The Murray State News-Best of Murray 2019

Brock Kirk/The News

2019 Best of Murray Winners

Tattoos of Murray

Best Donut

Best Staff Member Best Faculty Member

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Best of Murray

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September 19, 2019

Best Coffee

Best Fast Food

Best Pizza Place

Best MSU Sport

Shaffer Coffee Co.

Cook Out

Matt B’s Main Street Pizza

Basketball

Best Mexican Food

Best Grocery

Best Boutique

Best High School

Los Portales

Kroger

Ribbon Chix

Best Asian Food

Best Tattoo

Best Apartments

Jasmine Thai and Sushi

My Reality

Campus Evolution Villages

Springhill Suites

Best Bar

Best Homecooked Meal

Best Get-Away Spot

Best Place to Take Family

Lucky’s Bar and Pub

H.R.H. Dumplin’s

Land Between the Lakes

Land Between the Lakes

Best Hangover Cure

Best Tanning Salon

Best Place to Study

Best Entertainment

Cook Out

Campus Tan

Waterfield Library

Cheri Theatres

Best Liquor Store

Best Place of Worship

Best Beer on Tap

Best Bakery

Global Wine and Spirits

Hardin Baptist

Tap 216

Sammons’ Bakery

Best Breakfast

Best Bank

Best Campus Nap Spot

Best On-Campus Event

Cracker Barrel

CFSB

Hammocks in the Quad

All Campus Sing

Best Clothing Store

Best Ice Cream

Best Sandwich Place

Best Place to Work Out

Ribbon Chix

Dairy Queen

Dumplins

Susan E Bauernfiend Wellness Center

Best Consignment Shop

Best Hair Cut

Best Golf Course

Best Student Organization

Goodwill

Profiles Salon and Spa

Murray Country Club

Alpha Omicron Pi

Best Fraternity

Best Car Service

Best Taxi Service

Best Staff

Pi Kappa Alpha

Harlan Automotive

Mama Nancy’s

Tressa Ross

Best Sorority

Best Book Store

Best Date Place

Best Faculty

Alpha Omicron Pi

University Book Store

The Alley Steakhouse

Best Donut

Best Food Delivery

Best Late Night Snack

Murray Donuts

Domino’s

Cook Out

Murray High School

Best Hotel

Bob Valentine

The Murray State News would like to congratulate all the winners and thank them for their service to the Murray community.

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Best of Murray

September 19, 2019

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Best Pizza Place: Matt B’s Main Street Pizza

Wynn said. “We are still using recipes that were brought over by the Pagliai family.”

The winner of the 2019 Wynn worked his way best pizza place, chosen through college at Truman

by Murray residents, is University and the University Matt B’s Main Street Pizza. of Iowa with the Pagliai Located on 1411 Main St, family. He decided he the establishment is prized wanted to open his own for its pizzas, salads and pizzeria. relaxing atmosphere.

Wynn said the pizza ingre Pizza is the comfort food dients are fresh, which is that everyone loves. It’s the exactly how people want it. perfect combo of baked “The ingredients are farm dough, savory tomato sauce to table,” Wynn said. “We and warm cheese. are the only ones that still It’s difficult for Murray res- use no processed meats. idents to determine the best Everything we have is pizza when each restaurant fresh.” offers great food, wonderBaldy’s Grill, located on ful service, and an interest- 605 C S 12th St, is not a sit-in ing background. restaurant but offers great Murray offers a large selec- pizza, nonetheless. Delivery tion of pizzas. The town has is free of charge, and it is pizza from both well-known the only establishment that pizza chains and unique fam- delivers all the way to the ily-oriented restaurants. county line.

Pagliai’s Pizza and Italian “We have the cheapRestaurant is a long-time est pizza in town,” Austin Murray favorite that cap- H a r r i s , p i z z a c o o k a t tures the style of a pizze- Baldy’s, said. “Everything ria. Chuck Wynn, owner is cruelty free, actually.” of Pagliai’s since 1972, Other pizza restaurants in expanded the restaurant Murray include Mr. Gatti’s from having 80 seats to 330 Pizza, Mister B’s Pizza & seats.

Wings, Mugsy’s Hideout, “We are the last of the Godfather’s Pizza, Domino’s, basically old-style pizzerias Papa John’s and Tap 216. in all of western Kentucky,” Cady Stribling Opinion Editor cstribling1@murraystate.edu

Mackenzie O’Donley/TheNews Sammons’ Bakery is located at 974 Chestnut St.

Best Bakery: Sammons’ Bakery

Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

For the second-straight year the students, faculty and citizens of the area have voted Sammons’ Bakery the best bakery in Murray.

Originally named Allen’s Bakery, the hole in the wall located on 974 Chestnut St. opened nearly 50 years ago.

After Allen’s Bakery was passed on, Gene Sammons eventually became the owner of the home of the “World’s Best Hamburger” before being given to current owner Patty Dedmon.

“We actually worked for him,” Dedmon said. “So when he got in bad health and was ready to retire in 1995, he just sold it to

us because we’d already been working here.”

Since then, the bakery has become a hit in Murray. They are a cash-only restaurant— there’s an ATM in the Pockets gas station next door if needed— and they offer a multitude of donuts, custom cakes with twodays notice and many other items including homemade hamburger buns for their sandwiches.

The Sammons’ staff comes in at 11 p.m. the night before they open to make sure the donuts are fresh each day. They have your typical glazed and chocolate donuts, but also specialty donuts such as their popular ‘barnyard’ donut which is a large donut with cinnamon and glaze.

“We make our own donuts

here,” Dedmon said. “We do make a homemade hamburger bun that we use here for our sandwiches.”

While there are multiple bakeries in town, the business’s uniqueness and quality food keeps bringing customers back.

“We’re just hometown girls,” Dedmon said. “We’ve lived here our whole lives. Everything is handmade, we don’t have any fancy equipment in the back.

We do it all by hand, so that makes us a little different. We’re cash only. We’re old school, so everything is like it was 50 years ago.”

If you’re interested in any of the handmade items listed above, Sammons’ Bakery is open from 5 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.

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Best of Murray

Tattoos of Murray

Photo Courtesy of Violet Hayes Hilt Tattoo by Jeremiah Swift at Gallery X.

Photo Courtesy of Hannah Lyn Derby Tattoo by Nick at My Reality.

Photo Courtesy of Lace Anna Gilger Tattoo by Jason Agee at Ain’t That Art.

To see a full gallery of photos submitted visit TheNews.org.

September 19, 2019

September 19, 2019

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Best of Murray

Best D nut

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Claire Smith Features Editor csmith110@murraystate.edu

Glazed donuts are a classic but several donut locations in Murray have some unique options.

Murray Donuts came in first place as best donut voting with Dunkin’ Donuts coming in second place.

Both stores have special donuts, be they store specific or seasonal.

Murray Donuts offers a wide variety of donuts but around the city they’re known for their maple bacon donut.

KirstyAnn Cole, a senior from St. Louis, Missouri, said her favorite donut from Murray Donuts is a tie between maple bacon and glazed.

“There is something about a nice fluffy plain glazed donut that tells you that a donut shop is top-notch,” Cole said.

September 19, 2019

Murray Donuts allows you to hang out with friends or use the drive-thru if you’re on the go.

“I think it’s cool that you can chill with a bunch of friends at the tables they have downstairs or up in the loft area,” Cole said.

Murray Donuts is located at 201 N 12th St. next to Cold Stone Creamery.

Dunkin’ Donuts changes their donut specials with the weather.

Levi Crossley, employee of Dunkin’ Donuts, said the restaurant has seasonal donuts to celebrate the fall season.

“Right now we have pumpkin spice and apple cider donuts,” Crossley said. “The cinnamon donuts are also a big seller during the fall season.”

Classic donuts like the glazed and chocolate glazed remain fan favorites throughout the year. Dunkin’ also sell Munchkins, the chain’s version of donut holes.

Dunkin’ Donuts is located at 300 N 12th St.

Murray Donuts is located at 201 N 12th St. next to Cold Stone Creamery. Dunkin’ Donuts is located at 300 N 12th St.

Mackenzie O’Donley/TheNews

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Best Faculty Member: Robert Valentine Daniella Tebib News Editor dtebib@murraystate.edu

Robert Valentine, senior lecturer in advertising in the department of journalism and mass communications, was voted best faculty member.

Valentine arrived on campus in the fall of 1974 as a member of the speech communication faculty. After taking a brief hiatus to star in a one-man show on Thomas Edison and to serve as the director of the National Storytelling Project for the National Scouting Museum in Murray in the 1980s, Valentine returned in 1998 as a full-time professor of advertising.

He said he was originally drawn to Murray State because of the people and traditions.

“I came to Murray State because I knew the reputations of people like President Constantine Curris and my first boss, Dr. Ray Mofield, who was then chairman of the department of communication,” Valentine said. “My strongest connections are with the people and the traditions: Homecoming, Elizabeth College, Murray State Theatre and the communication organizations, from WKMS-FM to The Murray State News.

People such as the late Doc McGaughey, Dean Tim Todd, my colleagues in JMC and friends all over campus, and at least one Murray State graduate - a lovely Sigma who was kind enough to marry me.”

Throughout his time on campus, Valentine has been an instructor in speech, director of reader’s theatre, director of forensics, senior lecturer in

mass communication, college head of Elizabeth College and faculty adviser to several student organizations including Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha and Sigma Chi. Jordan Lowe, senior from Frankfort, Illinois, said he believes Valentine deserved this award for numerous reasons.

“He is a teacher that really wants his students to see how the material he teaches applies to the real world,” Lowe said. “The amount of care he puts into his students really shows. He makes class feel more like we are working together, rather than just giving us assignments and he grades them. Dr. Valentine is definitely one of my favorite professors I have had at Murray State University.”

Evan Sanders, senior from Evansville, Indiana, also said Valentine is one of the best professors on campus.

“He’s active with his students, like he actually talks to them and shows he cares,” Sanders said. “When he talks with students, he isn’t condescending.

He really gets on the students’ level.”

Valentine said he is extremely humbled by winning the best faculty member category.

“You have to remember that few people know as well as I do how many outstanding, dedicated teachers there are at Murray State,” Valentine said. “I have served with them on committees and projects, work with them daily and represented them as head of college at Elizabeth for seven years. I know without a doubt that there are better faculty on this campus than I and, if nothing else, this recognition gives me a platform from which to say so.”

Richard Thompson/The News Robert Valentine was voted best faculty member for the second year in a row.

Best Staff Member: Tressa Ross Ciara Benham Staff Writer cbenham@murraystate.edu

After 17 years at Murray State, Tressa Ross from the College of Education and Human Services was voted best staff member.

Ross teaches EDU 101, a transitions class for incoming education majors, and serves as the coordinator for the College of Education and Human Services Recruitment and Retention Center.

Teaching and working with students to be their best is the greatest job.

- Tressa Ross, recruitment and retention coordinator for the College of Education and Human Services

Richard Thompson/The News Tressa Ross, Murray State Alumna, was voted best staff member.

“I love working with students and student-loving faculty and staff,” Ross said.

“Teaching and working with students

to be their best is the greatest job.”

While Ross didn’t always plan to work for the University, she has always had a connection to Murray State.

“I came to MSU because my job as a marketing director for a cable company was involving more travel and my daughter was in early elementary school and I wanted to be with her,” Ross said. “I love MSU and have always been a part of campus. I have both of my degrees from MSU. Fun fact: I attended University School (elementary school once on campus) and my home was the former housing office, which was located where new Clark is today.”

Aside from working with education majors, Ross is also the advisor for Alpha Gamma Delta and the COEHS Student Ambassadors. Ross said both these organizations are made of amazing students and leaders and she loves spending time with them both.

In her spare time, Ross loves to read and spend time with her friends and family.

Ross was very grateful for this acknowledgment and wanted to thank the students that voted for her.

“This is an honor that I am very proud of,” Ross said. “I often tell my students that they are their own best advocate but I’m their second best.

Thanks for thinking of me!”

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Best of Murray

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