12 minute read
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT
A COFFEE, A DONUT AND A SMILE
Gramps brings their unique take on donuts to Downtown
Written by MARLYS MASON
Gramps Coffee and Donuts is new to the scene in Owensboro, but for the customers who enter, the feeling is not one of entering a new place, but rather visiting an established neighborhood coffee shop.
Gramps’ owners Amy and Greg Gilmore returned to Owensboro six years ago after living in Lexington for almost two decades. Amy had always wanted to start a bakery where she could not only serve customers but also develop relationships with those who entered.
That dream was on hold until a family event pushed it to the forefront. Two years ago, Greg’s dad Dennis was diagnosed with bone cancer, and he was unable to visit coffee shops, something he would regularly do and where he would tell jokes, share stories, meet and mentor people. During this time, the Gilmores realized that life was short and decided they needed to make Amy’s dream a reality.
The Gilmores searched for the perfect location that would include character and charm, which they believe they found in their location at the corner of 4th and Frederica. “We want everything we do to be done with a unique twist, so we updated the building to reflect the past, but also add a modern take to the space, as well,” Greg said. “The building is over 100 years old and used to house the Chamber of
Photo by JESSE JAMES AYERS
Photo by
ANGELA ANDERSON
GRAMPS, LOCATED AT 333 FREDERICA ST., IS OPEN TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM 7 A.M. TO 3 P.M., FRIDAY FROM 7 A.M. TO 8 P.M., SATURDAY 7 A.M. TO 2 P.M. AND SUNDAY 7 A.M. TO NOON. IT IS CLOSED ON MONDAY.
Commerce, the Red Cross, and other businesses over the years.”
The Gilmores also exposed some of the original brick and restored the original tin ceiling. They added a long, high-top table and a seating area in the front for customers to spend time.
The name of the establishment honors Greg’s dad, Dennis. Gramps is the name the Gilmore’s youngest son bestowed on Dennis, and they felt this was the perfect name for a community coffee and donut shop. In fact, Gramps, who is in remission, can often be found greeting customers from inside the shop, but recently has been holding the door open for customers as most of the seats inside are taken.
“It’s been great seeing my dad -- who we jokingly call our mascot -- being able to care for people as they come and go from the shop. He truly loves interacting with each person as they enter the door of Gramps,” Greg said. “He’s had a couple of people come up to him and share their stories of dealing with cancer... The funniest thing for my wife and I, however, is to see him take various ‘selfies’ with people, and we have jokingly said he could run for office soon with the amount of people he is talking with.”
With their desire to create
Photo by JESSE JAMES AYERS
something unique with Gramps, the Gilmores are also bringing a different style of donuts to Owensboro.
“There were already so many great bakeries in town with delicious traditional donuts, however, so we knew we wanted to celebrate what those businesses were doing while we created something different,” Greg said. “We believe having a light and flaky donut gives a different option from the rest of Owensboro.”
And the names of the donuts are just as unique, including the Happy Camper, which is topped with a marshmallow glaze; Goodness Gracious, which is topped with a chocolate glaze with cookies and cream crumbles; and the Sap Tapper, which has an all-the-rage maple glaze. Some of the names are even related to Gramps’ corny jokes and sayings, according to Greg.
The coffee and espresso served at Gramps is brewed from Onyx Coffee Lab beans, Gramps’ official roaster.
Because Gramps uses a different type of dough, their donuts take longer to proof and cook than traditional donuts, Greg said. Amy is the more “hands-on” side of the ownership as Greg is also the Executive Pastor at Owensboro Christian Church.
“Our goal is to bring joy to people,” Greg said. “We want people to experience a warm, friendly atmosphere each and every time they enter Gramps. We realize that life can be difficult at times, and our mission is to care for people in every situation. We believe a coffee, donut and a smiling face can go a long way toward making a person’s day brighter.” OL
Owensboro Health announced its FY 2022 Community Health Investments Grant Program recipients virtually on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
The Community Health Investments Grants provide in-kind and financial support for health, human services and arts projects and programming throughout the region. Funded projects and agencies being supported span a wide array of regional needs, from children in local school districts to aging adults and senior services.
The grants are targeted at a number of community-specific identified health needs in addition to the health system’s four priority focus areas: Tobacco and Related Diseases; Older Adults and Aging; Arts in Healing; and Children and School Health. This year’s investments will support 35 projects throughout the region, for a total of $719,946.67. This year’s amount means Owensboro Health has invested more than $7 million in area agencies since 2011.
Mark Marsh, Owensboro Health’s President and CEO, said these grants are a key element to Owensboro Health fulfilling its mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities we serve.
“These direct community investments allow us to reach beyond healthcare and impact other areas that are key determinants to the health of our patients and community,” Marsh said. “By working together with these community partners, we can accomplish even bigger goals to improve the health of our region. These partnerships are vital for a healthy and vibrant community.”
Agencies and projects funded for the upcoming fiscal year are listed to the right and project descriptions can be found at
OwensboroHealth.org/2022Grants.
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Bluegrass Music in PostCOVID Community Healing
CASA of the Ohio Valley Change the Life of a Child
City of Greenville
Play for All Park Playground Renovation Project Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club (Henderson Unit) Health in Motion
Community Dental Clinic
Patient Outreach, Recovery, and Access to Care Project
Daniel Pitino Shelter
DPS Community Resource Room
Daviess County Public Schools
The Umbrella Project-Breaking through the Pandemic Wall
Girls Inc. of Owensboro Daviess County
Healthy Futures Academy of Learning
Green River District Health Department
Daviess County Community Access Project (DCCAP) Green River Nicotine Reduction Program Safe Sleep for Babies
H.L. Neblett Community Center
Building Strong AfricanAmerican Families
Hancock County Partners for a Healthy Community/ Youth, Inc.
Tobacco Prevention & Nicotine Cessation in Hancock & Spencer Counties
Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky
Ensuring Access to Care During a Pandemic
International Center
Emotional Wellness Program for Refugee Populations
Junior Achievement of West Kentucky, Inc.
JA Pathways toward Career and Life Success for K-12 Youth
Kentucky Kids on the Block
34 Educational Puppetry Health Programs
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Reducing Tobacco Use within the KWC Campus Community
Light of Chance, Inc.
Breathe Youth Arts Residency Program
New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services
The Adult Chair
Owensboro Community and Technical College Foundation, Inc.
Promoting Health Equity through Allied Health Workforce Diversity Initiative
Owensboro Dance Theatre, Inc.
Dance for Wellness 2022
Owensboro Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition
Community Professional Education and Awareness Campaign
Owensboro Symphony
Music On Call
Puzzle Pieces
Enhancing Programs, Enriching Lives
RiverPark Center
“Pay What You Can” and Broadway
Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County, Inc.
Weekend Accessible and Ready Meals (WARM) Program
SOS International
Hospital Recycling Partner Program
The Center of OwensboroDaviess County, Inc.
Targeted Case Management Program
The Foundry Center for the Arts
After School Arts – Henderson and Webster Counties
The Kentucky Methodist Homes for Children - Mary Kendall Campus
The Fit Trail
The Way of Rockport Indiana, Inc.
Bringing Back Smiles
Theatre Workshop of Owensboro
Lights, Camera, Action!
Tri-State Food Bank, Inc.
Seed Funding for New Backpack Sites
Wendell Foster
Adaptive Climbing Wall and Indoor Therapy Gym
Contact: Somer Wilhite, Manager of Marketing - Communications, 270-685-7103 or Somer.Wilhite@OwensboroHealth.org.
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering and the only hospital in the world to be designated a Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 250 providers in 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility; and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center. For more information, visit OwensboroHealth.org.
One Hundred Years of Harvest
Written by LORA WIMSATT
Alot of things have changed through the ages, but one thing that is likely never to change is the dependence of the human race upon the contributions of farmers.
Practices and equipment have evolved, but farmers from one generation to the next have stood strong and solid in their commitment to providing food and nutrition that ensure our health, well-being and survival.
One hundred years ago, farmers in the Owensboro/Daviess County region were looking forward to a good harvest of both corn and tobacco. Wildfires among tobacco patches were a localized annoyance, as were worms. Farmers battled the latter pest with something called “paris green.” This may not have been the best idea, as a quick Google search – something not available to our agricultural ancestors of 1921 – reveals that the substance is “a vivid green, highly toxic crystalline salt of copper and arsenic, used as a rodenticide and insecticide. Whether by accident or intentional, it was discovered that less than one-eighth of a teaspoon of the powder would kill a person if ingested.”
Well, so much for that “bright outlook for good crops.”
In the meantime, Daviess County farmers looked forward to a two-day conference designed for those who either owned or were contemplating the purchase of a tractor. The lectures were to feature lantern slides and films, whose subjects featured tractor care and operation, including adjustments, carburetors, ignition and lubrication. Those attending were promised a booklet titled “Helpful Hints to Tractor Owners.”
Throughout 1921, the T.J. Turley Company – located at 223 Bolivar St. – published a series of advertisements in the local newspaper promoting various farm machines, including the Titan 10-20 kerosene tractor. One ad bragged that seven such machines had already been sold that spring. “Mr. Farmer,” the ad exhorted, “in order to make a margin of profit this year, it will be necessary for you to make radical cuts in your cost of production. This can be accomplished by a reduction in ‘men’ and ‘horse power,’ as these items are the largest in farm operating costs.”Not to be outdone, however, the Owensboro Milling Co. insisted that its Arab Horse & Mule Feed was worth “twice its price” in ensuring beasts of burden would retain their “strength, energy and pep.”
When not worrying about whether to work with mechanical or natural horsepower, local farmers could look forward to the enjoyment of the Daviess County Fair, which in 1921 offered prizes for both pigs and poultry, among other categories of competition. Ladies were invited to submit their canned goods for judging, and everyone was no doubt excited about the attractions and four – yes, four! – rides: A merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, whip and ocean waves. If that weren’t enough to lure the farmer and his family, there was the promise that “the grounds have been illuminated and the shows will be held night and day.”
Farmers got together for more than fun and festivity, however. In February 1921, the Owensboro newspapers reported that a posse of 250 farmers joined a manhunt for one of two desperados who had shot and wounded Alfred Frey, “a prosperous farmer” known to “keep considerable money in his house.” The farmers
had all chipped in to collect $45 to bring in a bloodhound to track the escaped bandit, who left behind a dead partner when he made his getaway.
The year would end with a large headline announcing that tobacco factors were taking on workers, which meant “money to spend for Christmas.”
How many workers, and who were they, and how much money? The article states, “It is estimated that fully 750 persons, men and women, boys and girls, will have employment in the tobacco factories by Christmas.” Weekly wages would average “more than $15 a person,” with stemmers paid 65 cents per 100 pounds. Experienced hands could expect to make from $20 to $30 a week.
Who could resist?
A hundred years later, let us not resist the opportunity to extend sincere and heartfelt appreciation to the farmers of today, who carry on the rich agricultural heritage of our community. May these hardworking heroes continue to be honored a hundred years from now, and forever. OL
