Bowling Green Living - November / December 2018

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NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

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FRO M THE E D I TOR M Y G R E AT E S T G I F T

EDITOR

Sarah Bishop sarah@tannerpublishing.com

Growing up the holidays were magical for me. My mom would put a Christmas tree in every room, each with a different theme, transforming our house into a winter wonderland. I would craft an extensive and dramatic list of gift ideas. One year, we even made our own wrapping paper.

Now, I love picking out our live tree and going to church on Christmas Eve – the holidays just certainly don’t have that same magic.

But this Christmas will look a whole lot different as my husband and I have added a new stocking to our mantle.

On Aug. 29 at 5:38 a.m., we welcomed our first child into the world: Iden Grant Bishop. From the start, he was wide-eyed and squirmy—and he has totally captivated us.

It’s true when they say that nothing can prepare you for motherhood.

As soon as I discovered we were expecting I ran to Barnes and Noble to begin my research. What could I expect during each trimester? Did I want a medicated labor? (Note to future me: You do.) What kind of parents did we want to be? There was so much to learn! For nine months, my nightstand was stacked with books on every theory from child development to breastfeeding to sleep training.

I was confident, calm and totally prepared to tackle parenthood, right?

No. My pregnancy was so simple, and labor and delivery was seamless; I assumed parenthood would follow suit. But, when my doctor handed me my beautiful 6-pound, 11-ounce baby, I. Was. Terrified.

No amount of research and preparation can ready you for the responsibility that being a mother entails. “Your natural instinct will kick in,” I was told countless times throughout my pregnancy. But understanding every cry, murmur and need is hard work. Getting to know and care for your child is not an easy feat. Not to mention sleep being nonexistent.

PUBLISHER

Taylor West taylor@tannerpublishing.com AD SALES

Sarah Bishop Jes Newton jes@tannerpublishing.com LAYOUT & DESIGN

Andrea Roberson Jamie Alexander CONTRIBUTORS

Crystal Akers Jamie Alexander Sarah Bishop Crystal Bowling Helen Gibson Caitlin Greenwell Andrea Hampton Linda Hitchcock Natalie Martin Monica Ramsey Lora Wimsatt COVER PHOTO

Jamie Alexander Taylor West FOUNDER

Jason Tanner jason@tannerpublishing.com Online www.bgkyliving.com facebook.com/bglivingmagazine instagram.com/bowlinggreenliving

The challenges are wild and difficult and sometimes seem impossible. But the minute you pull that tiny sock out of the laundry or see those funny, precious eyes lock with yours, those struggles become purposeful.

issuu.com/tannerpublishing

I’ve found the experiences that bring you to your knees are the ones that are the most beautiful and transformative.

888-304-5416

Parenthood has been the greatest responsibility, the ultimate honor and most certainly my favorite gift this holiday season.

Bowling Green Living is a FREE magazine

Sarah Bishop Editor, Bowling Green Living

Offline Tanner Publishing Co. PO Box 9503 Owensboro, KY 42302

Advertise because of community support. Thank you to the great group of businesses and organizations who advertise.

TANNER PUBLISHING CO.

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2018

NOV . DEC [06]

THE BUZZ

THE REAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY

[08]

THE PULSE

EMS SUPERHEROES

[11]

THE ARTS

LOCAL LIBRARIAN ARTISTS PROMOTE LITERACY IN LEXINGTON

FEATURES [14] MASTERING A DREAM

[26]

[20] EAST MEETS WEST [24] MEANT TO BE [26] AN OPEN DOOR [30] TWO WAY HIGHWAY [32] THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE [36] FUJI AVDIC: TAKING THE RISK [38] A BRIGHT VISION

[41]

SHOP LOCAL

MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF SHOPPING SMALL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

[50]

[20]

[36]

[14]

[50]

THE DISH

RICH & CREAMY HOT CHOCOLATE

[52]

THE GETAWAY

36 HOURS IN INDIANAPOLIS

[56]

THE STYLE

A CLASSIC, MODERN HOME RENOVATION

[58]

THE SCENE

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AND AROUND BOWLING GREEN

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BUZZ PHOTO BY THE BOWLING GREEN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE

LOCALS WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S On Sept. 8, more than 900 people gathered at Circus Square Park for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association.

This year, the walk raised more than $121,000, reaching 97 percent of its goal of $125,000. The organization is accepting donations toward the goal through the end of 2018.

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness

CITY RECOGNIZES MORE THAN 150 NEW U.S. CITIZENS

and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Money goes directly to the Alzheimer’s Association toward fundraising, advocacy, research and support for people with the disease, and 60 percent of those funds are used locally.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death in the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.

For more information, visit act.alz.org.

The City of Bowling Green hosted a reception recognizing individuals who have become naturalized United States citizens in 2017 and 2018. The reception was led by the International Communities Liaison division in the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and featured recognition from Mayor Bruce Wilkerson and the City’s board of commissioners.

“This is our fourth annual reception for new Americans, and every year we are surprised at the increase in number of legal permanent residents in our city obtaining their United States citizenship,” said Leyda Becker, international communities liaison for the City of Bowling Green. “This is an effort to recognize that our citizen base is becoming more diversified. Many foreign-born immigrants and refugees are eligible to pursue naturalization

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and become active members of our community who want to exercise their rights.”

The City has worked to identify recently naturalized citizens through community partners such as Warren County Adult Education at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College and the International Center of Kentucky, which have been actively involved with immigrants and refugees through English as Second Language classes and helping to process applications for naturalization.

“The process of naturalization is not simple,” Becker said, who became a U.S. citizen in 2011. “The eligible applicant has to submit an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that has a costly fee, pass a citizenship exam, complete an interview process and pass a thorough background check.” www.bgkyliving.com

AVIATION HERITAGE PARK BREAKS GROUND ON MUSEUM The Aviation Heritage Park recently launched their capital campaign for a $2.5 million aviation museum by turning dirt to mark the start of the first phase of construction. The museum will include classroom and meeting spaces, state-ofthe-art displays, interpretive exhibits and a restoration facility, covering about 11,000 square feet of floor area.

“We are extremely excited about this special day in the history of Aviation

Heritage Park,” said board president Joe Tinius. “The AHP board of directors (has) envisioned a permanent museum on the site for several years.”

Phase one of construction will include grading and site work as well as constructing a storage building, pouring a concrete slab for the restoration facility and the beginnings of utilities.

The museum is set to open by 2020.

MORE THAN $65K RAISED FOR IMAGINATION LIBRARY Fruit of the Loom, Inc., hosted its 19th annual charity golf tournament where over $65,500 was raised for United Way of Southern Kentucky’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program puts books in the hands of local children to assist in fostering a love for reading and better preparing children for kindergarten.

All children from newborn to age five are eligible to register to receive one ageappropriate book mailed directly to their home each month until age five.

Dolly

Parton

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began

the

Imagination

Library in east Tennessee in 1995, and since then more than 103 million books have been distributed to children across four countries. Recognizing the need to strengthen and support early literacy efforts and to ensure all young children get the best start possible, United Way of Southern Kentucky brought Imagination Library to southern Kentucky in 2011. More than 228,000 books have been mailed to 10,146 children across Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe and Warren counties.

CHAMBER, SCHOOL DISTRICTS KICK OFF 2018-19 SCK LAUNCH PROGRAM The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Bowling Green Independent School District and Warren County Public Schools recently began the 2018-19 SCK LAUNCH Student-Led Leadership initiative, a process for high school students to prepare for future careers and become contributing members of the community. The initiative focuses on actions that create positive impact for students, school and community.

Nearly 130 students from area high schools were selected by their schools through an application process. School staff coaches, facilitates and guides the teams and individual members, and the Chamber provides corporatelevel leadership and project management training through the FranklinCovey organization.

Students are charged with leading a service project in their schools.

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THE

PULSE

BY MED CENTER HEALTH

EMS SUPERHEROES

It’s been said that not all superheroes

wear capes. First responders—police, fire and emergency medical services—are all superheroes in our communities. When someone calls 911 in Warren County, Medical Center EMS will be on the scene in minutes, ready and able to do whatever is necessary to save a life. These EMS personnel are far more than just ambulance drivers; they are

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highly trained and skilled men and women who

education and relations, personnel management and

are experienced in a wide range of situations. Their

more. CAAS accreditation means Medical Center

jobs can be dangerous, even life-threatening; yet

EMS consistently meets or exceeds the highest

every day, they put on the uniform and stand ready

expectations of the industry and provides an added

to assist anyone in need of emergency medical

level of quality assurance to the community. Medical

assistance.

Center EMS is one of three agencies accredited by

CAAS in Kentucky and is the only EMS service in

Behind the scenes at EMS are people whose jobs

are less dangerous but no less important: dispatchers.

Kentucky to hold CAAS and ACE accreditations.

Emergency medical dispatchers are people whose

job it is to field calls, gather information, give

makes our service better by looking at ourselves

assistance and instructions over the phone prior to

with a critical eye,” says Jim Berry, director of

the arrival of EMS to the scene, and to assess the

Medical Center EMS. “Instead of just resting on

severity of the situation so appropriate resources can

our reputation, we are continually improving our

be sent. They do all of this while remaining cool,

service. These outside, independent entities are

calm and professional. The dispatchers at Medical

experts in emergency medical services and provide

Center EMS do their jobs so well, in fact, they were

an added layer of assurance to the community of our

recently recognized by the International Academies

quality.”

of Emergency Dispatch as an Accredited Center of

Excellence—making Medical Center EMS the only

vital role in survival is heart attacks. Often the first

service in Kentucky to receive such an honor.

medical personnel to arrive, they start treatment

In addition to ACE, Medical Center EMS has

of a heart attack immediately. Each minute saved

once again been accredited by the Commission

increases the chance of recovery. Their dedication to

on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. CAAS

improving quality and saving lives has earned them

surveyors consider a number of key standards,

recognition by the American Heart Association

including response time, agency management,

with the Mission: Lifeline Gold Plus Award.

safe operations, relations with outside agencies,

mutual aid and disaster coordination, community

TheMedicalCenter.org.

“The pursuit of each of these accreditations

One area where Medical Center EMS plays a

To learn more about Medical Center EMS, visit

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THE

ARTS

BY LINDA HITCHCOCK

<< LORA GILL PHOTO BY LOREN GIFFORD

LOCAL LIBRARIAN ARTISTS PROMOTE LITERACY IN LEXINGTON

Meet Lora Gill and Sara Volpi

L

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iterary-inspired benches are popping up all over

to paint their designs and were responsible for picking up

Lexington, thanks to a collaborative art and literary

and delivering the completed benches. The benches were

fundraiser.

grouped in Gratz Park and unveiled June 1 at a preview for

Book Benches: A Tribute to Kentucky Authors was

sponsors, authors, artists and the media. They were relocated

organized by Arts Connect, LexArts and the Carnegie Center

for public exhibition and will remain in place until an

for Literacy and Learning and has placed 37 fully functional,

auction and gala Nov. 17 at The Livery.

vibrantly decorated open-book shaped fiberglass benches in

public spaces throughout the city.

artists, Lora Gill and Sara Volpi, both librarians and quiet

activists whose daily work and passion for the arts and

Each bench was illustrated by Kentucky artists with

Bowling Green is well represented by the works of two

themes inspired by the works of Kentucky authors in a

literature is making a difference.

variety of genres. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tangible celebration of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich

cultural heritage.

and raised in Germany and Radcliff. She interrupted her

Nearly 100 artists submitted detailed proposals in

studies at the University of Kentucky with marriage at 19

January, and the artists commissioned were given six weeks

years old to William Gill and a shared four year stint in the

Gill was an Army brat and veteran, born at Ft. Knox

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<< SARAH VOLPI // PHOTO BY LOREN GIFFORD

U.S. Army. Following an honorable discharge, she completed a

enormous work in progress,” she said. “When someone looks at

master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences at Kentucky,

a piece of art I have created, I want them to be captivated. I want

while William finished his pharmacist’s degree. They moved to

it to transport them to a new level of awareness about human

Bowling Green about 12 years ago with their five children, two of

emotion. Always in my work is a fascination with the floral and the

whom are adopted from Asia. Gill is a full-time librarian at Warren

feminine.”

County Public Library and has been the arts coordinator for all

four branches since 2015.

current collection “Featherbrains.” This series of works on paper

and canvas will be the subject of a two-month solo show planned

“My work has given me the opportunity to promote awareness

Gill describes her work as Kentucky folk art, calling her most

of the visual arts by reaching out to local artists and providing

for 2020 at the Artists’ Attic in Lexington.

a venue for the display of their work,” she said. “Art has been

important to me since I was a child. I vividly remember being

enormous list of achievements belies her relative youth.

mesmerized watching my second grade teacher tell a story and

illustrate it on the chalkboard. That was the first time I realized

when she was five. Upon graduating high school, she received a

that drawing could have such a magical effect on a story.”

four-year scholarship for Morehead State University’s Creative

Writing program and minored in Studio Art.

Her bench design, #34 The Birds of Opulence, is inspired by

Sara Volpi is a hummingbird, a blur in constant motion whose Born in Baton Rouge, La., Volpi’s family moved to Somerset

author Crystal Wilkinson’s novel by the same name. This bench

is one one of only three to be pre-sold with the highest level of

to process information,” she says. “I’ve always loved being outside,

sponsorship—$15,000—and can be found in front of Wild Figs

and I’ve always loved drawing people or plants. Much of my work

Books & Coffee, co-owned by Wilkinson, and will be permanently

incorporates henna or mandala-style patterns, and I like to play

moved to the University Press of Kentucky in November.

with symmetry and space. I draw inspiration from fabric design,

patterns, other artists I admire, textile design, books, clothing,

Gill implemented acrylics as the medium to paint her bench,

“I use art as a way to clear my head and sometimes as a way

using her dining room as a primary workspace.

nature, etc.”

“It was quite the adventure for my family, and everyone

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The aforementioned author, Wilkinson, became her MSU

thesis advisor and mentor, and Volpi moved to Bowling Green www.bgkyliving.com

when she was awarded a graduate assistantship at WKU, teaching

readers to be aware of what’s going on in the world. It’s a tight-knit

and tutoring while completing her course work and thesis for a

community, and the authors love their fans.”

master’s degree in Rhetoric and Composition. She now works full

time at WKU Libraries as the literary outreach coordinator, where

on the Book Bench project, using Whitaker’s book The Queen of

her responsibilities include organizing the Southern Kentucky

Kentucky as inspiration.Volpi created design templates for approval

Book Fest, a year-round project to bring more than 150 authors

and was selected by the committee. Her bench design, #33 The

in all literary genres and thousands of book-lovers together for

Queen of Kentucky, is located in Lexington’s Women’s Garden.

a combination of fan fest, book signings, panels and writing workshops.

Volpi also serves as on the WKU Cultural Enhancement Series

Committee, coordinates the One Book, One Community campaign and works with Barnes & Noble on its Kentucky Live speaker series. She is a member of the annual Kentucky Women’s Writers Conference at Transylvania University and is a coordinator of the Wild Women of Poetry Slam. Volpi is an annual participant in the professional art category in the US Bank Celebration of the Arts

Young adult author Alecia Whitaker asked Volpi to collaborate

“It still seems kind of like this whole project never happened,”

she says. She worked on the bench in her boyfriend’s father’s Roundhill cabin, about 25 minutes from Bowling Green.

“The setting was perfect. I was able to pick some wildflowers

and paint them onto the bench,” she says. “I painted in a sort of fever-dream state for 10 days—a few all-nighters included. I used Kilz primer, acrylic paint, watercolor pencils, Posca paint pens, oilbased paint pens and Sharpie. I put the final touches on the bench

community-centered art show and is a founding member of BG

right before midnight on May 11, slept a few hours and then watched

Makers, an area artisan collective.

the sun rise on the morning it was due back in Lexington. I’m still

Young Adult literature is a genre of great importance to Volpi.

having trouble adequately conveying how lucky I feel to have been

“Readers of young adult literature are keeping the book market

included in this project in general, much less with the incredible

busy and flooded with new, exciting authors writing titles that wrap

artists whose benches are now on display in Lexington.”

political, cultural and ethical themes into their books,” she says.

“Let’s just say they’re not afraid to take chances and push their

visit bookbencheslex.org.

www.bgkyliving.com

To see all 37 benches and to learn more about their creation,

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Mastering A DREAM

BY HELEN GIBSON

T

he tension was red-hot in the MasterChef kitchen. Bright lights shone down on two hopeful home cooks as they scrambled around

state-of-the-art cooking stations, working to prepare a meal that would earn them a spot on the ninth season of the popular Fox cooking show.

The cameras were rolling, and celebrity judges Gordon Ramsay,

AarĂłn SanchĂŠz and Joe Bastianich stood at the front of the room, waiting to see the dishes these cooks would create. To make it to the next stage of the competition, the competitors needed at least one judge to hand them a white apron, thus agreeing to mentor them through the rest of the season.

One of these cooks was Gerron Hurt, a 25-year-old Louisville

native and WKU alumnus.

With 45 minutes on the clock, Hurt grated cabbage, stirred spices

in a bowl and carefully dropped chicken breasts in a deep fryer. He was 14 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FOX

preparing Nashville hot chicken with a vinaigrette-based slaw and a sweet-heat sauce. Originally his mother’s recipe, it was a dish he hoped would show off his roots and set him apart from his competition.

The timer ended abruptly, and the contestants threw their hands

in the air, signifying they were finished. The judges asked them to come forward and present their dishes.

Joe Bastianich took a bite of the hot chicken Hurt had prepared.

“It’s good, but his dish is good too,” Bastianich said, pointing

to the competitor standing next to Hurt. “I want someone who really wants it.”

Hurt looked at him and replied.

“I’m hungry,” he said.

For Hurt, cooking has been a lifelong passion, but he never

pictured himself making it to that point.

He began learning to cook as early as age five, simply by watching

his mother and grandmother prepare meals for their large family in Louisville. He vividly remembers standing on a step stool in their family’s kitchen as a child, so he could see over the countertops to watch his mother teach him basic skills, like how to stir a bowl of mashed potatoes.

“My mom taught me those fundamentals, and then I just explored,

watching food shows and reading cookbooks and just different things like that,” Hurt said.

Eventually, Hurt started begging his mom to let him help cook

dinner, he said. Not long after, he began cooking for family gatherings, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“I started actually preparing dishes for those (holidays), and

my family would give me good praise for those dishes, and that just encouraged me to keep going,” Hurt said.

He graduated from Fern Creek High School in 2011 and went on

to Western Kentucky University, where he double-majored in social studies and history.

As a college student, Hurt continued to prepare meals, impressing

those around him.

To this day, his fiancée, Brandi Beckham, remembers the first

meal Hurt prepared for her when they started dating as WKU students.

It was grilled chicken, pasta salad with feta cheese and vegetables and broccoli topped with parmesan shavings—all prepared in Hurt’s small college apartment.

Beckham said she was immediately impressed.

“I just thought to myself, ‘There’s no way,’” she said. “There’s no

freakin’ way he just made this.”

In the middle of Hurt’s college career, however, tragedy struck,

and his hobby of cooking began to take on a whole new level of importance.

His mother, Michelle, the woman who’d inspired him to begin

cooking before he could even see above the countertops, passed away.

At the time, Hurt was only a sophomore in college.

In the years of mourning that followed her loss, Hurt realized

something had shifted. www.bgkyliving.com

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“Once she died, the torch was passed to me,” Hurt said. “For

downtown Nashville.

every holiday, when I go home, it is my responsibility to cook, and it

brings my family together.”

Hurt.

Hurt and Beckham now live in Nashville, where they work as

Hurt said he didn’t even consider it at first.

high school and middle school teachers, respectively, and they plan to

“I laughed,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Nah, babe. You’re tripping. I’m

be married next summer. Hurt’s seven siblings have also all grown up

not going to that. I wouldn’t waste my time.’”

and started living their own, separate lives. However, his cooking still

helps reunite the family, Hurt said.

audition. She went out of town for the weekend, but when Saturday

morning rolled around, she called him and encouraged him to go.

“I’m just that person that really just brings everybody back

“I really think you should go,” Beckham remembers saying to

But the rest of the week, Beckham kept reminding Hurt of the

together,” Hurt said.

Hurt figured he might as well give it a shot.

He went to the open-call audition, where he was one of thousands

It’s times like these that remind his grandmother, Elizabeth

Caples, of the good old days, when she and Hurt’s mother stood in the

vying for a spot on the show, he said. He remembers being told the

kitchen, helping him learn the basics and develop the cooking skills he

producers would contact him if they wanted him to be part of the

would one day take to the MasterChef kitchen.

upcoming season, but he didn’t really expect that to happen.

“He never forgets where his beginnings started,” Caples said of

Months passed, and he still hadn’t heard anything from the

her grandson. “He always comes back whenever he can get a chance.

MasterChef producers, so he went about his day-to-day life and didn’t

He always comes back to my house, and it’s just like old times when he

really stop to think about it that much.

comes back.”

number, that things started to change.

Despite the years he’s spent honing his cooking skills, Hurt said

It wasn’t until February, when he got a phone call from a California

he didn’t really watch MasterChef—and he certainly never considered

auditioning—until early one October morning when he and Beckham

going to answer this,” Hurt said.

were getting ready for work.

he did.

“One morning, we were watching the news, and I seen MasterChef

“I thought it was a bill collector or something, so I’m like, I’m not But for some reason, he decided to take the call—and he was glad

was coming to Nashville,” Beckham said. “He was just going about his

day, and I was just like, ‘No, come here. Stop. I need you to stop for a

Angeles for the next stage of the competition—a televised audition in

second.’”

front of Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sanchéz and Joe Bastianich.

Together, they watched the segment, which announced that the

It was the MasterChef producers, asking him to come to Los

“I just had to drop everything,” Hurt said. “You don’t really have

producers of MasterChef would be hosting preliminary, open-call

much of an option. It’s either you go or you don’t, and I had to go. I

auditions for the next season of the show that Saturday at the Hilton in

went and talked to my boss and got a leave of absence, and they allowed

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me to leave.”

Caples, made often when he and his siblings were growing up, and he

At the televised audition in Los Angeles, Hurt waited anxiously

In that moment, he remembered a dish his grandmother, Elizabeth

to hear feedback from the judges.

tried to replicate it. What resulted was a peach bread pudding baked in

a cast iron skillet and topped with pecans and whipped cream.

After tasting the hot chicken and vinaigrette slaw Hurt had

prepared, judge Joe Bastianich stepped forward again and turned to

Hurt.

himself to be—“a southern, family-oriented, pretty simple guy”—yet

it garnered him significant attention.

“What I like about you is you have the hunger,” Bastianich said,

It was a dessert that seemed symbolic of who Hurt described

handing Hurt a white MasterChef apron. This signified Hurt would be

moving onto the next round of the competition—and just like that, he

taking a bite. “I can taste your grandmother’s kitchen.”

became one of the top 24 cooks on season nine of MasterChef.

Hurt thanked him for the compliment.

“No, thank you for bringing a piece of who you are, coming out as

Hurt’s family and friends were waiting anxiously for him right

“I can taste home in this dish,” Bastianich said to Hurt after

outside. He walked through the door with a wide smile on his face and

a real contender,” Bastianich said. “Amazing job.”

wrapped Beckham in a hug.

bread pudding as the best dish prepared on that episode.

“Today is the best day of my life,” Hurt said, celebrating with

The other judges gave Hurt similar praise, cementing his peach

Beckham and his small group of supporters. “I’m on cloud nine. I’m

speechless. Nothing can take me down right now.”

dish, Hurt’s grandmother, was watching. That her grandson would

remember her dessert and replicate it on national television was

Early on in the season, Hurt seemed to exude this kind of natural

The night the episode aired, the woman who inspired the

confidence.

special, she said.

“My food is going to be the best food that Gordon Ramsey has

“When he mentioned me, that was just—that was just a real tear-

ever tasted, so I expect nothing less than an A+,” he said in a voiceover

jerker,” Caples said.

on one episode.

Hurt said it meant a lot to him, too.

“It was truly, truly amazing, and it really made me feel like all the

In reality, however, Hurt said he was initially very nervous to be

there, and at certain points, it started to show.

studying and all the hard work and all the feedback and everything

“I was actually so nervous at the beginning that I cut myself,”

that they’ve been telling me is all meaningful,” Hurt said. “It’s all

Hurt said later, reflecting on his audition episode. “If you look at the

worthwhile, and it’s really showing in my skills and abilities in the

frames, you’ll notice that my hands are clean, and then all of a sudden,

kitchen.”

I have a bandage on my hand. I was chopping cabbage and cut myself,

so I was nervous.”

improve his cooking skills. He wanted to win, but for him, it wasn’t

just about making a name for himself. It was about providing a similar

As the season began to progress, Hurt didn’t seem to receive much

As the season progressed, Hurt continued to develop and

attention from the judges. But episode after episode, he advanced to

opportunity for others.

the next round of the competition, preparing dishes he hoped would

impress the judges.

way out, and that’s exactly the opportunity I want to provide for my

students,” Hurt said on the show.

Hurt’s first real moment to shine came 15 episodes in when he

wowed the judges with a special family recipe.

“Growing up in a rough neighborhood, cooking for me was a

The winner of MasterChef walks away with $250,000, their own

The contestants had each been given a random ingredient to use

cookbook and other honors. Early in the season, Hurt said if he won,

in creating a signature dish. Hurt received an ingredient with which he

he would use the money to start a culinary program at the high school

was quite familiar: peaches.

where he teaches in Nashville.

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. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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The culinary program, he said, would provide his students

title home. I want it more than anything. This is my destiny, and I’ve

with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of cooking and food

come too far to walk home empty-handed.

preparation at school. This would enable them to cook for themselves

and their families or even continue on to culinary school or positions

the victor.

in restaurant management.

Hurt had won the competition.

Celebration erupted all around Hurt, and his face once again

“I want to be able to provide that opportunity and that outlet for

After a long, drawn-out pause, judge Gordon Ramsay announced

kids to be successful,” Hurt said.

appeared on the screen.

Doing so would also provide Hurt with the opportunity to

“I’m the next MasterChef, baby!” he said, celebrating with a wide

continue doing what he loves—teaching and cooking.

smile stretched out across his face.

“Once I got a chance to mentor kids and just see how much of a

As he celebrated, however, he didn’t forget his roots.

difference and impact I could make, I fell in love with teaching, and

“I wish my mom was here in the flesh,” Hurt said, remembering

so I don’t want to leave the classroom altogether …” he said. “I would

her. “Everything that I put out on a plate was a representation of me,

just like to merge the two, you know, so I can really live in my two

home, my family, and I really feel like I did my mom proud tonight.”

passions and just really provide those life-changing opportunities for

kids.”

celebrated it for his students, too, saying this would enable him to

For Hurt, it all came down to the final episode.

start the culinary program he’d dreamed of for his students.

As he continued to progress throughout the season, he was

Hurt didn’t just celebrate what the win meant for him; he

Hurt also plans to travel the country this summer, along with

eventually named one of the top three contestants, earning himself a

his final two competitors, for Camp MasterChef, a summer cooking

spot on the season finale.

program for students ages 8 to 16, according to a press release.

When that final episode aired, audiences could once again feel

As the confetti continued to fall on the season finale, Bastianich

the red-hot tension that had been present at the very beginning, when

walked over to Hurt, and together, they celebrated.

Hurt stood in the MasterChef kitchen in front of the judges for the

very first time.

your friend,” Bastianich said, putting a hand on Hurt’s shoulder.

For him, this moment was the culmination of a journey.

Hurt replied.

“I came to MasterChef to pursue a dream,” Hurt said on the

“Thank you for giving me a chance at the beginning, when no

finale episode. “Now, I got the passion and the skill. I have to take this

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“Believe me when I say that I am honored to be your mentor and

one else saw me.”

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PHOTOS BY LOREN GIFFORD

East MEETS West

BY LEIGH ANN TIPTON

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. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

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PHOTOS BY LOREN GIFFORD

S

hyama Iyer is a first generation American whose parents both immigrated from India. What this means for Iyer, is that she lives in a space where two worlds melt together. Where East meets West. Where she is all-American, but also curious about the land from which her parents came.

The bright, articulate Western Kentucky University junior musical theatre student uses dance and theater to bridge the gaps between what may seem to many like conflicting ideas and cultures.

“I am American, but there’s a lot of fascination in me for where I came from, where I would have lived, and what influenced my parents,” Iyer said. “It is very personal for me, and I am influenced by both. I am Indian by blood, but American by birth. People think Eastern and Western ideas and thoughts are very polarized, but growing up what I was seeing was the similarities.”

Iyer has been on a longtime quest to find where the two cultures meet, then use this as inspiration to explore and create.

This journey has been influenced by her mother, and the family stories that have been passed down through generations. As the story goes, Iyer’s astrologist great-grandfather predicted her mom’s child would be involved in the arts.

“A dancer herself, she has always supported me because it was my destiny,” Iyer said. “There are many parents who push their children to do something more stable as a career but my mom, she pushed me toward the arts.”

Not that Iyer needed much pushing. She grew up watching with awe as her mother created and built the Guru Vandana Arts Academy in Louisville. She still helps her mother to organize the Geneva Heritage Festival there, an annual celebration of the Indian classical arts now in its sixth year. It was in studying the dances of her mother’s culture that Iyer noticed the storytelling techniques of South Indian dance were similar to the western music that was popular with her and her American peers.

“A lot of humanness happens within all culture and styles,” Iyer said. “Whether it’s East or West, there’s so much common ground in people wanting to tell their stories.”

Iyer attended a Louisville high school designed specifically for the arts, and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater with a minor in dance at WKU. This has afforded her additional opportunities. Through a FUSE grant she studied in India and is in the process of creating a

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21

performance that infuses what she learned with the very western beats of hip-hop dance.

She will also be portraying Dionne/ Ronnie in WKU’s upcoming performance of “Hair,” The American tribal love-rock musical. The show runs from Nov. 9-18.

She will open the show with the song “Aquarius,” whose message evokes ideas of love and harmony. A provocative show for its depictions of sex and drugs—Iyer said she hopes audience walks away seeing the deeper message.

“There are so many beautiful words in the musical that transcend government and politics, and are still relevant today even though this was set in the ‘70s,” Iyer said. “It was written at a pivotal time in our history, when such horrible things were happening but also such wonderful things. I hope audiences leave feeling it is hopeful, and that time will press on and we will be on the right side of history.”

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Meant to Be

BY CRYSTAL BOWLING

Finding enjoyment in a job isn’t always possible and

coworking areas, a conference room, as well as all the

that is something that Ment Cowork is in the business

amenities one would expect from the traditional office:

of changing.

a fast internet connection, printing services, reserved

“Our name Ment represents our space and what we

parking and even a soundproof telephone booth for

want for our members,” said Hayley Hoback, Ment’s

those who value privacy. An aesthetically pleasing

community manager. “It is from the suffix ‘-ment’

library coworking area rounds out the space to create

in words which turns verbs into nouns. We like to

an inviting atmosphere for members.

do what’s called ‘Enjoy the Ment.’ Whether it’s the

moment, the achievement or just the commitment to

up businesses are able to lease furnished office spaces

making it happen, we want to be the office you enjoy

for a month or for a year. Day passes are also available

coming to each day.”

for those who just need a day in an office setting or are

looking to network with the Bowling Green community.

With natural light pouring in, exposed brick walls

The beauty of Ment is that those with small or start-

and a lovely view of Fountain Square Park, Ment

Cowork has created office and coworking spaces

spaces in Bowling Green, a town he sees as full of

ideal for start-up businesses or businesses that have

entrepreneurial spirit as well as being the perfect

outgrown their current space or home office. In their

stopping point between Nashville and Louisville.

4,500 square foot workspace, Ment offers private offices,

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. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

Founder JD Haase saw the need for the coworking

Location was at the front of Haase’s mind when he

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PHOTOS BY KATIE STARKS

purchased the building that would house Ment in 2017.

different is our coworking concept. Members are able to

Located at 911 College Street, Suite 203, Ment is in the

hop out of their offices for a break and possibly create a

heart of downtown Bowling Green and is excited to support

contact with another member who is coworking for the

and partner with local businesses in the Square. Their

day,” Hoback said. “We want our members to have a place

mission is to curate an experience with their members in

to come to where they too can turn their actions into real

mind, uniting community and creativity for success.

people, places, and things.”

For more information about Ment Cowork, visit

“Ment can be where people make their social network

real. We offer private offices, yes, but what makes us

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mentcowork.com.

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THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH // PHOTO BY KATIE STARKS

BY AL CRYST AKERS

an open

DOOR ROOM IN THE INN OFFERS REFUGE, HOPE DURING WINTER MONTHS 26 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

M

egan Owens wears her servant heart on her sleeve—her drive for service palpable through the conviction in her voice and proven through her actions.

“I have volunteered with HOTEL INC off and on for the last four or five years in their Manna Mart, doing personal fundraisers, things like that, and I just fell in love with it, and I just prayed and was like ‘God, I just really feel like I need to keep giving back, so I just want you to show me where to go.’”

That prayer guided her to a night of volunteering with Room in the Inn Bowling Green—a winter shelter program in which churches take turns hosting homeless citizens overnight and providing them with two meals.

Owens is now on the Board of Directors for the organization and is the AmeriCorps part-time shelter coordinator.

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Formerly under the umbrella of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Southern Kentucky, Room in the Inn BG is now branching out as a separate entity, working toward a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation.

The move has spurred a rebranding, along with increased fundraising.

“To be honest, I think it’s just growth,” Owens explains as the reasoning behind the change. “We’re growing a lot, and we just want to have more flexibility for fundraising efforts and things like that.”

The Room in the Inn program now has about 16 churches participating as hosts through the season, which begins Nov. 15 and runs through about March 15. Depending on the weather, the season could be shortened or extended.

“That (16 churches) sounds like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s really not on a night-tonight basis. So part of our efforts this year is trying to get more churches to sign on,” Owens says, but adds a disclaimer. “A lot of people who do know about Room in the Inn think Room in the Inn/church congregations, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a church congregation that are innkeepers. If you have

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the space and the people, you can be innkeepers.”

The requirements include having central heat and air, working bathrooms and the ability to serve a dinner and a breakfast.

“There are a lot of ways to volunteer. All you have to do is ask and we can pair you with something,” Owens says.

For those who cannot give their time, donations are always needed and welcomed at the warming shelter on East 11th Avenue across from State Street United Methodist Church—particularly socks, shoes, gloves and other clothing items, to list a few most-needed items. Gift cards in small increments so guests can purchase food if they’re turned away for the night, bus passes and sleeping bags are also suggested.

“We work strictly on donations, so without donations from the public we can’t do what we do,” Owens says.

Megan Miller felt compelled to volunteer after learning about Room in the Inn from Owens.

“I had never heard of it, and that’s one thing she’s (Owens) really trying to change. She started

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volunteering back in December, and she started telling me about it, and it just sounded like such a good experience, a heartwarming experience to be a part of, so I said, ‘Can I come with you? I want to be a part of this.’”

Miller has found the experience both rewarding and heartbreaking. Room in the Inn operates by lottery, so when potential guests show up at the warming shelter at 5:30 p.m., they draw a chip with a number on it. Only the first 12 numbers get housing through the program for the night.

“The thing that bothers me most is the send-away nights. I just feel like if more churches knew … that they were going to be out in the cold all night, so we had more congregations and churches that could be willing to open their doors because I can’t tell you what that feels like to be like ‘I’m sorry. Your number didn’t get drawn,’ and that’s it,” Miller says, shaking her head. “And those snowy nights to see someone walk off into the dark. The nights that we send them away, we’re in near tears when we leave.”

Miller recalls one interaction with a guest that had an impact on her.

“One older gentleman there, he’d had a stroke and he’d lost movement in his left arm. I took him back,” Miller stops to stifle tears as she remembers the man. “His shoes were just soaking wet, and he couldn’t use his arm and was trying to dig through his possessions, and I helped him. I helped put his shoes on, and I don’t know, it was just so touching because it was just such an intimate moment.”

Owens finds the volunteer experience humbling.

“You leave (from volunteering) and you’re like, ‘Whoa, that was amazing,’ or you leave and you’re like, ‘Wow is this the world that we live in?’ but those nights motivate you to want to do as much as you can to change that,” Owens says.

“We’re all, I don’t care who you are, we’re all one or two

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paychecks away, one severe medical situation away from needing our help,” Owens says. “My goal, not only to get our name out there and have people know what we’re really about, is to just really realize that these people are just like us. These people may have been your neighbors.”

The guests also leave lasting impressions on Owens. A particular guest was well-known around the shelter.

“You meet him and the first time you talk to him you feel like you’ve known him your entire life,” Owens recalls.

“And he and I really connected and just talking to him about his family…part of what I love about volunteering is really hearing their story.”

The man would proudly tell everyone he “worked with” Room in the Inn. “He’s like, ‘I take out the trash; I sweep the floors,’ and he took pride in that. And that is something that really stuck with me because, you know. I’m here to help YOU, but you take so much pride in helping us.”

After some struggles with housing, the man is now living in a small rental home his nephew helped him secure.

“He’s doing really well so I’m super excited,” Owens smiles proudly. “It’s those success stories that really keep you coming back. As terrible as some of it all is, you take home all of that. You feel guilty for your warm bed. You feel guilty for the dinner you eat that night. But it’s really those success stories that make you come back for more and you fall in love with it. When I first started I was like, ‘God, if I can touch just one person, if I can just help one person, it will have been a success to me.’ And it has just snowballed rapidly into this big thing, and it’s just really been lifechanging, and I would not have it any other way.

Find more information on Room in the Inn Bowling Green at facebook.com/RoomintheInnBG.

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two way

HIGHWAY G

BY CRYSTAL AKERS

EDMONTON COUPLE OFFERS HOME FULL OF LOVE AND LEARNING TO FOSTER CHILDREN 30 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

ary and Terri Muse have had 15 children in six years.

“We had always taken in children … . We raised three or four kids—young adults— before we ever got into foster care,” explains Terri. “Then we decided we wanted to be more involved. Our home was open in November 2012, and we got our first children Dec. 4, 2012.”

The Edmonton couple’s first foster children were a sibling group of two brothers, then 11 and 12, and a sister, then 16.

(The younger brother) “is a senior. When we got him, he was in seventh grade. He could not read, did not know his alphabet, could not tell time,” Terri says. “I would take him in my room … and he’d get up on the bed and we would read stories, and we made our ABCs, and I drew clocks until I had dreams about clocks. (He) is now an A/B honor roll student. He has come so far that it’s unbelievable.”

The Muses eventually adopted the two boys; their sister battled psychological issues and moved to a residential home for girls.

“We kept contact; we took her brothers to visit her and kept close contact with her, and she graduated from the residential home, graduated from high school and went back to Allen County where they were from,” Terri says.

Children often enter foster care with numerous challenges, both physical and mental.

Terri stresses the importance of education for all their children and maintains a goal of keeping their lives as normal as possible so they can overcome, adapt and be successful.

“To see one walk the line and graduate—one that probably would never have graduated had he not been in foster care—for them to come up to you and hug your neck at night and tell you that they love you and this is the first time they’ve ever had a bed or a toothbrush. We have had children that didn’t know how to brush their teeth, and we only take teenagers—did not know how to wash their body. People take a lot of things for granted that kids know, but they don’t. Didn’t know that they needed to use deodorant. But you see these children reach goals and fulfill their dreams, and it’s just really, really rewarding.”

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PHOTO BY BRYAN LEMON

The Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Board reviewed the cases of 11,470 children in foster care for its 2017 annual report.

“Children over age 15 continue to remain in care longer than younger children and are experiencing an average of 24 months in care compared to 15 months in care for children ages five and younger,” the report states.

“We love children; we love being around them. The young adults are the age group that not a lot of people want, because they do have a lot of problems, but if you’re fair, firm and consistent with everything you do with these kids, 90 percent of them will turn around.”

The two boys the Muses adopted have been with them since 2012. Another boy came to them in 2014 and eventually got to go home; however, he re-entered foster care and returned to Gary and Terri’s home in 2016. He will be with them until he graduates high school this year.

“He’s back in our home; we’re not back to where we were before he left, but we’re close. It has such a psychological effect on these kids to go back and then be taken away. It does break your heart.”

One foster son is 19 and working toward independent living while he remains in their household. Ontario and his sister came to the Muses’ home in 2014.

“Ontario became the brother that (the adopted boys) had always wanted. … He calls us Mom and Dad,” Terri says. “His sister lives in Bowling Green now. She is doing independent living, but we are very much involved in her life. She is our daughter just

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like Ontario is our son, even though we didn’t adopt them.”

The Muses work with child placement agency NECCO.

“NECCO, they are very supportive of their foster parents,”

Terri says. “If you need anything, we have an on-call person for emergencies. They’re very supportive of their foster parents and their kids.”

Children enter foster care through the state as a protective

measure. Private agencies, like NECCO, can then partner with the state to place children into homes. The agencies also offer support services for foster families. Becoming a foster family involves training and home visits, and the process can seem daunting.

“It’s a lengthy process, but it’s so rewarding,” Terri says.

“Everybody says, ‘Oh, you are so good for these kids.’ It’s a twoway highway; those kids are good for us. We wouldn’t know what to do without our kids.”

The Muses do have one 32-year-old biological son.

“He has taken all of these brothers under his wing,” Terri says.

“They hunt, they go fish, they go four-wheeling. To him they’re his baby brothers.”

The Muses don’t see an end date for their time as foster

parents.

“We have never been without foster kids since we started,”

Terri says. “I have room for one more. I’m sure before the month’s out that I will have another child in my home. I’m going to foster as long as I can. All these children deserve someone to love them and take care of them. … In our heart we are their mom and dad.”

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BY CAITLIN GREENWELL

The Most WONDERFUL PLACE E

very year, sometimes multiple times per year, the Collins family will make the six-hour drive from Marietta, Ga., to southern Kentucky.

The trip doesn’t end in a typical family vacation but a visit to the Center for Courageous Kids, the world-class medical camp facility in Scottsville.

Becca Collins, 17, who is afflicted with exerciseinduced asthma, has been coming to CCK’s asthma camps since she was just 8 years old.

“Sometimes, I’d have to sit out of sports when I was younger and others would be like, ‘Why can’t you play with us?’” Becca said. “And I’d have to tell them I have asthma, and then they’d ask what that was and I’d give them this long definition. Here, people know about asthma and what you’re going through because they’ve had first-hand experiences themselves.”

CCK first opened its doors in 2008 as a place where children living with life-threatening illnesses and their families could come free of charge to have fun without worry of everyday struggles.

In just 10 years, CCK has served more than 30,000 children and their families from 45 states

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and 10 countries, said Sarah Keltner, director of communications and special events.

CCK hosts more traditional summer camp programs beginning in June and family weekend retreats beginning in September. Summer camp programs can serve up to 128 kids per week, ages 7 to 16. Family weekend retreats can serve up to 32 families, with a member of the immediate family, ages 5 to 17, diagnosed with the illness served.

Keltner said family weekend retreats are a unique experience as the entire family unit, including siblings, gets to take part in the camp.

“The family retreats offer something for each person in a family,” Keltner said. “It allows Mom and Dad to take a deep breath and get to relax knowing that while their child is having fun in all these activities and areas, they have a medical team that is surrounding them at all times. If something were to happen, we have the staff here to help them out.”

One of the highlights of the family weekend retreat experience is seeing parents spend quality oneon-one time with healthy siblings, Keltner said. www.bgkyliving.com

PHOTOS BY AÜS ANTONINI

“A lot of times we see that siblings have to grow up far beyond their age and become young caregivers in a short period of time,” Keltner said. “The brothers and sisters will get to spend quality time with their mom and dad while the caregivers take the child with the illness to different activities.”

Additionally, CCK builds time into the schedule for spouses to connect.

“Every single weekend we have what’s called parents’ night out,” Keltner said. “On Saturday night, we will have a time where parents can either go bowl together or we’ve set up a coffee shop in our arts and crafts center and they can just go and have coffee and spend time as a couple. A lot of these parents will tell you, ‘I can’t tell you the last time we had a date.’”

CCK’s state-of-the-art campus includes a medical center, pool, lake, equestrian arena, bowling alley, gym, dining hall, theater and lodging.

In order to have all of these amenities, Keltner said CCK relies heavily upon volunteers, many of which are groups of students from Western Kentucky University.

“We typically have about 50 volunteers per weekend and

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they’re mostly made up of college kids,” Keltner said. “We couldn’t do this without volunteers. We have a small staff here and having that volunteer support helps us offset the costs of what it would be to have to pay the salaries of additional staff members.”

CCK’s annual family weekend retreat for those with an asthma diagnosis was held Sept. 21-23. This also marked the first time a special group of volunteers from WKU visited CCK—the WKU men’s basketball team.

Keltner said many of the campers attending this session are unable to participate in group sports due to their asthma, so the team presence made them feel like they were in the spotlight.

“Walking around and seeing them doing the drills, lifting kids up who can’t reach the goal to slam a dunk and just seeing the smiles on the guys’ faces and see that they were truly invested in this experience is what we as staff members wish to see,” Keltner said.

Marek Nelson, WKU sophomore forward, said he and his teammates love giving back to Bowling Green and surrounding communities and that CCK was the perfect place to do so.

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For information on the upcoming fundraiser, Moonshine & Music at The Venue on Dec. 1, 2018, visit courageouskids.org/events2018

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Nelson said. “You can really tell that they take care of these kids here and that they love the camp. People in this area really love doing stuff like this for sure and it’s a great thing to be around.”

Though Becca has spent 2018 as a camper one last year, she is excited to take the next step and serve as a volunteer beginning in 2019.

This past summer, Becca began training to be a CCK camp counselor.

“Since I grew up being a camper here, and then got to be a counselor-in-training for a week, it was super cool to see the behind-the-scenes activity,” Becca said. “You don’t get much sleep, but that’s OK. It was great. I worked with a bunch of little girls and I just wanted to give them the exact same experience that I had.”

Becca said CCK makes you feel like family each and every time you visit, and she wants to be a part of spreading that feeling of joy.

“This place is so welcoming and friendly and homey,” Becca said. “I’ve never felt homesick even when I’m here away from my parents.”

Becca’s brother, Alex, 13, has had similar experiences as his sister.

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Alex, who has been diagnosed with epilepsy and an immune deficiency, has been coming to CCK since he was just 5 years old. He said visiting CCK has made it easier to form friendships.

“It’s one of the places where I really socialize with others,” Alex said.

Brian and Courtney Collins, parents to Becca and Alex, said they are so happy their children have participated in CCK programming for an extended period of time.

“They’ve literally watched my kids grow up,” Courtney said.

Courtney said she first learned about CCK from a friend in Atlanta from an online epilepsy group, but was nervous about the camp’s distance from home. Her friend kept urging her to try it out since she had such great experiences and because it’s completely free.

“I asked, ‘What’s the catch?’” Courtney said. “She said, ‘There’s no catch.’ It sounded too good to be true.”

Courtney and Brian now consider themselves advocates for CCK and have referred many who qualify to the camp.

“I know Disney has the phrase, but it’s truly the most wonderful place on earth,” Brian Collins said. www.bgkyliving.com

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

A L L C R E AT U R E S A N I M A L H O S P I TA L

TAKING THE OUCH OUT OF ARTHRITIS PAIN

BY VICKY OWENS MCGRATH, DVM

A

s the colder months approach, you may notice your older pet slowing down. Trouble walking up and down stairs, stiffness when getting up or trouble jumping may indicate pain from arthritis. Our pets do not always like to show us pain, so sometimes the aforementioned signs may be all you see. Pets with arthritis pain cannot be cured, but there are multiple tools we can use to help manage it. Listed below are management tools we use to help. We may use these tools as a single agent but most commonly in conjunction depending on your pet’s individual needs. Our goal is to be sure your pets feels as good as they possibly can while we manage their arthritis pain.

MEDICATIONS NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are used to help decrease pain and inflammation. Be aware that for pets that require chronic use of NSAIDs, we require checking an NSAID blood panel to be sure we are not causing liver or kidney damage. Dogs and cats cannot always take over the counter medications that are intended for human use.

Always ask your veterinarian for advice.

Opioids: As in humans, this class of drugs may be used for pain control.

These drugs would only be used if NSAIDS are not well tolerated or not providing enough pain relief.

Gabapentin: Gabapentin may be useful in treating nerve pain in cats and dogs.

Robaxin (methocarbamol): Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasms associated with joint disease in pets.

SUPPLEMENTS Adequan: Adequan is an injectable polysulfated glycosaminoglycan that is used to help diminish or reverse the pathologic processes of traumatic or degenerative joint disease and improve joint function.

We give one injection per week for four weeks, then as needed.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplementation: Dasuquin or Cosequin are glucosamine/chondroitin supplements that help protect joint cartilage and assist in joint health and improve mobility. It can take

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four to six weeks for these to build up in your pet’s system and should be given daily for life.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES Laser: Cold laser therapy is a drug-free, surgery-free, non-invasive treatment that reduces pain and inflammation and speeds the healing process. Treatment protocols are unique to each patient and condition.

It provides more immediate relief and can be performed as often as two to three times a week if needed.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture has gained popularity as a mainstream alternative for pain control. This helps reset the nerve endings that are transmitting pain reception, which reduces the amount of pain your pet feels. Dr. Pat McGrath is certified in veterinary medical acupuncture. Acupuncture is great for animals who cannot tolerate pain medications for various health reasons.

Physical Therapy/Rehabilitation: Physical therapy is an option to keep your pet’s muscles built up. With injuries or chronic arthritis, muscles operate on the “use it or lose it” concept. In our area, we are fortunate to have a veterinarian who is certified in rehab medicine.

Medical Massage and Myofascial Release: A medical massage can help relieve muscle pain and tension from acute or chronic injuries to your pet. Dr. Sarah Frederick and Kendra Miller CVT are certified in this relaxing practice that makes pets feel great.

DIET AND EXERCISE It is best for pets with arthritis pain to have a leaner body condition so there is less impact/weight on their joints. Your pet may need a special diet to help get some weight off those joints. Pets with arthritis need to exercise to maintain muscle function and strength.

Low impact exercise such as swimming and walking is easier on their joints.

We treat pain not only in dogs and cats, but also in many other species including small mammals and birds. If you have any questions or would like to discuss pain management for your pet, please feel free to contact our office.

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. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

35

E

arly in his career, Fuji Avdic was politely told that he would never be the boss.

So, the now-founder and

owner of Stryker Logistics did what

any 20-something would do and became his own boss.

Avdic was born in Zvornik, Bosnia, in 1991

and relocated, along with his mom, dad and older brother and sister, to Tuzla, Bosnia, when the Bosnian War broke out.

In 1998, his parents decided to move the

family to the U.S.—Bowling Green, specifically— in search of opportunity.

“There was a refugee center here,” Avdic

said. “And there were already some other family members that got here four or five months before us. My parents would talk with them, and they told them there were plenty of jobs here. There will be a job waiting for you. And that’s how it was.”

His parents received a small loan to travel to

the U.S., and were required to pay off their tickets shortly after arriving.

“So as soon as you got over here, you had to

go to work right away to pay that back.”

Avdic’s parents both got jobs to work in

factories. His dad commuted to Portland, Tenn., each day and his mom commuted to Franklin, Ky.

“I grew up really getting to see what it’s like

to have nothing and saw a lot of opportunities that were around me,” he said. “There was so much opportunity here in the United States where you can be successful and that’s what kind of got me into logistics because I can look at making so many things that already exist and work to make them lot better.”

BY SARAH BISHOP

Avdic went through grade school in

Bowling Green before attending St. Catharine

Fuji Avdic

TAKING THE RISK 36 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

College to play soccer. After a year, he transferred to Western Kentucky University and worked for four years in a local hospital, first in the transportation department, then as an emergency room technician. But he noticed there wasn’t a lot of room for movement or growth so decided to expand his horizons.

“I actually had a job interview with another

company, and they asked me what I wanted to do

www.bgkyliving.com

PHOTO BY BRANDON HESSON

in five years and I said, ‘I want to be director of the hospital’ and they

takes to make the customer happy. And get them taken care of first.”

said, ‘Well you’re way too ambitious.’”

He begged his brother to hire him on at a trucking company where

was ready to address—workforce solutions. Enter: Stryker Solutions,

he worked, and his brother discouraged him from joining the industry.

similar to a staffing agency in that the company works with the

“So I was like ‘OK, I’ll just start something on my own.’”

unemployed and underemployed to place them in positions unique to

After Avdic got married, he had some money leftover from the

their skills.

wedding so he started BHF Express, a trucking company that offers transportation solutions. In just a couple years, he grew the company and sold it.

In November 2015, Avdic founded Stryker Logistics, a logistics

and transportation company that specializes in full truck-load services, strategic distribution of goods and packaging, sorting and separating of warehouse freight. The company brought in more than $100,000 in sales in 2015. Now, Stryker is set to bring in more than $10,000,000 this year—all with a fairly small staff: 10 people in Louisville and Bowling Green and just a few in the Sarajevo, Bosnia, office.

In June, Stryker announced plans to expand to a facility on

Dishman Lane—a $1.45 million capital investment that will create 50 new jobs. The expansion is set to be complete by the end of 2018.

In early 2018, Avdic saw a need in South Central Kentucky that he

“It basically takes people like my parents and builds them up

with skills that companies in this area are needing,” he said. “Let’s say someone has a welding degree and came here from Burma, but they don’t speak enough English. We try to help them with those skills so that we can place them in jobs here in Bowling Green or South Central Kentucky.”

Even at such a young age, Avdic understands the value of hard

work. At age 7, he was the first Bosnian student in his school and had no choice but to learn English and to learn it quickly.

Determination is not lost on him.

Stryker was recently recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one

of the best entrepreneurial companies in America and is one of only two

So what sets Stryker apart from other logistics companies?

Kentucky enterprises on the 360-company list.

“The drive, our technology and our customer service,” Avdic says.

“If you want to be a businessman, you have to try it and you have to

“We track our customers loads from before they are even picked up.

take the risk. You can always go work for someone else if it doesn’t work

Every hour, we give them updates. Our customers love the visibility.

out. Don’t be afraid to take the risk. Don’t go into business expecting

The software we use helps us update our customers. We aren’t really this

to make money. Just try to do something different that’s going to help

big corporate company with all these rules. We’ll always do whatever it

people. That will make you money.”

www.bgkyliving.com

NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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a

BRIGHT vision

BY MONICA RAMSEY

W

hen you hear the word “bright,” you likely imagine

term work,” Chaney said. “There are so many examples of excellence

light that permeates everything in sight, its effect

where so many organizations are doing great things in the name of

far-reaching. Although the BRIGHT Coalition uses

improved health.”

the word as an acronym—Barren River Initiative to Get Healthy

Together—the imagery still applies. When it comes to health, there’s

Coalition will host on November 30 with various agencies to address

not much the Coalition doesn’t touch.

substance abuse and assess prevention, treatment and recovery.

Beginning in 2011 with the Barren River District Health

One example of that, Chaney said, is a forum the BRIGHT

People often associate health with hospitals, but Chaney said it’s

Department and six area hospitals as the Barren River Community

bigger than that because our health affects every aspect of our lives

Health Planning Council, the group renamed itself the BRIGHT

every day. For example, he said, if schools don’t prioritize health,

Coalition in 2014 and has grown to include partners from a myriad

children will get sick more frequently and miss their classes or field

of locations. Dennis Chaney, director of the BRDHD, said improving

trips. Likewise, teachers will suffer illnesses and the school will have

community health is a tall order and takes all hands on deck, whether

to find substitutes.

those hands have ever held a stethoscope or not.

in mind—tend to perform better in school, which in turn improves

“A lot of moving and improving community health status is long-

38 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

Chaney also said that students who are healthy—in body and

www.bgkyliving.com

employment opportunities later in life. Steady employment implies better financial stability, which allows an individual to continue making healthy choices. Fewer sick days also benefits the workplace overall.

The caveat is that wealth often equals health, Chaney said,

and subsidized housing, transportation barriers, socioeconomic background, education level and English proficiency are just a few factors that can influence a person’s ability to make healthy choices.

“When you’re in survival mode—focused on getting food,

shelter, clothing— you’re not concerned with health,” Chaney said.

That’s where the BRIGHT Coalition can help, as it works

to prevent people from developing chronic diseases that lead to exorbitant health care costs. Tobacco use, level of physical activity and nutrition are some of the Coalition’s focuses.

Doris Thomas, vice president of Development and

Community Outreach for Med Center Health, said Coalition is made up of about 60 people representing groups from health care, education, government, community services, law enforcement and others. Community health is big, and it takes a wide range of people to address it.

“Educating people and building the awareness of what

they need to do to prevent diseases can have a positive effect on improving their health and the health of our community,” Thomas said in an email. “The partnerships established by the BRIGHT Coalition provide an excellent way to drive this message across our region.”

One way the BRIGHT has tried to tackle those issues is

through grants for health-promoting projects.

LaToya Drake, family and consumer science agent for UK

Cooperative Extension in Barren County, runs GTown Soul Swales in Glasgow. The garden, which just had its third season, sits behind the Ralph Bunche Community Center, where a soup kitchen operates.

“I think (the garden) has exposed people to vegetables and

gardening activities. It promotes them to try things,” Drake said.

“Food production promotes community health, and that’s what

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NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

39

that grant allowed us to do.”

Milby said.

Beyond the nutritional value of home-grown foods, Drake

Other than the community gardens, BRIGHT is currently

said the garden has brought people of different races, income

engaged in an effort to educate Spanish-speaking women about

levels and backgrounds together, allowing a space for people

prenatal care. Susan Eagle facilitates a grant the BRIGHT

from all walks of life to get their hands dirty and get to know

received from the March of Dimes to locally address the nation-

each other.

wide issue of a climbing pre-term birth rate in Hispanic women.

The BRIGHT is offering a prenatal education class to Spanish-

“I think that’s what the Coalition gave me; an opportunity

to help my community,” Drake said. “That’s pretty awesome.

Life is pretty miraculous. Life is blessed.”

Hope Harbor in Bowling Green also received a grant from

the Coalition for a garden. Like GTown Soul Swales, Hope Harbor’s garden has promoted more than just physical health.

Alayna Milby, crisis intervention specialist at Hope Harbor, said that their clients—individuals who have suffered sexual trauma—spend time in the garden before, after and sometimes during their counseling sessions.

“When talking about community heath, I think people

often associate health with food and exercise … but mental

speaking women through early December.

This is just one subject, Eagle said, that the BRIGHT

addresses. With “health” being such a broad term that can mean many things, the BRIGHT Coalition offers a hub for healthminded people to come together.

“It breaks down the rigid dimensions that may exist

between organizations that have similar goals. It’s networking so you can find new ways to approach public health,” Eagle said.

Wherever you come from—hospital, school, church,

factory, etc.—Eagle said the BRIGHT can benefit from your

health, that emotional health, for our clients, being able to have

input.

that self-care” is also important, Milby said.

Additionally, it opens up another volunteer opportunity

organization that you feel can benefit by collaborating to work

to people looking to get involved, many of whom have no

toward health in the Barren River region, come to a meeting,”

gardening experience.

Eagle said. “Where the people are is where you want to be to

affect health and well-being.”

“I really do think that it benefits health in a bunch of

different ways for our workers, the community and our clients,”

40 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

“If you work, not necessarily in health or health care, in an

For more information, visit brightcoalition.org.

www.bgkyliving.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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www.bgkyliving.com

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NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

41

GOOD THINGS COME IN

Small Packages

BY LORA WIMSATT

I

t’s one of those things that nobody says anymore. Who

recipient’s hobby or collection, but again, this scheme has been

knows; maybe nobody ever actually did say it. Maybe it’s

thwarted by the easy availability of even the rarest item, thanks

just one of those sayings that people say people said, if you

(or no thanks) to the advent of online shopping. Amazon, eBay,

know what I mean.

Barter & Trade … The thrill of the hunt has now been reduced

“Good things come in small packages.”

to just another dull click of the mouse.

If anyone ever did really say that, it was probably a frazzled

mother who had two children and one of them was crying and pouting because his sister had a gift under the Christmas tree that was bigger than any of the boxes with his name on it.

The adage was likely proven to be true on Christmas morning when the sister’s box turned out to be a new winter coat and the brother’s little box turned out to be a nifty, shiny, speedy new Hot Wheels car.

I can’t truthfully say that I think of that old proverb when

I do my Christmas shopping, but I can testify to the fact that I try really, really hard to buy gifts that the recipient will love.

But saddest of all is the fact that a drive-by glance at

megastore parking lots anytime during the final months of the year will tell the forlorn tale that many people – too many – take the easy, lazy way out, surrendering to what they may consider “convenience,” and just do all their shopping at one big, huge, impersonal box. Turkey for the table, talcum powder for grandmother, a tie for Uncle Thomas and toys for the kids … no thought required, no effort, just mindlessly pick up one box from among the dozens just like it, toss it in the cart, and you’re done.

Except your Christmas will look just like everyone else’s.

So this year – let’s think outside the big box mindset.

buying things for themselves throughout the year. Even if I am

Peel away from the herd and find the unique stores

fortunate enough to find out about something they want, next

with unique gifts – for your unique family and friends. Our

thing I know, they’ve already bought it.

community is blessed with several specialty shops that offer

a wide selection of delightful gifts – items you won’t find

This is not easy to do.

Most of the people on my list have the annoying habit of

(There ought to be a rule about that: No fair buying

anything for yourself from October to December.)

anywhere else! You – and your gift recipients – will be glad you

did. Because after all, “good things come from small stores.”

Another gift-giving staple has involved contributing to a

42 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

www.bgkyliving.com

Pappagallo Shop Pappagallo this holiday season. This upscale boutique has been catering to fashionable women of all ages for more than 30 years.

Featuring a wide variety of lines, including Joseph Ribkoff, Frank Lyman, Jude Connally, Tyler Boe and Gretchen Scott, Pappagallo is the place to find the perfect dress, outfit or accessory for that special occasion.

Pappagallo is the ideal boutique for the woman who wants to stand out. Some classic fall and winter pieces include houndstooth peplum tops, chic wraps, fringe shawls, plaid buttondowns, embroidered sweaters and color block shift dresses.

A full-service boutique, Pappagallo is located on Scottsville Road and offers alterations, gift wrapping and shipping.

Southern Kentucky Smiles

Southern Kentucky Smiles isn’t just focused on teeth and gums.

The team also provides Botox therapy to remove deep crevices and fine lines from your forehead, eyes, frown marks (between your brows) and smile lines around your mouth. Dentists are among the few health professionals equipped with the extensive knowledge of facial anatomy required for proper Botox administration. Do you have pain due to teeth clenching, muscle spasms or teeth grinding? Botox can help reduce your symptoms by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.

Southern Kentucky Smiles is also proud to offer Invisalign®, which allows you to maintain your lifestyle while straightening your teeth. With Invisalign®, you’re free from worrying about clunky metal and mouth sores. Invisalign® aligner trays are not only smooth and comfortable to wear, but they’re also removable. That means you can continue doing all the things you normally would, from brushing and flossing, to eating whatever you like. www.bgkyliving.com

NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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Reids Livery and Winery Owner and wine grower Rex Reid opened Reid’s Livery Winery in Spring 2009, with a vision of creating Alvaton’s finest small farm winery. Self-trained on the farm, he creates berry and grape wines with an extensive passion for perfection.

He knew that in order to achieve his long-standing dream of enjoying life on his own small farm, he would have to establish his own wine bar.

Before opening the doors, Rex spent three years producing the finest home grown wines from Kentucky.

Reid’s estate wines are grown, picked and made into wine directly on the farm. All of Reid’s wines, with a few exceptions, are harvested locally in Kentucky. The winery imports juice from New York for its awardwinning wines: Silver Streak, Cranberry Pleasure and Blue Moon of Kentucky.

Reid’s offers complimentary tastings along with special private tastings for $5 per person, which include cheese, crackers, chocolate and fruit.

5 REASONS TO

Shop Local

this Holiday Season 1 Stuck on a

2 Find your

3 When you

4

Enjoy a more

5

Local non-

gift idea?

loved ones

buy local,

low-key

profits enjoy

Benefit from a

a unique,

you’re

shopping

more support

local retailer’s

personalized

supporting

environment,

from local

expertise, saving

gift you can’t

the business

avoiding

businesses than

you time and

find at a big

owner’s

long lines

those based

worry.

box store.

dream and

and cranky

outside the

their family.

cashiers.

community.

44 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

www.bgkyliving.com

Barre Co. Trim. Tuck. Tone.

That’s what the leading ladies at Barre Co. promise through their innovative, full-body fitness routine. But, clients receive so much more than sculpted arms, a lean middle, lifted seat and toned thighs.

Barre Co.’s technique is rooted in full body strength-training moves including upper body, thigh, and seat exercises and a focus on controlled breath.

Instructors use postures that create a neutral spine alignment, which pulls the naval in and the hips up. While holding the posture, you move in small, isometric movements to create resistance within the body. The smaller the move and the tighter the squeeze, the harder you work.

Each class (ranging from 30 minutes to 55) focuses on toning your core, sculpting your arms, lifting your glutes and tightening your thighs. Stretching gives your body time to rest, while creating long, lean muscles that prevent bulk.

In less than 10 classes, clients see results through increased strength, flexibility and endurance. The company holds tight to its philosophy that this workout method is for everyone—regardless of age or size, each class can be customized and each move can be modified.

Perfect for anyone ready for a change, the Barre Co. method is about staying focused, finding your shake, taking yourself to the next level and getting results.

To schedule your first free class, call 270-904-0861, email barreco.bg@gmail. com or visit barrecompany.com.

www.bgkyliving.com

NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

. BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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BY ANDREA HAMPTON // FLIGHTSANDFASHION.COM

Taking Fashion

OUTDOORS

Finally, the temperature is below 90 degrees! I never thought the day would come. Can I get a hallelujah, amen?! Now, before you go thinking I don’t enjoy summer, I can honestly say that I am never one to wish away a season. I enjoy every season for what it is and appreciate the differences each has. But there is always something exciting about the weather changing as a new season approaches. A unique trait about Kentucky is that we truly get to experience every season along with the good and bad qualities they each posses. I personally believe that a great way to embrace each season is to spend some time outdoors. This allows you to have a new appreciate for nature and the changes it goes through throughout the year. This month, I have teamed up with Nat’s Outdoor Sports to showcase some ways you can dress for the fall and upcoming winter season.

Nat’s Outdoor Sports is a true Bowling Green icon.

Known near and far, Nat’s has a passion for life outdoors and equipping you with the gear needed to be one with nature. Their curated team of athletes and experts will provide unmatched customer service when assisting you with all your outdoor needs. Whether that be pitching a tent in your backyard, paddling down Drake’s Creek, or climbing the highest peak of a mountain, Nat’s is the perfect companion to aid you in achieving your outdoor goals.

Duck Boots: $120

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Shirt: $23 Hat: $25

There are very few items of clothing that are easier to wear than a t-shirt. Graphic t-shirts have grown in popularity and are super easy to wear and style. Graphic shirts convey creativity, self image and a desired projection in which the wearer can transmit. Whether that be cultural tastes such as a favorite band or sports team to social desires that display a positive theme and everything else in between. They provide an easy and clear method to promote your beliefs and express a message. There’s no better way to spruce up an outfit than with a t-shirt that exudes your own personal character and identity.

Duck boots are a sturdy and long lasting footwear. They are made of a waterproof materials such as rubber and duck canvas making them ideal for braving the snow or going on a hike. Although these shoes are perfect for inclement weather conditions, some find it difficult to style them. A few tips and trick I recommend when wearing duck boots are to pair them with denim for a casual look. The jeans and boots look is very versatile. Match your duck boots’ relaxed look with a pair of skinny jeans. Skinny jeans give a slimming effect whereas baggy pants paired with duck boots can appear oversized and sloppy. You can either roll up the cuff of the jeans, tuck them in, or wear a cropped pair. Another styling tip is to add a cute pair of high socks for an additional cozy layered look. To achieve this look, leave your socks visible above the boots by scrunching the tops of them down around the top of the boot. Lastly, you can loosen up the laces for a more relaxed street style approach. Just make sure to tuck in the laces so they don’t drag the ground causing a potential falling hazard. www.bgkyliving.com

PHOTOS BY KATIE STARKS

Nothing can ruin a good mood quite like a rainy day, particularly when your clothing doesn’t fit the weather. An easy way to be prepared is to check the daily weather forecast each morning and have a good piece of rainwear, because a big part of being stylish is dressing appropriate for the situation and the weather. If you already have a rain jacket in your wardrobe but feel like stepping up your style, consider a trench coat. Trench coats are a water resistant, heavy-duty jacket that range in various lengths from above the knee to just above the ankles. These jackets go with just about everything. Their oversized appearance and cut make them perfect for layering, especially in the cooler months. Not only will you look more appropriate when it rains, but a good trench will also drastically increase the life of your other clothing worn underneath that is not meant to get wet. When looking for a trench coat consider one in a neutral color such as khaki, navy or grey.

Women’s WKU Pullover: $77 Men’s WKU Pullover: $75

www.bgkyliving.com

Rain Jacket: $100 Jeggings: $66 Backpack: $74

Tis the season for college athletics and what better way to show school spirit than wearing it on your chest? Whether you’re headed to a football game, basketball game, other sporting event, or just want to show off your school pride, Nat’s Outdoor Sports has all your WKU apparel needs covered. If you’re looking for a laidback approach of a t-shirt or a dressier option like a collared button down, there is something for every fan both big and small.

When it’s time to stand up and cheer, equip yourself with the right outfit because we’ve got the team, we’ve got the steam, for this is dear old Western’s day!

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PHOTOS BY KATIE STARKS

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder we know that the fall and winter seasons are in full force. Staying warm becomes a necessity and layering clothes is the best way to do so. During the winter, you will often find yourself moving between hot and cold environments making layers important.

Being able to remove an outer layer without compromising your style is one of the best aspects of layering. Donning a vest, scarf, or undershirt is not only a practical way to stay warm, but also give you the opportunity to experiment with different looks. Puffer vests are a great layering piece that will never go out of style. Choose a vest with a lighter fit or slim cut to avoid looking too bulky. Leave the vest fully open or unzipped a bit for a youthful look. Alternating between patterns and solid colors will also add complexity to your style.

Vest: $99 Shirt: $55

Hat: $48 Dress: $88

Alas, summer is over and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to retire our poolside and beach day straw hats. But no matter whether you choose your headwear according to the temperature outside or for a specific outfit, there are many different oversized hats in a variety of materials that will fit into your wardrobe for each and every season. Hats are a great way to add dimension and color to your closet. Like a statement necklace, hats boost a bold personal touch to your overall look and outfit. Wide brimmed structured hats allow you to compliment and create effortless shapes to your ensemble. When styling a structured hat, think of mixing it with a flowy outfit such as a relaxed fitting dress or off the shoulder top for a bohemian look.

Wear your hair down in loose curls or mix it up with a messy braid for a slightly causal, not too fussy yet put together look.

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www.bgkyliving.com

Natâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outdoor Sports | 1121 Wilkinson Trace Bowling Green, Kentucky 42103 (270) 842-6211 | www.natsoutdoor.com

Patagonia Pullovers: $99

www.bgkyliving.com

With the winter season upon us, all we want to do is make ourselves warm and comfortable.

But that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you have to throw fashion out the door. Fleece pullovers have undoubtedly become a wardrobe staple of the fun loving outdoorsy individuals of the world and are the perfect accessory for the cold weather. There is something about the crispy, cool air combined with the soft and fuzzy texture of fleece that makes one feel as if they are being encompassed by a warm and inviting embrace of a hug. Fleece offers a fresh refuge from the routinely worn coats and jackets we find ourselves in during the winter months. The classic Patagonia fleece is an outwear gem that is both versatile and durable giving the wearer years of comfort and stability in one article of clothing. The Patagonia brand uses quality fabrics when making their clothing that has consistently classic designs and silhouettes all while being committed to the environment. So do yourself a favor and invest in a piece of clothing that is both long-lasting and eco-friendly.

To view or share more style and fashion tips, be sure to follow along on Instagram @andreathampton

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THE

DISH

Rich & Creamy

HOT CHOCOLATE

Whether it’s a chilly autumn afternoon or a cold winter night, it doesn’t get better than drinking chocolate.

While I’m all for the convenience of store-bought cocoa packages for a quick cocoa fix, once in a while it’s nice to splurge on some rich and creamy homemade hot chocolate. If you have a little extra time one night for a tasty treat, give it a try and see which one you prefer!

AUTUMN

Are you sick of EVERYTHING pumpkin spice? This salted caramel hot chocolate is the perfect transitional drink to take you from fall to winter.

INGREDIENTS: 1 1 cup heavy cream 2 2 cups milk 3 1 cup bittersweet chocolate (chopped or chips) 4 2 tbsp sugar 5 Salted Caramel Sauce (to taste) RECIPE: 1 Dissolve the sugar in a small saucepan of milk & cream over medium heat until the sides start to bubble

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2 Melt the chocolate by microwaving and stirring in 30-second intervals.

3 Turn the heat off the milk and whisk in the melted chocolate mixture 4 Whisk in salted caramel sauce to taste 5 Top with your favorite garnish (including more caramel sauce)!

Salted caramel sauce: Heat 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of water in large saucepan on high. Stir constantly until boiling mixture reaches an amber color (be careful, it burns quickly after this color!).

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 2/3 cup of room-temperature heavy whipping cream. Once that’s incorporated, mix in 4 tablespoons of butter, then 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then salt (preferably fleur de sel or other finishing salt) to taste.

www.bgkyliving.com

PHOTOS AND RECIPE BY JAMIE ALEXANDER

WINTER

Peppermint is a classic when it comes to winter flavors. To add a “twist” to this hot chocolate, try adding some frozen whipped topping cut into winter shapes!

INGREDIENTS: (Use ingredients 1-4 from salted caramel hot chocolate) 5 2 drops peppermint extract 6 1/8 teaspoon of salt RECIPE: (Follow steps 1-3 for the salted caramel hot chocolate.)

4 Whisk in 2 drops of peppermint extract and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

5 To make your hot chocolate extra sweet, stir it with a candy cane before garnishing with your favorite toppings.

Whipped Topping Shapes: Mix 1/4 cup of water with a tub of cool whip. Spread the whip into an even layer on top of wax paper (about 1/2 to 1 inch thick). Freeze several hours or overnight. Once frozen, cut out shapes with cookie cutters (work quickly - these melt fast!)

www.bgkyliving.com

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THE

INDIANAPOLIS SKYLINE // PHOTO BY VISIT INDY

GETAWAY

s i l o p a n a i d n I n i 36 HOURS

BY SARAH BISHOP

I

ndianapolis, Ind., might have risen to fame for its fast cars and professional sports teams, but it’s also gaining some serious notoriety for its flourishing culinary and

10 largest art museums in the country and home to the

brewery scene (including several James Beard nods).

Art and Nature Park, which features all sorts of life-

Forbes recently called out Indy as “America’s Most

size, quirky art installments, including Funky Bones,

Underrated City,” while Travel + Leisure named the city

featured in John Green’s The Fault in our Stars.

iconic Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture. Outside, check out the beer garden, greenhouse and the Fairbanks

“One of America’s Favorite Places.” Pack your bags and head a few hours up I-65 to see for yourself all this

7 p.m.

Indiana city has to offer.

For dinner and drinks, you’ll want to make reservations

Friday

at Beholder, a dinner-only spot that joined the scene this summer boasting modern American shareable

5 p.m.

plates. Chef Jonathan Brooks was featured on the cover

Pop into town and make a beeline to Newfields. For

of Food & Wine as a best new chef and is a two-time

the first time in its storied history, the Indianapolis

James Beard semifinalist. Housed in a former garage,

Museum of Art named its entire campus, unifying all

the restaurant is sleek, donning light green walls, a

of its elements into the brand: Newfields, one of the top

designated champagne table and an open kitchen.

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10 p.m.

Time for a nightcap? You’ll want to hit up Bar One Fourteen, a swanky, New York-style microbar by local restaurateur Martha Hoover. The space is dimly lit with a 16-seat listening area with tons of records to choose from.

If you’re in the mood for something a little more dive-y, try the Slippery Noodle Inn, the oldest bar in Indiana serving up live music, food and beverages seven days a week. Gangster John Dillinger’s bullet holes are still in the walls of this former brothel.

Saturday 9 a.m.

Start your morning with a trip to Kaffeine Coffee Co., a hip new spot just off Massachusetts Avenue—one of Indy’s top cultural districts. Choose a drink made from locally-sourced beans, along with a variety of pastries, muffins and macarons.

10 a.m.

BAR ONE FOURTEEN // PHOTO BY VISIT INDY

You could spend an entire day or more at White River State Park, a 250-acre urban greenspace that is home to the Central Canal packed with Italian-imported gondolas, paddleboats and kayaks during the warmer months. Hop into the seven family-friendly museums that create a border around the park, including the Indianapolis Zoo, Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum, Victory Field (home of the AAA Indianapolis Indians baseball team), a concert venue and more.

1 p.m.

After wandering museums and parks all morning, BEHOLDER // PHOTO BY MALLORY TALTY

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MILKTOOTH // PHOTO BY MALLORY TALTY

BLUEBEARD // PHOTO BY VISIT INDY

satisfy your appetite at Public Greens, another Hoover

mile urban trail was constructed in 2013 when the city

creation and Indy’s first nonprofit restaurant. Hoover

removed one lane of vehicular traffic to connect all six

has received several James Beard nods and continues to

downtown cultural districts. New Yorks’s Project for

add to her portfolio, which started as a simple brunch

Public Spaces called this “the biggest and boldest step

spot north of downtown: Café Patachou. Public Greens,

by any American city.” And it sure paid off. Millions of

located in Indy’s Broad Ripple neighborhood where

dollars of public art and greenspace also flank the trail

David Letterman grew up, serves more than 850 meals

throughout.

a week to the city’s less fortunate youth, with much of their food sourced from their micro garden right outside

5 p.m.

the restaurant.

For all you beer-o-philes, Sun King Brewery rolled out their first kegs in 2009, making it the first full-scale

3 p.m.

production brewery in Indy since Indianapolis Brewing

If you have kiddos in tow, check out the new $38 million

Co. closed in 1948. Now the second largest beer brewer

indoor/outdoor Sports Legends Experience at The

in Indiana, Sun King unofficially began the craft beer

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest

movement in Indy.

children’s museum. The new experience is designed to get families moving and joins other fan-favorite exhibits

7 p.m.

such as Dinosphere, Beyond Spaceship Earth and Take

Dinner options abound in Indy! For a trendy spot,

Me There: China. Or, if you just want to get out and

slide into Bluebeard, named after a Kurt Vonnegut

about, try the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Indy’s eight-

novel—Kurt’s an Indy native—which trickles into the

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CENTRAL CANAL // PHOTO BY VISIT INDY

restaurant’s library-like design and theme. Local celeb

a Fountain Square watering hole featuring Southern

and self-proclaimed foodie, Andrew Luck deemed this

classics and craft cocktails in a rustic environment.

his favorite restaurant. And since the bills are presented

Sunday

in old library books, he is known to sign page 12 (his number as quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts) of every book. Craving steak and potatoes for your Saturday night out? St. Elmo Steak House has deep roots in the city. In fact, the Travel Channel claims the restaurant’s spicy shrimp cocktail as ‘the world’s spiciest dish.”

10 p.m.

Whether you want to bar hop or just sample a cocktail before calling it a night, Indy’s the place to be. Livery is one of Indy’s newer restaurants tucked along the bustling Massachusetts Avenue corridor with SpanishAmerican-style snacks and rooftop bar. Hotel Tango is

10 a.m.

For brunch, run, don’t walk, to Chef Brooks’ Milktooth— located in an old downtown car care garage with beautiful natural light. This breakfast/brunch-only spot located in the Fletcher Place neighborhood is one of Indy’s most sought-after place to be after having been named by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the world’s best restaurants.

Stay Families can stay in an original train car room on its

the city’s first distillery tasting room with a cozy, lodge-

original tracks inside what was the world’s first ever

like setting and stiff cocktails all distilled on-grounds.

Union Station where Thomas Edison once worked or—

Founded by a disabled marine veteran, each Hotel Tango

coming this fall—sleep in a luxury shipping container

spirit derives its prefix from the phonetic alphabet such

on the outskirts of one of America’s largest urban parks:

as Victor Vodka, Golf Gin and so on. Or try, Thunderbird,

Eagle Creek.

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THE

STYLE

A classic, modern

home renovation

BY NATALIE MARTIN

Jessica Dolan’s home is the epitome of classic. With shiplap

on. Though the street was a dream come true, the house was

walls, modern hardware and furniture and stunning built-

not what Jessica had envisioned. They would have to make

in shelving, this tasteful home is sure to make you swoon.

some changes to transform this house into their ideal home.

After a dream home in a dream location fell through, Jessica

Jessica was not phased by the big project they faced, instead she

was determined to find a home on that street that they could

began to gather inspiration from designers like Studio Mcgee

transform in to their dream home.

and Amber Interiors. Jessica, who owns an online home decor

“I loved the street so much that I would drive it every day

store, 25:40 Love, and has a knack for making things beautiful

hoping something would pop up,” Dolan said. “One day I saw a

couldn’t wait to add her personal touch to the home, but first

sign in a yard and since it had the land we were looking for, we

they had to make some changes to the overall layout of the

snatched it up.”

home.

The house, a 3,000 square foot, ranch built in 1972 was a

fixer upper that the Dolans were thrilled to get their hands 56 BOWLING GREEN LIVING

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“We took the house down to the studs, removing all the

interior walls to open up the main living areas, added a powder www.bgkyliving.com

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA ROSENHECK

bath and master suite in place of two

family. I’ll never forget the before pictures

main floor bedrooms with one shared hall

and videos of our kids working hard to

bath.” Dolan said.

help us make this house our home.”

One

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of

the

most

breathtaking

Dolan said.

transformations, and one Jessica believes

reflects her style most, is the kitchen. A

days the family spent working hard to

large open space, boasts navy cabinetry,

renovate the home, have turned into

open shelving and modern brass light

days where the kids and their friends are

fixtures. The bold cabinetry mixed with

running around the house playing and

the open shelving and natural light create

where many family memories have been

a space that is modern, airy and classic.

made. The Dolans’ big fixer upper has

The kitchen, open to the living area and

become their dream home, and though

dining room creates a communal and

this project is done, Dolan thinks there

cohesive atmosphere, a place where the

may be more to come.

whole family can gather.

the Dolans?

From the very beginning this home

Now that the home is complete, they

Will there be any future projects for

has been a family affair.

“Not for us personally, but I am

itching to build if we could find a spot.”

“It was a labor of love for our whole

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THE

SCENE

CULTURE

ORCHESTRA KENTUCKY: CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Dec. 15 | 7:30pm SKyPAC

Call 270-846-2426 or visit orchestrakentucky.com.

WKU CHORAL CONCERT Nov. 2 | 7:30pm Van Meter Auditorium

MICHAEL JR. MORE THAN FUNNY TOUR Nov. 4 | 7pm

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/music. SKyPAC $5 or $3 with WKU student ID. Call 270-904-1880 or visit theskypac.com.

MISS ELECTRICITY Nov. 2-4 | Fri. 4pm, Sat.-Sun. 3pm WKU Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/ theatre-and-dance.

A SHAKER BREAKFAST Nov. 3 | 8:30am and 10:30am seatings South Union Shaker Village

SOUTHARTS FILM SERIES: QUIET HEROES Nov. 6 | 7pm Capitol Arts Center

Nov. 8-10 | Thurs. 4-8pm, Fri. noon-8pm, For tickets, call 270-904-7010 or

HAIR

. NOVEMBER // DECEMBER 2018

Call 270-904-1880 or visit skypacgingerbread.com.

Nov. 13 | 6pm SKyPAC

Nov. 3 | 10am-4pm Knicely Conference Center

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Nov. 12-17 SKyPAC

GYPSYMOON MARKETPLACE Visit highlandstablesbg.com. Thurs. $10, Fri.-Sat. $5

Call 270-846-2426 or visit orchestrakentucky.com.

GINGERBREAD HOMES FOR THE ARTS FESTIVAL

EAT, DRINK AND BE ARTSY GIRLSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; NIGHT OUT

GIRLS DAY OUT

Nov. 3 | 7:30pm SKyPAC

Call 270-904-1880 or visit theskypac.com. $10

Film screening and discussion. Call 270-904-5000 or visit theskypac.com. Free!

Reservations required. Call 800-811-8379 Sat.10am-4pm or visit southunionshakervillage.com. $27 Highland Stables

ORCHESTRA KENTUCKY PRESENTS FRANKIE VALLI TRIBUTE

Capitol Arts Center

Nov. 9-18 | Fri.-Thurs. 8pm, Sun. 3pm WKU Russell H. Miller Theatre FAC

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/ theatre-and-dance. No Wednesday show.

LOST RIVER SESSIONS LIVE! Nov. 10 | 7pm

270-904-5010 or visit skypacgingerbread.com.

SPICE UP THE NIGHT Nov. 16 | 6:30pm SKyPAC

Call 270-904-5000 or visit skypacgingerbread.com.

WKU BANDS CONCERT Nov. 16 | 7:30pm Van Meter Auditorium

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/music.

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RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

WINTERDANCE: TOYLAND

Nov. 17 | 8pm The Warehouse at Mt. Victor

Nov. 30-Dec 2 | Fri.-Sat. 7pm, Sun. 2pm Van Meter Auditorium

Call 270-904-6677 or visit warehouseatmtvictor.com. $25

ADULT NATURE PROGRAM: PASTTHE-DAM CAVE WALK Nov. 18 | 1-4pm Lost River Cave

Call 270-393-0077 or visit lostrivercave.org.

MOSCOW BALLET’S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER Nov. 23 | 7pm SKyPAC

Call 270-904-1880 or visit theskypac.com.

CHRISTMAS AT SHAKERTOWN PREVIEW PARTY Nov. 30 | 6-9pm South Union Shaker Village

Reservations required. Call 800-811-8379 or visit southunionshakervillage.com. $15

DOWNTOWN LIGHTS UP Nov. 30 | 5pm Fountain Square Park

Visit downtownbg.org.

Refreshments and visit with Santa after the parade. Call 270-842-4101.

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/music.

BOWLING GREEN CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 1 | 9:30am Begins near Fountain Square Park

ADULT NATURE PROGRAM: THE CIVIL WAR AT LOST RIVER CAVE Dec. 2 | 1-3pm Lost River Cave

Call 270-393-0077 or visit lostrivercave.org. $10

CHRISTMAS AT SHAKERTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET

BOWLING GREEN GALLERY HOP

Dec. 1 | 9am-4pm South Union Shaker Village

Dec. 7 | 5-8pm

Visit bggalleryhop.com. Free!

Call 800-811-8379 or visit southunionshakervillage.com.

HOLIDAYS ON THE HILL Dec. 7 | 7:30pm Van Meter Auditorium

DIAMOND RIO HOLIDAY & HITS Dec. 1 | 8pm SKyPAC

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/music.

Call 270-904-1880 or visit theskypac.com.

WINTERFEST

THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE Dec. 7-9 | Fri. 4pm, Sat.-Sun. 3pm WKU Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre

Dec. 1-8 | 8pm Holy Spirit Church

Visit wku.edu/theatre-and-dance.

Call 270-745-3121 or visit wku.edu/music.

BOYCE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 2 | 2:30pm Begins at Boyce Community Center

HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS EXPO Dec. 9 | Noon-4pm Sloan Convention Center

75+ vendors and Toys for Tots donations.

FAMILY

JUNIOR NATURALIST PROGRAM: LEAVE NO TRACE Oct. 20 | 10am-noon Lost River Cave

Call 270-393-0077 or visit lostrivercave.org.

POLAR EXPRESS TICKET REGISTRATION Nov. 6 Historic Railpark & Train Museum

Call 270-745-7317 or visit historicrailpark.com.

ELF: THE MUSICAL Nov. 12 | 7:30pm SKyPAC

Call 270-904-1880 or visit theskypac.com.

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KIDS DAY SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCE

SANTA’S LOOKOUT Nov. 22-25, 29-30 and Dec. 1-2, 6-9, 1316, 20-25 | 5-9pm 48 Locketts Dream in Scottsville

Nov. 15 | 9:30am SKyPAC

A holiday lights drive-through event with dazzling displays, decorated scenes, holiday characters, Christmas music and more. Visit santaslookout.com.

For tickets, call Tiffany at 270-904-7009 or visit skypacgingerbread.com.

POLAR EXPRESS STORYTIME

SKYPAC COMMUNITY DAY

Nov. 26-29 and Dec. 3-6 Historic Railpark & Train Museum

Nov. 17 | 10am-3pm SKyPAC

Enjoy entertainment, photos with Santa, caricature artists and build-your-own gingerbread house for $5.

Call 270-904-5000 or visit skypacgingerbread.com.

Advance tickets required. Call 270-7457317 or visit historicrailpark.com. Free!

ELF: THE MUSICAL Dec. 14 | 6:30pm Van Meter Hall

Call 270-904-1382 or visit bgonstage.org.

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THE

SCENE

BG26.2 & HALF MARATHON

RECREATION

HEALTH & FITNESS

IMPORT ALLIANCE FALL MEET

Call 270-781-7634 or visit beechbend.com.

BE HAPPY GOAT YOGA

Oct. 20-21 Beech Bend Raceway

FALL CLASSIC SWAP MEET & FLEA MARKET

Must register by calling 270-799-8070. $20

Call 270-781-7634 or visit beechbend.com.

BUICK GS NATIONALS Oct. 24-27 Beech Bend Raceway

Nov. 3 | 8am Beech Bend Raceway

Call 270-781-7634 or visit beechbend.com.

Visit gsnationals.com.

WEST KY HORSE SALE

NHRA SUMMIT ET SERIES

Nov. 10 | 11am-8pm WKU Ag Expo Center

Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 11, 18 | 11am Beech Bend Raceway

Call 270-745-3976 or visit wku.edu/expo.

Call 270-781-7634 or visit beechbend.com.

BEECH BEND & MUSIC CITY RACEWAY

O’REILLY’S SATURDAY TEST & TUNE

Thanksgiving Bracket Nationals Nov. 23-25 Beech Bend Raceway

Nov. 3, 10, 17 | Noon-5pm Beech Bend Raceway

Call 270-781-7634 or visit beechbend.com.

Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 8 | 10:30am Buck Creek Stables in Smiths Grove

MONSTER DASH 5K & 10K Oct. 26 | 6pm-9pm NCM Motorsports Park

Call 800-538-3883. $26.50-$31.80

BG26.2 & HALF MARATHON/BG6000 Nov. 4 | 7am Bowling Green Ballpark

Visit www.bg262.com.

ATHLETICS

WKU FOOTBALL VS OLD DOMINION Oct. 20 | 6:30pm

WKU HOMECOMING FOOTBALL VS FIU Oct. 27 | 6:30pm

Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, all information is subject to change. Please call ahead to verify dates, times and schedules. If you would like your event included in the next issue of Bowling Green Living, please email sarah@tannerpublishing.com.

WKU FOOTBALL (SENIOR NIGHT) VS UTEP Nov. 17 | 6:30pm

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