and ice cream.

Sonic Drive-In 3107 Frederica Street Old-time drive-in offering burgers, sandwiches, sides, and frozen treats.

Subway 2425 W. Parrish Avenue 3119 Frederica Street 3124 Highway 54 3739 E. 4th Street 636 Southtown Boulevard 3470 New Hartford Road 3151 Highway 54 (inside Walmart) Taco Bell 3335 Villa Point (54) 4620 Frederica Street 2500 W. Parrish Avenue

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Wendy’s 2934 Highway 54 4545 Frederica Street

Frailley’s Dari Cream 7140 Highway 81 Soft-serve ice cream treats.

White Castle 4641 Frederica Street

Great American Cookie Company 5000 Frederica Street Located inside Towne Square Mall. Cookies ready-made or made-to-order, large or small.

Zaxby’s 5030 Frederica Street Located in front of Towne Square Mall, Zaxby’s offers a variety of chicken and wings.

Ice Cream & Sweets Andria’s Candies 217 Allen St. Andria’s Candies have a tradition of making fine chocolates and candies that traces back to Greek candy-makers coming to U.S. in 1906.

Baskin Robbins 3245 Mt Moriah Ave (54) Colorful ice cream parlor chain known for its many flavors plus sorbet & yogurt.

Cold Stone Creamery 5140 Frederica Street 112 Allen Street (Downtown. Spring & Summer) From unique ice cream creations to smoothies, cakes and shakes. Nobody serves up the ultimate indulgence like Cold Stone.

Cup Cakery 231 Williamsburg Square 112 Allen Street (Downtown, Spring & Summer) Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and lunch options.

Dairy Queen 1715 Frederica Street 3030 E. 4th St 3224 New Hartford Road Soft-serve ice cream treats, cakes, brazier food & beverages.

Dalishas Desserts 1010 Allen Street, Ste. 200 Dine-in bakery and dessert cafe, with an emphasis on artistic specialty cakes.

Diane’s Bakery Delights 2710 E. 4th St Donuts, pastries, cookies & decorated cakes made fresh daily.

Dunkin’ Donuts 3011 Frederica Street Donuts, coffee, teas, sandwiches & pastries.

Koehler’s Bakery 1801 Carter Road Full line retail bakery offering donuts, pies, cakes, cookies, and breads.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts 4911 Frederica St Longtime chain serving a variety of donut flavors & shapes, plus coffee & frozen drinks.

Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream 2120 W. Parrish Avenue Complete line of hand-dipped ice cream and deli sandwiches in the style of an old-fashioned soda fountain shoppe; also bread, cakes, cookies, and chili.

Maggie’s Cakes & Deli 3200 Bold Forbes Way Specialty Cakes, Wedding Cakes, Desserts and Gourmet. Deli We also have delicious lunch and catering!

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt 5035 Frederica Street 4431 Springhill Dr (54) Frozen yogurt, specially selected toppings.

Rolling Pin Pastry Shop 1129 E 18th St 20 kinds of donuts, plus pies and pastries.

The Sweet Shop 121 E. 9th Street Jellies, jams, pies & breads.

Smoothie & Juice Bars Wheatgrass Juice Bar 3115 Commonwealth Ct, Bldg B-7 (54) Raw juice, salads, smoothies, juice cleanses, vegan food, wheatgrass shots.

PH Juice Co. 309 Hill Avenue Cold-pressed juice, smoothies, superfood bar.

Located inside Nona’s Market.

Gene’s Health Food, Inc. 1738 Sweeney Street Deli with sandwiches, organic salads, juice, smoothies and more.

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BIG O MUSIC FESTIVAL

August 13 at Noon | Reid’s Orchard Billy Currington, 38 Special and Mark Chestnutt will take the stage as headliners for “The Party of the Year,” which returns to Reid’s Orchard on Saturday, August 13, 2016! Big Smo, Mo Pitney and Sundy Best also join the lineup, performing your favorite hits for a night of great music and fun! General admission tickets are $55.95 and VIP tickets $134.95. Tickets will be available at two additional locations, Maloney’s Pizza and Wings, off Hwy 54 in Owensboro, KY and Bud’s Harley-Davidson in Evansville, IN.

FREE CONCERT ON THE LAWN

August 6 at 5 p.m. | KWC Front Lawn Pre-festivities begin at 5 p.m. and Owensboro Symphony performs at 7 p.m. The free family event is held on the lawn of Kentucky Wesleyan College! Concert on the Lawn event features a table decorating contest, and the winner performs with OSO! Reserve a table of eight for $100 by calling the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra at 270-684-0661.

LANHAM BROTHERS JAMBOREE

August 13 at 7 p.m. | Diamond Lake Resort Good Time Theater Come and enjoy a night of family entertainment with great country, bluegrass, and gospel music, hilarious comedy with audience participation, and lots of dancing!! Featuring the talented performing artists - Joe Christian, Skylar Cain, Annabelle Watts, Jeff Hardesty, Leland Isbill and Paul Moseley.

Also, the fan favorite, Foot Stompin’ Express Cloggers! Enjoyable

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fun for all ages! Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at www.lanhambrothersjamboree.com

EAST BRIDGE ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

September 2 – 3 | RiverPark through Smothers Park Studio Slant hosts the 6th annual East Bridge Arts Festival. More than 50 artists from around the region showcase their amazing talents while dozens of teams turn the streets around the festival into a canvas of incredible chalk art. The festival will be “kicking off ” its 2-day event by joining Friday After 5 at the Kroger Street Fair at Smothers Park!

WHITE ON SECOND PRESENTED BY OWENSBORO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

September 17 at 4 p.m. | Second Street in Downtown Owensboro Dress in white and enjoy a delicious European-style dinner in the middle of Second Street, while enjoying a live performance by pianist, Diane Earle. Order your dinner in advance from one of our fabulous downtown restaurants…or fix a delightful feast of your own! Top off your fun night by dancing in the street with the amazing Owensboro Symphony Orchestra’s 2nd St Big Band.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

1ST WEEKENDWONDERS August 6 & September 3 9am to noon | Western Kentucky Botanical Garden Volunteer work session. Light lunch provided for our volunteers.

SKILLTRAIN August 16 | OCTC OCTC SkillTrain exists to provide adult basic education services to the Daviess County community. Specifically, SkillTrain offers small-group classes and one-on-one tutoring in pre-college-level reading, writing, math, and ESL. Each year, OCTC SkillTrain serves over 500 students who are seeking to attain their GEDs, to get into college, or to gain basic English skills for life and work in the United States. This is achieved with a dedicated and professional staff, aided by community volunteers who serve as one-on-one GED tutors and as ESL classroom assistants.

Community members who are interested in knowing more about SkillTrain’s programs and volunteer opportunities are welcome to join them for an information session at their center (1501 Frederica St.). Sessions are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. beginning on Tuesday, August 16.

If you’d like more information, please contact Lindsey Kafer at lindsey.kafer@kctcs.edu or 270-686-3781.

www.OwensboroLiving.com

NEW BEGINNINGS SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT SERVICES

September thru October | New Beginnings New Beginnings welcomes community members to explore volunteer opportunities as they strive to help others rise above sexual victimization. Advocates are needed for 24/7 crisis line coverage, ER and legal accompaniment and crisis counseling. Volunteers must live in Daviess, Henderson, Ohio or Union Counties, be at least 20 years old, complete a background check, and be on call nights/weekends. No experience is required, but volunteers must complete a training class.

During the course of training, many sensitive subjects are presented. These topics include: orientation, volunteer policy, overview of a rapist and sexual assault, handling crisis calls, HIPAA/ active listening, compassion fatigue, domestic violence, diversity, PTSD, suicide, child sexual abuse, VINE (Victim Information & Notification Everyday), crisis packets/Laundry of Love, hospital tour, test, & interviews.

When volunteers are on call, they respond to two potential situations: 1. Talking with a survivor of sexual assault to provide phone support; or 2. Going to their local emergency room within 30 minutes to accompany and support the victim and to be an advocate for them.

The next group training classes will be September 12, 19, 26, and October 3, 10. The training will be from 6 – 9 p.m. For more information, please contact Terri Crowe Advocacy Coordinator, at 270-926-7278 terri.nbowensboro@gmail.com.

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PHOTO BY LUCAS WIMAN

FREE INSIDE OUT – MOVIES ON THE RIVER

FAMILY

OWENSBORO REGIONAL FARMER’S MARKET

6:30 a.m. – noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday thru October | 1205 Triplett St Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. thru August | Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, 1201 Pleasant Valley Road Both locations have parking lots for your convenience. All vendors accept cash, most will accept personal checks, and some will accept credit/debit cards. The Market also accepts SNAP/ EBT payments as well as credit cards. These forms of payment are taken at the Market Information tent with the Market Manager.

Customers will be given wooden tokens to spend with the vendors in exchange for their SNAP/EBT/credit card payments. Come out and join us! Check out our Facebook page for special event days, www.facebook.com/OwensboroRegionalFarmersMarket

FREE FRIDAY AFTER 5

Fridays from 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. | RiverPark Center through Riverfront to Convention Center A summer-long series of free outdoor concerts held every Friday on the eight-block, stunningly beautiful Owensboro, Kentucky riverfront. The festival includes live bands, family events, food and entertainment and a “Toast to the Sunset” at each Friday After 5.

FREE FAMILY MOVIE MATINEE

Saturdays | Daviess County Public Library Enjoy a fun family movie each Saturday at DCPL from 2 – 4 p.m.

MARKET DAYS

August 6 – 7, September 3 - 4 | Preservation Station, 9661 Kentucky 56 Preservation Station Market Days are held the first full weekend of every month. Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. with over 100 vendors of antique, vintage, handcrafted, and boutique items, live music, and good food. Preservation Station Market and Event Center, 9661 Hwy 56. Also open daily Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 - 5 p.m. Call 270993-7532, go to www.visitpreservationstation.com, or find us on Facebook.

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August 7 at 7:30 p.m. | RiverPark Center Join us for Movies on the River where families come together for FREE films and fun on the riverfront! Emotions run wild in the mind of a little girl who is uprooted from her peaceful life in the Midwest and forced to move to San Francisco in this Pixar adventure. Young Riley was perfectly content with her life until the family moved across country. Now as she prepares for her new life in a new city and a new school, her emotions become very complicated! Concessions available, please do not bring coolers or pets.

18TH ANNUAL OWENSBORO MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL

August 20 | First Presbyterian Church Enjoy a day of celebrating diversity and different cultures’ food, music and dancing!

FREE STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – MOVIES ON THE RIVER

September 4 at 7:30 p.m. | RiverPark Center Join us for Movies on the River where families come together for FREE films and fun on the riverfront! In this thrilling continuation of the epic space opera, ex-stormtrooper Finn, scrappy desert dweller Rey, and droid companion BB-8 get caught up in a galactic war when they come across a map containing the whereabouts of the vanished Luke Skywalker. They soon embark on an epic adventure that brings them face-to-face with heroes from the past, as well as new villains such as Kylo Ren and the First Order, a fascist regime that has emerged from the ashes of the old Empire.

Concessions available, please do not bring coolers or pets.

THE TOT, THE TEEN AND THE WARDROBE CONSIGNMENT SALE

September 10 - 11 |Owensboro Boys and Girls Club, 3415 Buckland Square 300+ local families will be consigning over 45,000 items- furniture, home decor, clothing, baby equipment, toys, music, books, etc. All www.OwensboroLiving.com

consignors earn 70% and shop presales! Consignors shop Friday September 9th from 6-10 p.m., the sale opens to the public Saturday September 10th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Half Off Sale will be Sunday September 11th from 12-3 p.m. Visit www.ttwky.com or call 270-316-2732 (Stephanie) or 270-993-7532 (Jennifer) to learn more.

HOMETOWN HEROES DAY

September 17 – 18 | Trunnell’s Farm Market Free Admission for Military and Emergency Personnel! In tribute to those who sacrifice so much, Trunnell’s is giving back to Kentucky and Indiana firemen, police officers, first responders, and active & retired military (including Reserve & National Guard).

Join Trunnell’s in honoring America’s bravest men and women who place service before self to keep our families safe every day.

Our Hometown Heroes will be admitted FREE with a valid ID, and immediate family members will be admitted at half price. The weekend will be filled with everything used to help make you safe in case of a fire or emergency. The following activities are planned for the weekend as well as many more: kids can climb aboard the fire engine, search the patrol vehicle, investigate a rescue vehicle, listen to the sirens and have “Absolutely Farmtastic Fun” in the Family Fun Acre.

PIGTAILS & COWLICKS FALL/WINTER CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT SALE

September 23 – 24 | Owensboro Convention Center Pigtails & Cowlicks Children’s Fall/Winter Consignment Sale offers

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the opportunity for many area families to shop for new and gently used items from 350 families. All items are for kids – from babies to teens! There will be over 35,000 items of clothing, toys, furniture, books, baby gear, shoes, and more. No Admission Fee to Shop! Open to the public! We accept cash and debit/credit cards. Please visit our website www.pigtailsandcowlicks.com or like us on Facebook!

BARK IN THE PARK

September 24 at 11 a.m. | Legion Park A one day event that allows dogs and their owners to rally together with other dogs and humans to support Cancer Awareness! All proceeds from the Bark in the Park will be donated to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

OLE’ CIDER DAYS

September 24 – 25 | Trunnell’s Farm Market A Cider-stravaganza! A weekend of cider and sampling including six different ciders will tickle your taste buds: strawberry cider, blackberry cider, peach cider, red cherry cider, blueberry cider and fresh apple cider. Fresh picked apples, apple butter, apple pie, and apple bread will be sampled, too. This year’s Ole’ Cider Days Festival will feature pulled pork BBQ, freshly-pressed apple cider, apple cider donuts, and great fun for the whole family. Our guests will experience hand-cranked presses, enjoy scenic hayrides around the farm and to the pumpkin patch, children can get lost in the interactive corn maze, pumpkin painting, face painting, visit the Animal Barnyard and pet them, or have “Absolutely Farmtastic Fun” in the “Family Fun Acre.“

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THE

SCENE

DOWNTOWN

DANCING WITH OUR STARS “OWENSBORO STYLE”

August 13 at 6 p.m. | Owensboro Convention Center Dancing With Our Stars Owensboro Style is the Bouleware Mission’s premier fundraiser which sells out each year! Six local celebrities will partner with local dancers to perform one routine in competition for the mirror-ball trophy. Evening includes sit-down dinner, competition, and open dancing. Visit www.LetsDanceOwensboro.com to vote for your favorite couple or purchase tickets.

FREE LIVE ON THE BANKS

Saturday nights thru September | River Overlook Stage LIVE on the Banks is a FREE, outdoor concert series on Saturday nights May through September at the River Overlook Stage in Downtown Owensboro, KY. Presented by the City of Owensboro.

FREE BLUEGRASS ON THE BANKS

first and third Tuesdays of each month through September | River Overlook Stage The series will showcase a variety of bluegrass music with some extra shows on Fridays in September. Performances will be from 7 – 9 p.m. at the River Overlook stage in Smothers Park at the north end of Frederica Street.

2016 OHIO VALLEY CORNHOLE CHAMPIONSHIP

August 19 - 20 | Owensboro Convention Center Cornhole King Tournament, Professional, and Amateur Tournament.

Cash prizes available for all tournaments!

RIVER VALLEY CLUSTER DOG SHOW 2016

August 25 – 29 | Owensboro Convention Center AKC All Breed Dog Show along with obedience & rally trials. 100’s of dogs from all over the U.S. & a few foreign countries. Enjoy the competition, watch the grooming process & learn more about dogs.

Vendors onsite with canine products. Bring the family & enjoy the fur!

LABOR DAY PARADE

September 5 at 11 a.m. | Downtown Owensboro This will be a parade of American made antique cars, also floats depicting workers’ job duties and the route will showcase Labor’s involvement in growing Owensboro and Daviess County. The parade route will be a straight path to English Park where the annual Labor Day picnic will begin at 12 noon. Our prime objective is to honor working people and the commitment and contributions made to our area.

FREE 6TH ANNUAL OWENSBORO DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

September 17 at 7 a.m. | English Park Gather a team of family, friends, or co-workers and join us for a funfilled day of food, music, tailgating and friendly competition on the water! Visit us on Facebook or www.owensborodragonboat.com

OWENSBORO GRAIN PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH DANNY GLOVER PHOTO BY DREAM COPY PHOTOGRAPHY

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September 17 | Owensboro Convention Center Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 25 years. As an actor, his film credits range www.OwensboroLiving.com

from the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise to smaller independent features, some of which Glover also produced.

Currently, he is working with the “Criminal Minds” TV series in a guest appearance for this season. At the same time, he has also gained respect for his emphasis on advocacy for economic justice, focusing on issues of poverty, disease, and economic development.

“After reading about the wonderful work the Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation is doing in Owensboro, Kentucky, it was not a difficult decision for me to agree to accept the invitation to be the Keynote Speaker for their fundraising event.” Danny Glover A reception catered by Moonlite BBQ will be held in the West Ballroom of the Convention Center, and Glover will make an appearance at the reception prior to show. The B-Rich Band will provide music for the reception.

The show will feature the Owensboro Dance Theatre, and Alma Randolph. Glover’s speech will focus on issues pertaining to poverty, and he will entertain questions from the audience following his speech.

Over the past 22 years, the Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation has hosted fundraising events designed to draw people from all social, racial, religious and political affiliations.

This event will bring a very diverse group of individuals together in our beautiful Owensboro Convention Center for a common cause. The ARCF has clothed 15,130 children and our net proceeds exceed $1,152,593.

ROCK THE HOUSE 80S FLASHBACK PARTY FOR CASA

September 24 | Owensboro Convention Center This 80s Flashback Party for CASA will totally rock the night with lots of dancing to your favorite 80s tunes and much more, including heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. There will be lots of surprise items for the silent and live auctions that you won’t want to miss. Put on your snazzy 80s outfit or just grab your favorite 80s tee shirt!! Come enjoy a great time of fun and friends for CASA of Ohio Valley! Tickets $50 per person available at www.owensborotickets.com.

KIDS

OPEN BOUNCE NIGHTS Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays | U-Bounce The perfect party place for kids. Amazing inflatables in an unbelievably cool bounce stadium. Private, clean and climate-controlled. All children must wear socks. $7 per child, children under 2 are free, unless they are the only child, adults always free; On Toddler Tuesday, children 5 and under get in for $5 all night. Tuesday and Wednesday 5 – 8 p.m. and Friday 5 - 9 p.m. (270) 685-1255 or ubouncepartyhouse.com.

FREE STORYTIMES Mondays & Thursdays | Daviess County Public Library Wee Read for ages 2 and younger and Circle Time for ages 3-5; 10 – 10:30 a.m. (270) 684-0211 or dcplibrary.org.

GRANDPARENTS DAY AT TRUNNELL’S September 10 - 11 | Trunnell’s Farm Market Kids spend a day with your grandparents at Trunnell’s Farm! * FREE Admission for one Grandparent with each paid Grandchild Admission.

Come bring the grandchildren out for a day of “Absolutely Farmtastic Fun!” Free Admission of one grandparent with one paid child admission.

FIRST SATURDAYS- "WOOLY WORM FORECAST" August 6 10am to Noon | Western Kentucky Botanical Garden Fun, learning program for children ages 5-11

FIRST SATURDAYS- "BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES" September 3 10am to Noon | Western Kentucky Botanical Garden Fun, learning program for children ages 5-11

"BACK WOODS BALL" September 23 | Western Kentucky Botanical Garden Dinner and Silent Auction with Live Music featuring Marty Brown & Band and Lanham Brothers Jamboree. Western Attire and One of A Kind Atmosphere. Beer & Bourbon Tasting. Tickets can be purchased at www.wkbg.org

ACTIVE

SUMMER YOGA SERIES: SEVA SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN

August 20 and 27 and September 10 from 9 – 10 a.m. | Riverfront This summer, The Yoga Loft KY will be offering free yoga to the community at Smothers Park in Owensboro. This class is open to the community and all ages and skill levels are welcome. Yoga is healing and health supportive. We want as many people as possible to practice yoga in our community. Whether you are a beginner to experienced practitioner come out to enjoy the sunshine and yoga!

Cost: $5 Donation. All proceeds will be given to the charity of the month. Limited mats and blocks will be available. Please bring your own if available to you. No registration is required, just show up ready to have fun and play! www.OwensboroLiving.com

7TH ANNUAL OWENSBORO HALF MARATHON

September 17 at 5:45 a.m. | Edge Ice Center Department of Parks and Recreation will host the 7th Annual Owensboro Half Marathon on Saturday, September 17, 2016. New for this year, will be a 4-Person Relay as part of the event. Events will begin and end at the Edge Ice Center at 1400 Hickman Avenue. Participants may check-in between 5:45-6:30 a.m. The race begins at 7 a.m. Individual registration Fee is $60 before September 2 or $70 between September 2-14, 2016. The 4-Person Relay Fee is $100 before September 2 or $140 between September 2-14, 2016, per team. Registration closes at noon on September 14, 2016. You may register online at active.com. For more information, call the Owensboro Parks and Recreation Administrative Center at 270-687-8700, or visit owensboroparks.org.

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THE MEMORIES LAST LONGER THAN THE BACKPACK

BY LORA WIMSATT

I

have to smile at the optimism of youth.

My grandgirl will start school this year, all bright-eyed and excited as she chatters on and on about everything she will learn and do in kindergarten. Her school has a playground, she tells me, and a lunchroom, and there will be music and art, and if you need to go to the bathroom you can raise your hand, and she already knows her letters but sometimes forgets some of them but she will learn how to read and there are books and you can write and color and her friend will be there and she thinks maybe another friend might be in her classroom too and maybe sometimes she can be the line leader and the teacher will be nice and school will be fun and she will learn a lot and she can’t wait.

I gave her a big hug and told her she is right; school is wonderful and she will love it, and I can’t wait to hear all about it.

But it’s her mother who amuses me.

“Have you gone school shopping yet?” I asked. It’s early yet, but I thought maybe they had already started to pick up a few things along the way.

“No,” my daughter replied, “but I’ve looked online and found this cute backpack.” She tapped and scrolled around on her smartphone, then held it out so I could see an image of a bag, mostly pink but with turquoise and purple swirls in a design that reminded me of a throwback to the hippiedippie 1970s.

And then she said – and I quote – “She should be able to use it all through fifth grade.”

That’s when I smiled.

I may have had the same idea when my oldest child started to school. Perhaps I thought I could buy one bookbag that would last him all the way through elementary school, or, gosh, maybe through middle or even high school.

Hahahahaha!

Oh, I was so naïve!

I was lucky if a backpack survived for a semester.

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First, there was the issue of backpacks being lost. I know; how do you lose something that stands two feet tall, weighs 30 pounds and is decorated with colorful images of “HeMan” and “Battle Cat”?

Yet my son managed to do exactly that.

Whether it was left behind on the school bus, accidentally picked up by another child, discarded in someone’s front yard as an impromptu game of football broke out as my son and his friends walked home from the bus stop at the end of the day, or perhaps even destroyed because the backpack was actually used as the football – who knows.

Even if the backpack didn’t get lost, it was the rare bag that held together long enough to haul books back and forth for an entire school year.

I’ve already mentioned my theory that the backpacks may have been used as substitute footballs, but I also suspect soccer and perhaps even some sort of fabric version of that track-and-field event where you spin around with a heavy weight on a chain to see how far you can throw it.

But let’s just say a backpack did manage to survive an entire year without the zipper breaking, the handle being torn off and the shoulder straps shredded.

No matter what kind of backpack I bought for any of my kids, no matter how much they professed never-ending devotion to Transformers or My Little Pony or Smurfs or Mickey Mouse, by the time August rolled every year, my kids were mortified at the suggestion of being seen carrying an out-of-style, out-of-favor design and simply had to have … whatever that year’s trendy character might have been.

I smiled at my daughter – my oblivious, optimistic daughter, who apparently has no recollection whatsoever of her own childhood as she looks forward with such confidence to that of her own daughter.

“Great idea,” I said.

What I didn’t say – but she’ll find out – is that the memories will last a lot longer than the backpack.

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