22 minute read
Craft Time
Sweet Sentiments
Written by Ashley Wedding // Photo by Jamie Alexander
VALENTINE’S DAY IS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14
This year, forgo the store bought Valentine’s cards and encourage your kids to make their own! These that my kids made were very easy. We found all the supplies we needed around the house. But first things first — every good Valentine’s card needs a good pun! Avery and I Googled some funny puns and tweaked them for our Valentine’s cards. You can really make anything into a Valentine!
Does your kiddo love lions? Try “I’m not LION — you’re cute!”
“You GUAC my world” would be perfect paired with an avocado.
What about a car? “You’re WHEELY awesome!”
I could do this all day! But on to the craft.
HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
›› a variety of colorful pom poms in various sizes ›› colorful cardstock ›› scissors ›› glue ›› markers
Use the paper to create your favorite things — animals, food, activities — the sky’s the limit! Incorporate pom poms for the perfect 3D touch. Finally, finish by writing your best pun to create the perfect Valentine!
Happy crafting, friends! HF
ASHLEY WEDDING is the editor of Owensboro Parent Magazine. She enjoys everyday adventures with her husband, Drew, and their three kids, Avery, Reed and Mason.
If you make these adorable Valentines, be sure to tag a photo of them on our social media accounts! We would love to see them!
Community
THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT MAKE HENDERSON GREAT
HENDERSON HENDERSON CITY FLAG CITY FLAG Flies High Jax Matthews is a student at Henderson County High School, and at the age of 14, he has accomplished an impressive feat: Jax has designed the new flag for
Written by Kaycee Garner Photos by Darrin Phegley Henderson, Kentucky.
FROM A SKETCH TO AN OFFICIAL CITY FLAG
Jax’s flag design started as a sketch he made in his notebook. He found himself wondering, “what would a flag for Henderson even look like?” It didn’t take him long to come up with his design, and once he did, he reached out to Mayor Steve Austin and asked if Henderson even had a flag at all. Henderson did have a flag, but it was outdated and not flown anywhere in present times. Jax brought up his design, and Steve Austin thought it was a great idea and invited him to a city commission meeting where he displayed his flag for all the attendees.
A DESIGN REPRESENTING HENDERSON AND KENTUCKY
On the flag itself, you will find many elements that are representative of Henderson. The bridge of Henderson is surrounded by a white circle bearing the title of the city. Within the circle, there is the Ohio river under the bridge and the year that Henderson was formed, 1797. Surrounding the circle are two pieces of goldenrod, the Kentucky state flower. Jax says these goldenrods symbolize peace. The blue all around the flag represents the “beautiful waters around our city” and the black bars represent determination. The black bars on either side of the flag not only represent determination, but they also have another meaning. The black bars also are representative of the two rivers that flow through Henderson, the Ohio and the Green. Beneath the white circle is Kentucky’s motto, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”
Jax’s flag design encompasses many elements of Henderson and Kentucky. As one would expect, the city commissioners Brad Staton, Robert Pruitt, Austin Vowels, and Rodney Thomas, along with Mayor Steve Austin, were thrilled to have the chance to display this flag in Henderson. Jax gives thanks to all of the commissioners and the mayor, saying that “they helped me make my dream come true.”
Jax says he has always been enamored with flags, and he will often play a game with his father where his dad will show him a flag from anywhere around the world and Jax will have to guess what it is. Jax claims he is rarely wrong, and he can quickly name each country’s flag when presented with them. His love for flags has brought something beautiful to Henderson, and many in the town have praised Jax for his contribution. According to Jax, “this was a bit too much recognition to take in all at once,” and he does not currently have any other projects in the works.
MAKING HENDERSON PROUD
Jax was recognized at the November school board meeting with a medal given by superintendent, Dr. Bob Lawson. Jax also says his classmates and teachers, especially his social studies teacher, were very proud of him and thought it was cool he could contribute something like this to Henderson.
The new Henderson city flag flies high above the municipal building, and the flags can be purchased at Abba Promotions in downtown Henderson. At the Henderson Tourism store in the Depot, t-shirts with the flag design will be able to be purchased very soon.
At the end of the interview, Jax’s character was shining brightly as he described his thoughts about Henderson. “I just want to say one thing: Henderson is an excellent town and I want my flag to represent the absolute beauty of what you’ll truly be able to find in Henderson. There are all of the great people, attractions, everything I want it to represent very well, and I hope it becomes a symbol of what Henderson could truly be.”
Crystal Matthews, Jax’s mother, says she is “super proud of him. I’m proud of all that he has overcome over the years. He’s done amazing.”
Thank you, Jax, for not only caring so much about Henderson, but for putting your passions to great use and giving our city something we can be proud of. We look forward to seeing where you will go and what you will do next. HF
KAYCEE GARNER has lived in Henderson her entire life and plans to keep it that way. She loves animals and movies, and enjoys drawing with charcoal and working on local political campaigns in her spare time.
HARD WORK HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Written by Lyndi Mauk // Photos by Darrin Phegley
When one thinks of Olympic gymnasts, they might recall names such as Simone Biles, Shawn Johnson, Aly Raisman, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes and Laurie Hernandez. These women have influenced and inspired generations of young women and continue to do so today.
Laurie Hernandez was a team member on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team in 2016 during the summer olympics, and she continues to help other gymnasts around the United States succeed in their talent. She recently hosted an invitational, in which 82 gymnasts were invited to attend and compete from across the region. The invitational was held in Knoxville, TN on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19. There were gymnasts invited from states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. Most excitedly, our local Spirit Sports Academy, which has been open for 7 years, had a gymnast of their own invited to attend the Laurie Hernandez Invitational.
MEET THE GYMNAST
Kalayah Henshaw is a 6th grader from Morganfield, KY but drives to Henderson to participate in gymnastics since there is not a gym in Union County. She began her journey in gymnastics right before she turned 9. She started in a tumbling class for about 3 months before eventually working her way up to a level 6. She is currently the only level 6 gymnast at Spirit Sports Academy. When she isn’t in the gym, Kalayah enjoys hanging out with her cousins and playing Xbox.
Kalayah’s interest in gymnastics started
when she would watch the olympics, and she would flip around the house, so her grandma decided to put her in a class.
BEING A GYMNAST
Kalayah practices 3 days a week for 3 hours each of those days. When she moves up to level 7, she will go to 4 hours a day with two private lessons a month. “Private lessons are really good because you get a lot of work done in an hour,” said Ken Henshaw, Kalayah’s dad. Kalayah said her favorite event would have to be the bars but what she enjoys most about the sport of gymnastics is making new friends. Although her interest in gymnastics was sparked by watching the olympics, she has never really thought about that for herself. She just has a love for gymnastics, and it is something she truly enjoys competing in. With competition comes hard work and dedication. “When you move up into levels, it gets much harder. Since it gets harder, you don’t have that many people on that level to talk about your skills with or anything. It is more solo,” explained Kalayah. This is probably the hardest part of gymnastics in her opinion. Even though you are on a team, individually the girls can be at different levels.
THE LAURIE HERNANDEZ INVITATIONAL
Kalayah’s opportunity to be selected for the invitational came during the Magnitude Competition in Nashville, TN the weekend of November 6 where she finished 3rd all around. “I didn’t get invited because I had the highest score. They said every time I stood in front of the judges they were impressed.” She was one of the judge’s picks. This was an invite only competition, so she was 1 of 82 chosen to compete and level 6 had 40 girls total in the competition.
Kalayah placed 6th overall, and 2nd on vault. Her overall score was 37.05. Kalayah had the opportunity to meet Laurie. “The best part about the competition was her signing my shirt and giving me advice because I fell on my floor routine,” Kalayah said. Laurie asked Kalayah if she laughed about her fall, and when Kalayah said she did, Laurie told her that’s the best attitude to have. Kalayah recalls her response, “What else was I supposed to do other than laugh about it and keep going?” This attitude is something that is taught at Spirit Sports Academy. They want their team to work hard and do well, but they also never want them discouraged. It is important to keep your head held high and push forward.
THE COACHES PERSPECTIVE
Kalayah wouldn’t be where she is without her coaches, Cathy Millhof, manager of Spirit Sports Academy, and Sarah
Bowley. Cathy has coached in Ohio, Georgia and Kentucky and Sarah in Alabama and Kentucky. Sarah is actually one of Cathy’s old gymnasts, so they have a long history together and work well as a team. Kalayah’s parents, Ken and Brandy, said they have to give a shout out to them. “They have been really good to us. This is her gym family,” they said.
Cathy recalls seeing Kalayah after she started gymnastics at Spirit Sports, and saying, “Oh, she has talent. We need her on the team.” Cathy said some kids you can just see it, and Kalayah was one of those kids. Laughing, Sarah said, “I told her when she first got to the meet that no one knows where the heck Morganfield, KY is, but she needed to put it on the map.”
When Kalayah fell on her floor routine at the competition, she handled it exactly as they wanted her to. “We were proud of the fact that she kept going because a lot of kids will not. A lot will curl into themselves and may stop. We try to take that edge off of it. It’s over and done with, and we have the next event to go to so put it behind you,” Cathy explained. It is important to them to instill a love for fitness and health in their gymnast while having fun. “There is a lot more to life than winning and losing, whether it’s in the gym or in life,” stated Sarah.
The judges picked 5 gymnasts from the Magnitude Competition in Nashville to attend the Laurie Hernandez Invitational. They weighed scores, performance and personality. “It was nice to be known that we were 1 of 40 to be picked for this competition,” Sarah said. They have competed in numerous competitions over the years and have done well, but as coaches, it made them proud that others recognized the talent outside of them and picked Kalayah to go.
Spirit Sports Academy was the only Kentucky level 6 team. As a level 6 gymnast, some of the skills you must obtain are a handstand on high bars and flip off bar, which is known as a fly away, back handspring on a 4 inch balance beam, and on
the floor—a round-off back handspring back tuck and front handspring front tuck, to name a few. Everything they follow for their gym is from the USA gymnastics guidelines.
“Even from a small town, I feel like we have earned the respect of other gyms and coaches within Kentucky,” expressed Cathy.
A FUTURE IN GYMNASTICS
Kalayah was a very good softball player, but when gymnastics became a little more serious, she had to make a decision about which sport she wanted to pursue due to time. She chose gymnastics, and she hasn’t looked back since. As her parents, Ken and Brandy are so incredibly proud of their daughter. Grinning ear-to-ear, her dad said, “For me, it’s watching her get better. Watching her grow. Watching her hard work pay off. When you talk to her she doesn’t even really care that you notice it, but I do. It makes me very proud. When you are there in front of all these people, and she has done well, you get that feeling inside like ‘Man, that’s my baby.’ I’m going to let her live her life. She knows when she gets up there she has to sacrifice. I’m not sure what she is going to do, but we are going to leave it up to her.”
Brandy added, “I like the fact that when she gets out there you can see she is actually having fun doing what she likes to do, and if she makes a mistake she puts it behind her, moves forward, has a positive attitude and doesn’t drop her head.”
When the gym is closed, the gymnasts find something to do while they are off. “We have mats. We don’t have a beam or a bar. I don’t think I’ll ever do that. She gets enough of that at the gym, and I don’t want to overwhelm her or ruin that love for it,” stated Ken.
Looking ahead with Kalayah’s talent, Sarah said, “She has a natural physique for a gymnast. We are really working with her to figure out the difference between having natural talent, what she is going to do with it and what do I have to do to get to where some of these older and more experienced kids are.” It was really great for Kalayah to speak with Laurie at the invitational because as coaches they saw it as a wonderful opportunity for Kalayah to see where she has to push herself if she wants to go really far.
Cathy added, “You’re always moving upscale. You do your level but you work your way up towards the next level. You have to be pushing past where you are to gain strength.” Their focus moving forward will be to start training Kalayah for level 7 skills, which they believe she can reach this year. She is only 12-years-old, so she is focusing on understanding the dedication it will take. “Level 6-10 is called optional. Once you have made it to that point you are really a gymnast. You have enough skills to say you can actually do something with gymnastics. She is the only optional we have right now. Any of our kids could have qualified for this, but our highest level kid did,” Sarah boasted.
Having a local gymnast be invited to an Olympian’s invitational was a great experience for all of them. They gained so much by being there watching other gymnasts compete and talking to other coaches from the region.
Kalayah has a love for gymnastics and competing. Being at a young age, she doesn’t know where gymnastics will take her moving forward but she is dedicated to working hard and never giving up. Kalayah’s advice for other young kids who are considering gymnastics, or those who have maybe just started is, “Don’t be scared. If you fall you fall, and you just have to get back up and try again.”
Could Spirit Sports Academy have a future Olympian in their gym? Only time will tell, but for now, our community looks forward to seeing the young gymnasts, like Kalayah, having fun, working hard and always believing in themselves. Congratulations, Kalayah for making Henderson proud and being a role model for our local kids.
For questions or information on classes at Spirits Sports Academy, you may call 270-454-9293, email spiritsportsacademy@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. HF
LYNDI MAUK, editor of Henderson Family Magazine, was born and raised in the Bluegrass State. She is grateful to be going through life alongside her husband and best friend, Brandon, and being a mother to their two kids.
SALVATION ARMY
MOBILE CANTEEN
Written by Amanda Waggener • Photos by Darrin Phegley
Hope is On the Way
The Salvation Army, located at 1213 Washington Street, has been lending a helping hand to those in need for decades. In addition to the traditional means of assistance they offer, they now have a mobile canteen. Captain Benny Carringer cheerfully articulates the purpose of the mobile canteen, “Hope is on the way. It even says that on the back.” Captain Benny and his family moved to Henderson from West Virginia in 2019, but they are not new to the organization. Both Benny and his wife, Crystal, are captains and have been serving at Salvation Army in various capacities since they were only 15 years old. “We were volunteers first, then employees. Then in 2010 we went to training. In 2012 we became ordained ministers.” The Salvation Army uses military rankings as titles for employees. “We are pastors and administrators for all the Salvation Army work that occurs in Henderson, Union, and Webster counties,” explained Carringer.
Heading for Disaster
Although the mobile canteen has multiple uses, the primary purpose for it is to be used to assist during times of disaster and local emergencies. “It’s basically a mobile feeding unit that is equipped with a stove, griddle, fridge, water holder and propane, as well as a generator,” said Captain Benny. “Meals are free. We will keep it ready for when disaster calls. It will always be on standby. We have volunteers that also go with us. When the Salvation Army calls us out for a deployment, our unit goes out for a minimum of 2 weeks.” While the canteen is equipped enough for 2-week stints per disaster, it can stay longer if circumstances change. With the ability to serve 1500-3000 meals per day, the canteen provides critical services to render assistance to first responders and any residents in need during an emergency. “This is a goodsized unit, it is functional and can do a lot of work for us.”
Local Needs
In addition to being ready to head to a disaster anywhere in Salvation Army’s southern territory, which is as far reaching as Texas, the canteen will also be used locally throughout the community. “We are going to do some local outreach where we will go into the rural parts of our service area and give out hot dogs and waters. It gives us a
chance to meet our neighbors in need and minister to them. We can also go into neighborhoods to disperse meals at Vacation Bible Schools,” Captain Carrington shares. “We will use it for community events and even for parades. These things give us avenues to show our community that the Salvation Army is still here and providing in many ways.”
Volunteer Opportunities
As with most non-profits, the Salvation Army can’t function at full capacity without the dedicated service of those willing to volunteer. Captain Benny has been pleased with what he has observed since moving to Henderson regarding the community’s desire to help those in need. “The community sees the need and then they rally around you to help. Even with COVID-19 and how we’ve had to adapt the way we serve our meals and the way that we handle our services, the community stepped in and filled the gaps. We have been able to rely on our community since we’ve been here,” gushes Carringer.
Now with the new mobile canteen service, more volunteers are needed as well as donations of supplies, to keep the canteen stocked and ready to go when duty calls. The Salvation Army welcomes any contributions of water bottles, coffee, hot chocolate, to-go cups, to-go containers, latex gloves, and face masks. Volunteers who can serve are always something Salvation Army needs more of. Anyone who would like to volunteer on the mobile canteen and be part of the team sent out during times of disaster simply needs to go through their emergency training.
“Outside of disaster work, we have volunteer opportunities at our family store, help with prepping food bags for our social services, and food prep and serving meals in our soup kitchen,” Captain Benny adds. “Even families can volunteer as a group.”
Anyone wishing to donate, inquire further about the new mobile canteen or for details about volunteering can call the Salvation Army’s local office at 270-826-4472. HF
AMANDA WAGGENER is a blogger for the Huffington Post, author of No Grit No Pearl blog site and is a native of Henderson. She and her husband are the parents of two teenagers who they are raising with as much zeal as they can muster.
Owensboro’s Vora Vein and PAD Clinic opens doors in HendersonVora Vein and PAD Clinic opened its doors for the first time in Henderson on Thursday, December 2nd, 2021. Dr. Kishor Vora, Owensboro’s leading Cardiovascular Specialist has extensive experience in Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) management and interventions, and has been practicing in Owensboro and the surrounding regions for almost three decades. Last month, he decided to extend his expertise and services to the Henderson community.
The Henderson branch of the Vora Vein and PAD Clinic is headed by Dr. Vora and the local medical provider, Suzanne Wagner, a certified Physician Assistant who has been working with Dr. Vora since July of last year. Together, they can provide a unique combination of patient-centered care and cardiovascular expertise.
The signs and symptoms of PVD can sometimes be subtle and are almost always accepted as part of aging. However, this is not strictly true. If patients experience pain or cramping in legs or thighs, swelling, discoloration or non-healing wounds, they may need to be worked up for PVD. By diagnosing and treating Venous and Arterial diseases on time, one can greatly improve the quality of life of patients, and in some severe cases, even prevent limb amputation.
Dr. Vora, who is very passionate about limb salvage and preventing amputation further continues, “Nobody deserves to have an amputation because they lack access to appropriate healthcare. Some patients are often given an amputation recommendation even when there are other options. If you have been recommended amputation due to severe PAD, always seek a second opinion.”
A leader in vein and artery disease treatments, Vora Vein and PAD Clinic is a complete Vascular Center with the ability to diagnose and treat any peripheral vascular issue, including but not limited to Venous Disease and Insufficiency (Varicose Veins, Spider Veins, Venous ulcers, swelling of legs etc.), Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Pelvic Vein Congestion, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) etc. Furthermore, Vora Vein and PAD clinic offers cutting-edge vascular interventions (like Acute and Chronic DVT Thrombolysis, atherectomy, angioplasty and stents) as well as treatments like sclerotherapy and radiofrequency ablation of varicose veins.
A distinct advantage that Vora Vein and PAD clinic can offer its patients is quick and easy access to other related services like Diagnostics and an office-based Cath Lab for urgent peripheral interventions when needed - all available at the easily accessible Owensboro location. Utilizing the latest technology and techniques in endovascular (minimally invasive) interventions of the legs to ensure excellent long-term outcomes has resulted in improving the quality of life for many patients, and for some, even saving their limbs from amputation.
“Research from John Hopkins University states that venous and artery diseases are estimated to affect 12-15 million people in the United States, with a much larger number of undiagnosed cases,” says Suzanne, “I’m earnestly looking forward to using my medical expertise to serve the community I grew up in.”
The Henderson community is invited to take advantage of the wide expertise offered by Dr. Vora and the excellent patient care offered by Suzanne Wagner, PA-C. Suzanne will see patients every Monday and Thursday at 327 North Elm St. in Henderson. The other Vora Vein and PAD Clinic locations are in Owensboro and in Madisonville. To book an appointment, call (270) 691-1855.
Owensboro Medical Practice, a state-of-the art medical facility in Owensboro, KY, is anchored by Dr. Kishor Vora’s cardiology practice, Owensboro Heart and Vascular. Owensboro Medical Practice is dedicated to improving and maintaining the health of its community through individualized, multi-specialty medical services, innovative research to provide optimal, evidence-based treatments, education, and continued adherence to the personal, hometown atmosphere and attitudes that have long been at the heart of the organization. The medical office, which opened in 2001, has since expanded to include not only Cardiology and Vein and PAD Clinic but also a Primary Care, an Urgent Care facility, a Sleep Center, Aesthetics and Wellness, Neurology, a Cath Lab, and a Wound Care Center. HF
