MAGAZINE
JANUARY 2022
A Glimpse Into Another World
J-TOWN RESIDENT WRITES BOOK THAT FEATURES STORIES OF PARENTS WITH DISABILITIES
SCHOOL PRIDE Jeffersontown School Once Served as the Heart of the Town COMPASSION IN A TUMULTUOUS WORLD Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion Turns 20
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IN THIS ISSUE
JANUARY 2022
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Jeffersontown School Once Served as the Heart of the Town
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SCHOOL PRIDE
9
WITNESSING THE WHOOPING CRANE
TIPS FOR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
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10
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A GLIMPSE INTO ANOTHER WORLD REAL-TIME ANALYTICS Scan the QR code to see this magazine’s real-time reach and distribution numbers.
J-Town resident writes book that features stories of parents with disabilities
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Cindi Rhodes Exemplifies the Healing Power of Music
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FOR LOVE OF THE MUSIC
Danny Flanigan Still Has a Passion for Performing After 35 Years
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INGRATITUDE IS UGLY
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OUT OF THIS WORLD
COMPASSION IN A TUMULTUOUS WORLD
Steve Katsikas Looks to the Stars
Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion Turns 20
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1932 Girls Basket
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SCHOOL PRIDE JEFFERSONTOWN SCHOOL ONCE SERVED AS THE HEART OF THE TOWN
Writer / Beth Wilder Photography Provided
The earliest school in Jeffersontown stood at the foot of Water Street (in the vicinity of College Drive and Neal Drive) near an old barn, and by the early 1900s it was in a rather dilapidated state. As of 1908, no child in Jeffersontown had finished the common school course (that is, through the eighth grade), and the citizens of the area showed little interest in any school in Jefferson County. The school continued its downhill slide, while The Jeffersonian newspaper editor, J.C. Alcock, wrote articles trying to make Jeffersontown residents realize they should have more self-respect and not tolerate such a “disgraceful” school in a location that was “hardly suitable for a dump.” The building was condemned by county health officers in 1911, but it remained open while local real estate agent E.R. Sprowl worked ceaselessly to secure a new, up-todate school building on land that he and the Jefferson Heights Land Company were willing to donate just for a school in the Jefferson Heights subdivision, which was under construction at the time. Through the next few years, the Jeffersontown Commercial Club and other organizations worked hard to get local residents
to contribute money toward a new school. By early 1914, the townspeople had raised $5,000, so the County Board of Education shared the expense of erecting a new, $14,000 brick school building in Jeffersontown. Architect Brinton B. Davis designed the structure with an elevated first floor that held four large classrooms, while the basement had windows to allow plenty of natural light for the auditorium, play rooms, trade and domestic skills rooms, furnace room, and lavatories. E.I. Weathers, Mary Simpson and Gladys Hobson made up the teaching staff. Although the new school at the corner of College Drive and Galene Drive was built to house grades one through eight, talks began immediately to offer high school classes as well. Professor J.W.D. Renegar was hired to be in charge of the high school department, and by 1916 the Jeffersontown School offered the first two years of high school. Students wishing to complete the third and fourth years of high school had to commute to Male, Manual or Louisville Girls high schools. On September 2, 1925, 17 students enrolled in what would become Jeffersontown High School’s first complete four-year program. They held classes in the basement of the school for a couple of years, then
6 / JEFFERSONTOWN MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2022 / TownePost.com
were temporarily transferred to the Masonic Hall so the school’s roof could be raised to allow for a second floor to accommodate all the new pupils. At this time, a two-room portable building was also set up - the first of many to come - to house the growing number of students in attendance at the school. At the same time, a very popular circular fire escape was added to the building. Children loved getting the opportunity to slide down it, so it was cleverly utilized as a fun ride during the many community fairs held on the school grounds. The property also served an important community function when, in 1943, the Works Progress Administration opened a cannery on site. Local residents were encouraged to process their own food, and the cannery was so popular that it remained open several years after the end of World War II. The Jefferson County Board of Education sponsored the cannery, proud that it could extend its services to the entire community, but the cannery was just one of many outbuildings taking up space on the property filled beyond capacity with students by the late 1940s. The school was bursting at the seams, and something had to be done. 1950 was the last year a senior class graduated from the Jeffersontown School on College Drive. The building reverted to a grade school, and high school students had to attend Eastern or Fern Creek for the next several years, until a new high school for
A 1916 article showing the new school building (one story) and early staff members.
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The building as it looked with a 2nd story added. It reverted to an elementa ry school after 1950.
Jeffersontown students was constructed on Six Mile Lane in 1966. Jefferson County schools were integrated in 1963, so black children who had attended the Alexander-Ingram School on Shelby Street were absorbed into the Jeffersontown School on College Drive. By the 1970s, the building was once again filled beyond capacity, so second-year students were sent to the Shelby Street school, which then became known as the Jeffersontown Annex. In 1971, county school officials discussed the merits of relocating the Jeffersontown Elementary School and creating a new middle school to alleviate the problem of overcrowding. Most residents were against either suggestion, frustrating board members with their refusal to accept modern facilities. Eventually progress won out, and a new Jeffersontown Elementary School opened on Cedarwood Way in 1973. With that new building, plus Cochrane and Kennedy elementary schools and the recently constructed Carrithers Middle School to serve area residents, the antiquated Jeffersontown School on College Drive was no longer deemed necessary and was torn down in the summer of 1978. The site was occupied for a short time by the Jeffersontown Special Education Center, which eventually became Tully Elementary School. Although time and progress have removed the original Jeffersontown School from its home on College Drive, the old school building will
always be present in the memories of those who attended it. It was a huge part of the lives of practically every young person in Jeffersontown for many decades, as well as a focal point of community activity. The Jeffersontown School served as the heart of our town, and the echo of its importance to local residents will continue to resonate in the fond memories of all who had a connection to it.
1950 Top Hat annual and letter The last year the High School was in the building.
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Tips for New Year’s Resolutions
Writer / Stanley Hewson Photography Provided
It’s resolution time. It’s the time of year when we look to better ourselves. The attempt to better oneself is a worthwhile pursuit. People make these attempts through myriad ways. One of those ways is the well-known New Year’s resolution. Is there something magical about making a decision to better yourself on January 1, compared to any
other time of the year? Probably not, but the symbolism behind it may provide a little something extra to help you succeed with your goals. Regardless of what your resolution may be for 2022, it’s important to realize that there are certain things you can do to increase the probability of success. Maybe your resolution is wanting to eat better, or maybe it is to exercise more often. Maybe it’s
specific to relationships. Maybe you want to be a better friend or parent. Maybe you’d like to learn a new skill, or some other bit of knowledge that will help you live your life in a more productive and meaningful way. Maybe it’s just a resolution to spend your time more wisely by watching less TV, and to spend more time with friends, more time outdoors, more time reading, and more time doing things that aren’t just an attempt to numb and distract yourself.
WHATEVER YOUR RESOLUTION MAY BE FOR THE COMING YEAR, HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS: SET REALISTIC GOALS.
BE HERE NOW.
Micro-goals that lead to your big goal. If your focus is on a goal that is too big, you’re more likely to give up. However, if you have a series of micro-goals leading up to a bigger goal, then your likelihood of persevering increases. You’ll eventually reach the big goal by focusing on all the small goals in between. Figure out what those stepping stones for your resolution are and focus on one at a time.
Reside in the present more often. Stop dwelling on past failures. Stop obsessing over how far you have to go. Make a conscious effort every day to be in the present moment, and meditate daily on what your objective is for that specific day. Don’t lose sight of why you made the resolution to begin with.
STAY POSITIVE. A negative mindset can derail even the most successful people. Be grateful for all the things you have, and for all the opportunities you have. Make the best of every situation as you move forward in the progress towards the achievement of your resolution.
DEVELOP EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY through a friend or family member.
STRENGTHEN YOUR INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY, OR GRIT. Grit is the biggest determining factor for whether you will succeed in your goals. Take steps to learn how to strengthen and develop grit.
BE ACTIVE, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. With more activity comes more focus and more energy. Move your body and engage your mind. In turn, you’ll be better equipped to reach your goals.
Good luck in 2022. You’ve got this! JANUARY 2022 / 9
A Glimpse Into Another World NEW BOOK FEATURES STORIES OF PARENTS WITH DISABILITIES Writer / Grace Schaefer Photography Provided
When he started volunteering at the Cerebral Palsy School while studying at Bellarmine University, Dave Matheis couldn’t have imagined how much his service would change his life. At the time he was simply helping the swimming instructor with water therapy at the school, and was experiencing his first real connections with the community of disabled people. While there, he met Jo Anne Donaldson, a lady whose lifelong battle with cerebral palsy gave her severe physical limitations. These limitations didn’t stop her from painting. In fact, she painted with her teeth in a special area the school staff set up for her to work. Matheis would visit with her and they became good friends. Donaldson has since passed away, but years later, Matheis still keeps two of her paintings. It was largely her influence, and his work at the Cerebral Palsy School, that led Matheis to enter into a career connected with the disabled. After spending his career working in the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), he retired and began working part time with the Center for Accessible Living in Louisville. He had worked with the Center before, during projects with the OVR.
Additionally, more than half the staff at the Center have a disability of some kind, allowing those with disabilities to participate in providing resources to others in similar situations. At the Center, Matheis spoke with some of his co-workers about their experiences being parents with disabilities. Feeling that it was important to share information about parenting with disabilities, they held a few panels on the subject at conferences. Eventually Matheis made the decision to try creating a collection of stories of parents with various disabilities. Along with Jason Jones and Austin Nugent, he worked to recruit individuals with disabilities who would be willing to share their experiences in the book. The goal was to collect 30 stories of parents with all types of disabilities - physical, intellectual, mental and sensory. Most stories came from Kentucky, though to ensure representation for various disability groups, some interviewees were found out of state. Most everyone who was asked for an interview was graciously willing to participate. When considering a certain disability to include in the collection, Matheis often found that he already knew someone with the given condition. All in all, he knew 21 of the 30 participants before their interviews were conducted. Some participants even work or have worked at the Center for Accessible Living with him.
10 / JANUARY 2022
George Smithers
“Like individuals, no two families are alike.” — Dave Matheis Dave Matheis
After finding the participants, most were interviewed via Zoom calls. These calls were recorded, converted into transcripts and edited. For others, interview questions were sent and typed answers were returned. After editing, the stories were compiled into book form and titled, “A Celebration of Family: Stories of Parents with Disabilities.” The Center for Accessible Living helped with the project and paid Matheis as he worked on the collection. He expresses his gratitude to the Center for their support and generosity, saying that they are “responsible for the book.” Every story found within the book communicates themes of perseverance, empathy and strength to readers. A mere sampling
of the stories serves to emphasize the variety of challenges and solutions interviewees worked through. There is the story of Gerry - not only did she provide a view into her disability, but also a view into the racial relations of her time. She knew Muhammad Ali in high school, she marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Frankfort, and she worked on Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign, even getting to meet him. Though she advocated strongly for civil rights, Gerry was also a strong disability advocate. Her disabilities did not stop her from taking strong steps towards racial equality. Jason Jones, who wrote the book’s introduction, is also featured in the third story of the book. Beside his work on the book’s content, Jones also assisted the book by gaining the support and promotion of the local Paralyzed Veterans of America chapter. Due
JANUARY 2022 / 11
to sponsorship from the chapter, it was important to Matheis and his team to include a disabled veteran’s story. This desire led to the final story collected for the book - that of Tom and Junie. Their story, like all those in the collection, speaks of parenting with disabilities. Theirs, however, is told in a unique way. Tom and Junie tell their story, but their children also join in. This veteran family provides a unique view of parenting with disabilities, as they are able to show both the parents’ and children’s perspectives.
of the manifold forms family may take. Whether these are tales of children learning to buckle their own car seats, or of toddlers learning to climb onto their parent’s wheelchair, many interviewees emphasized the point that children often adapt more to their parents than their parents adapt to them. The same children who learn to help their parents with these day-to-day tasks are the children who grow up with a sense of empathy, an acceptance for others, and a sense of how and when to ask a difficult question.
Matheis believes the collection shows “the variety of the American family.”
Though some may say these children don’t get the normal childhood experience, they grow up gaining something far greater than normalcy - a kind heart willing to look past the physical differences between themselves and others. These children will not find it strange to see a lady in a wheelchair. They will not be phased by a man who
“Like individuals, no two families are alike,” he says. By detailing the adaptations parents and children make in the face of disability, the stories provide poignant examples
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cannot hear. These are the children who will shine as an example to their peers of what it looks like to be kind to all, and to look past physical skills or limitations. These are the children who learn, more than most others, that it is acceptable to seek help to work around a limitation, and that it is natural to try, fail and try again. Their parents lead the way for them, and as the children adapt to their parents’ needs and vice versa, they all learn a valuable lesson in caring for others above themselves. Matheis doesn’t plan for “A Celebration of Family” to be his final project, nor is it his first. He has previously edited a magazine centered on disabilities. He also wrote two church histories. Additionally, he is helping a lady with significant disabilities write her own memoir. Matheis speaks of his upbringing, saying 16 years of Catholic education “instilled in me a strong sense of social justice.” This sense of justice is apparent in his advocacy for all disabled people and in his dream to include a comprehensive view of parenting with all types of disabilities. His book, as well as his career, provide a glimpse into a world many people may never have seen before - a world where it is natural to adapt, assist and accept. It’s a world we can all learn a lesson from. It’s a kind, willing world, and one that any person would be blessed to know.
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E D U T I T A R ING LY G U IS Writer / Chris Palmore
Long ago, I was taught an important lesson. It was a hard lesson, and fortunately my dad was ready for this to happen. I'm not saying he was expecting it, but he had the insight and soundness of mind to show me the way. It was, I believe, my tenth birthday. My parents threw me a little party. I was sitting at the head of the table, opposite the windows facing our backyard. My dad had set up the camcorder that he had borrowed from the school where he taught. They happily sang happy birthday to me. Once the singing ended, I blew out the candles. A little later, I opened my presents, mostly clothes and things I was not impressed by or even happy to get. I was frowning the whole time, the lack of happiness plastered all over my face. People who loved me had spent time and money celebrating me, all to make me feel special and loved, but this was totally lost on me at this young age in my life. I was a selfish child who just wanted toys. My dad was video recording my birthday celebration. I don’t remember this moment at all. I remember what happened after this moment, later in the day. My dad told me to go into our television room and sit down. He then played the video of me during the party. I could see how I was acting. I could see my ingratitude. I could see the ugliness it radiated. My dad explained to me how mean I was being. He explained it and showed it to me. This created a memory I will never forget. Modern technology allows a person, in this case a parent and a child, to revisit an event with the slightest of ease. Seeing yourself behave awfully is a powerful lesson. It's hard to watch and it takes a special person, a person who cares, to show it to you. My dad showed me a lot of love, tough love. I deserved to be punished, but, instead, he cared enough to show me the ugliness so that I could see the truth of the situation and make a choice not to be that person ever again. The sooner we can understand and see all the gifts around us, the better. To be receiving so much and not taking notice of it is a disease. It will rot you from within and steal your joy. This disease silences happiness. It breaks up families and friendships. All people want is to feel appreciated and loved. Giving appreciation freely will result in it being freely given back to you. It's reciprocal, and it works. Spin the wheel, and it will come back around to you. Check out gratitudespace.com for more gratitude related content. JANUARY 2022 / 15
Kalsang Rapgyal
COMPASSION IN A TUMULTUOUS WORLD
DREPUNG GOMANG CENTER FOR ENGAGING COMPASSION TURNS 20 Writer / Andrew Toy Photography Provided
In a time when chaos and fear run rampant, compassion isn’t a word that comes to mind often. However, compassion is what it’s all about at Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion (DGCEC). It was founded as a Tibetan Buddhist Dharma Center, the North American seat of Drepung Gomang Monastery - a large educational monastery in South India, and a monastery in exile from Tibet. Geshe Kalsang Rapgyal is DGCEC’s executive director and teacher. Being an education center, DGCEC teaches universal human values, or secular ethics, as the Dalai Lama has guided them to do. Rapgyal offers dharma teachings, meditation and retreats (at least during non-COVID times). All three resident monks offer prayers and ceremonies daily for all who are suffering. There is a secular perspective offered as well. After all, compassion 16 / JANUARY 2022
can be taught to anyone with any religious or cultural background. People learn topics like meditation, earth reverence, nonviolence and compassion engagement. How is all of this being conducted during the ongoing pandemic? Well, just like most other organizations and businesses, all the classes are being held via Zoom or Facebook Live. While it might be unfortunate that the center’s 20-year anniversary (for which the tagline is “Keeping Louisville compassionate”) fell in the middle of this global crisis, and the students and teachers couldn’t celebrate as they would have normally, Anne Walter, the director, is quick to point out simply - and optimistically - that “it is the time that it is.” The kickoff anniversary celebration was held in October of 2021, with other little celebrations held throughout the year by gathering classes together virtually. The anniversary celebration continues through October of 2022, when they hope to be in person. How did DGCEC get its start here in Louisville? What exactly happened in 2001? It turns out that three Louisville women, Catherine McCliment, Carol Stewart and Amy Peterson, met a traveling group of Tibetan monks from Drepung Gomang Monastery in India. They were visiting the United States. The three women got to know the group and began to envision Louisville as a warm and welcoming home for the Tibetan Buddhist Center.
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Drepung Gomang Institute, as it was first called, was incorporated on October 1, 2001, even though they didn’t yet have the location or the funds. What they did have was a compelling experience of and attraction to the compassion and loving kindness that these Tibetan Buddhist monks shared so effortlessly and freely. This was the fuel they used for their efforts. Now, just 20 short years later, DGCEC is one of Louisville’s finest treasures for those seeking to help make the community, and the world, a better place. At the Dharma Center there are opportunities to reserve a Retreat Room, or to meditate in the Shrine Room. Visitors and attendees can offer flowers and fruit, and on the first Saturday of every month one can partake in prayers to Green Tara, the most beloved of all the Tibetan feminine meditation deities. Green Tara, practitioners believe, responds with compassion to all in need, including those who are ill, in need of protection, and need help with life’s challenges. DGCEC’s Compassion Education Center offers opportunities based in universal human values (His Holiness the Dalai Lama calls this “secular ethics,” which guides all people regardless of religious perspective) including compassion training, meditation classes, education on the meaning and practice of nonviolence, courses on respecting and revering the earth, and interfaith gatherings for world or community crises. They host Louisville Recovery Sangha,
movie nights, and a chance to experience Tibetan takeout food. “It’s not so much about supporting us,” Walter says, when asked about how the community can support DGCEC. “Our causes are people’s causes, right? We want to help generate compassion in the community, and that happens one person at a time. Five years ago we began Louisville’s Arms of Compassion. We meet every Friday and remember by name those who have been killed by homicide, and we stand in solidarity with their families. Then also, we take a pledge of nonviolence. We’re working on growing nonviolence ourselves by participating in it. We want to invite people to be a part of that. It’s very informal, 30 minutes long, and we meet at noon on Fridays. Right now it’s on Zoom.” “I think it’s fair to say that we exist to serve the community,” Walter continues. “Geshe Rapgyal’s teachings serve those who are interested in being practicing Buddhists, but also people who are just interested in the philosophy and trying to be better people. We’re just looking to do what our role is in the community.” Rapgyal sheds some light on interfaith efforts. “My personal experience is that we can more understand the common values and we can attach the two together and respect each other and have conversations - and share each other’s wisdom,”
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Rapgyal says. “The main goal, the believers and the followers, is to become good people. That is what interfaith relationships are.” “It takes the form of gathering people to make statements, to stand for a justice issue, or to pray after there’s been a disaster,” Walter adds. “We convene some interfaith gatherings, and then we participate in ones that are started by other groups too.” Walter says the end goal is to help people become more compassionate, however they choose to do so. The biggest project DGCEC hopes to launch is called “Nonviolent Compassionate Louisville,” a catalyzing project, where different people from the community, from organizations to schools to businesses, are invited to explore the elements of nonviolence and implement them into their lives. What exactly is the foundation of compassion, according to DGCEC? “To not harm.” The commitment not to hurt another, as Walter says, “is what allows space to love one another toward building compassion, which is being willing to suffer with another and wanting to alleviate that suffering.” For more info, visit drepunggomangusa.org.
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Witnessing the Whooping Crane
Writer / Curtis Carman Photography Provided
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I
have been an avid hiker and naturalist all of my adult life and have had some amazing wildlife encounters through the years. I have seen black bears in Rocky Mountain National Park, wolves in Yellowstone, porcupines and humpback whales in Acadia, and even bald eagles right here in The Parklands. However, none of those wildlife experiences were as special as my most recent one in Seymour, Indiana.
JANUARY 2022 / 23
I found myself in Seymour with my grandfather John Mann, who is an avid birder. We were there to see migrating sandhill cranes as the farm fields surrounding Seymour are a popular rest stop for these majestic birds, and boy did we see sandhill cranes - at least 200. Not only did we see sandhill cranes, but we also saw a lone whooping crane. For those
who do not know, the whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America and one of the most endangered. There are currently only 826 left in the world. The species is broken up into migrating and non-migrating populations. The non-migrating populations exist in Florida (9 birds) and Louisiana (69 birds), and migrating populations are categorized as eastern migratory (85 birds) or Arkansas/Wood Buffalo migratory (504
birds). There are 159 birds in captivity. The whooping crane that we saw was one of only 85 eastern migratory cranes left in the world. These cranes spend the summer in Wisconsin and Michigan, and then migrate to Florida for the winter months, making stops in between to rest and refuel. In photos we could clearly see the green, white and red leg bands on each crane’s legs.
24 / JANUARY 2022
The distinct pattern of colors on each leg identifies the individual bird, and each band is outfitted with a radio tracker. By using this distinct color combination, we were able to identify this individual bird as #14-12, nicknamed Lily. Lily was born in captivity in 2012 at a wildlife refuge in Wisconsin. After spending many weeks getting used to the wetland habitat and other cranes (including sandhills), Lily was released into the wild
on October 29, 2012, and has spent the last eight years making the annual migration with a group of Sandhill cranes. Six other cranes were raised in Lily’s cohort, but only two of those birds remain alive, making our sighting even more special.
draining of wetland areas throughout the United States as well as hunting. Wetlands are crucial habitats for whooping crane breeding and migratory stopover, so the loss of these wetlands decimated crane populations. Conservation efforts have focused on captive breeding programs, and In the mid 1800s it is estimated that there reintroduction and restoration of wetland were between 1,500 and 2,000 whooping habitats. The fact that the total population cranes in the wild. By the 1940s this number of whooping cranes is now more than had plummeted to 21 birds. The species loss 800 birds is a testament to these efforts. However, there is a long way to go to restore can be chalked up to the development and
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their traditional numbers. Here in The Parklands, we remain dedicated to restoring historic wetland habitats, not just for cranes, but for all the wildlife, plants and people that depend on these critical ecosystems. To see a wetland rehabilitation project in action, head to Humana Grand Allee in Beckley Creek Park. Keep your eyes peeled - you never know what you might see.
Play On
CINDI RHODES EXEMPLIFIES THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC Writer / Annette Skaggs Photography Provided
Music can be healing. When you have a rough day, or are celebrating a win or milestone, isn’t there some kind of music that you sometimes tie in with those events, and doesn’t it either alter or add to the feelings of the moment?
her, Rhodes attended Charleston Southern University with the intent to use music as a tool for healing. Right out of college, Rhodes received her certification as a registered music therapist.
While lifting or elevating one’s mood with music can be helpful, being able to use that same tool to connect with another is too.
What brought Rhodes to Louisville? Love, of course. With her high school sweetheart Patrick, Rhodes came to study at the Southern Seminary for a master’s degree in divinity in 1991, which then segued to attending the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work.
Cindi Rhodes serves as a music therapist for Morning Pointe of Louisville. Rhodes has been a musician for most of her life, having been raised with a mother who enjoyed performing in choral societies in her native South Carolina. With music imprinted on
Rhodes has an unusual distinction - she was the first music therapist in Kentucky. As one can imagine, it took her some time to find a clientele and organizations that were willing to take a chance on such a new and innovative way of therapy that is still being 26 / JANUARY 2022
explored and expanded. While settling in Louisville with her husband and two boys, Campbell and Andy, her career jumped around a little. She took a chance and served as a self-employed clinician for 15 years. While she was doing rather well for a time, making up to $30 an hour on some occasions, she found that she was losing clients due to their decisions to conduct therapy sessions in-house. In 2000, the University of Louisville began to offer coursework in music therapy where Rhodes served as a clinical director. As part of the curriculum, the students would go out to preschools, nursing homes and Seven Counties to apply their learning and practicum.
“While the classes were rather small in the beginning, maybe four to five people, the interest grew as the practice became more widely learned and accepted as a viable career,” Rhodes says. While she enjoyed her work at the university, Rhodes did some work with Signature HealthCARE for three years, where she was able to continue to hone her skills and talents while helping patients. She has been with Morning Pointe, an assisted-
living retirement community (formally Lamplight), for the past year and a half, and she loves her patients and what she has accomplished. “Music is so positive because we process music with almost every part of our brain,” Rhodes says. “We are able to be moved and feel the association. It is a remarkable feeling when you see a patient react, whether it be with a smile or a laugh when they’ve heard a familiar song, or have taken an instrument
and made a delightful sound on their own. There is a strong connection between the brain’s auditory cortex and the limbic system. Sound is processed immediately by the area of the brain that is associated with long-term memory.” What kinds of music do her patients react to? “Believe it or not, our patients are influenced a lot by the kinds of music that our caregivers play around the area,
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especially the younger ones in our care,” Rhodes says. “At this time, I am using and playing quite a bit of big-band music, like Cab Calloway and Glenn Miller, and maybe some jazz. I get the most reaction from ’50’s rock and roll, and Elvis.” Rhodes says there is often a connection to an individual’s favorite music. “Familiar and likeable music can reduce depression, lessen agitation, and increase
sociability, movement and cognitive abilities,” she says. “Through studies, it has been determined that familiar music can help to decrease problem behaviors. Part of the role of a music therapist is to activate a part of the brain that controls balance and movement, the cerebellum, in addition to the cognitive and limbic areas. We begin with passive listening, then move to active participation to involve the whole brain and body.” This includes dancing and playing
instruments. “We use piano, rhythm instruments and vocal,” Rhodes says. “We sometimes have to coerce the patients into learning dance moves, but it is all for their benefit, to be sure. A typical day at Morning Pointe begins with a morning meeting, and then we move to exercise and music with cognitive activity. Lunch is then served, and recently we’ve been playing jazz with artists like Dave Brubeck in the background. After lunch is
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“Familiar and likeable music can reduce depression, lessen agitation, and increase sociability, movement and cognitive abilities.” — Cindi Rhodes a quiet activity or game such as bowling or horseshoes, dinner, and then to cap off the evening, the residents and patients enjoy a sensory activity such as aromatherapy and soft music.” One might imagine that there are rewards from the work that the therapists do. “I’ve had stroke patients who have had successful vocal rehab because of music,” Rhodes says. “Because Alzheimer’s affects more than five million Americans, and this number doubles every five years, music has been a link to the past and a nourishing connection to the past. I see the happiness in our patients when they have that deep connection, and they are able to communicate it in some small but significant way. Aside from victories such as
those, music brings physical and emotional closeness with friends and families.” Rhodes says that while music therapy cannot change the course of a disease, it can provide opportunities such as engagement and socialization. “In the earliest stages of therapy patients have been found to maintain memory, lower agitation, and maintain cognitive skills which add in sequencing tasks,” she says. “Conversely, in later stages the therapy has proven to reduce anxiety and stress, aid in the patient’s maintaining of motor skills, and increase attention, motivation and focus.” In her spare time, Rhodes performs with a few different musical groups.
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“I perform with the River City community band,” she says. “While we’ve not had a lot of opportunity to go out because of the pandemic, we’ve performed all over the area in the past. As a multi-instrumentalist I stay rather busy. I play clarinet, oboe, piano, organ and guitar. I also perform with the three-octave handbell chorus of First Baptist Church of Middletown.” What is on the horizon for Rhodes? “I look forward to when [Morning Pointe] can return to some normalcy, such as our monthly family nights, and being allowed to bring in outside entertainment, such as my handbell choir,” she says. “Personally, I see me spending time with my family and friends and practicing music therapy on the side, upon retirement.”
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Danny Flanigan Photo by Rachel Stump
FOR LOVE OF THE MUSIC
DANNY FLANIGAN STILL HAS A PASSION FOR PERFORMING AFTER 35 YEARS Rick Redding is a realtor with eXp Realty (502-439-6391). He owns and operates the longest-running and most interesting podcast in the ‘Ville - the Rusty Satellite Show.
Writer / Rick Redding Photographers / Rachel Stump and Jesse Hagan
Danny Flanigan keeps a record of every gig he’s played in more than three decades of performing in and around the city. It all adds up, he says, to more than 4,000 gigs, at places both current and long-shuttered, large and small, as front man or able guitarist. For instance, you have to have a few years on you to remember Dutch’s Tavern in St. Matthews, where he spent a decade hosting a songwriter showcase. More recently, before it shut down in October, he and his quartet LittleBand were playing a weekly gig in the same building, then called Street Grub and Hops. “I’ve been very fortunate,” he says. “I’ve
been playing around this town for 35 years. I’ve been gigging out for 35 years. I’m so fortunate to have my hands in so many things.” The hardest-working man in local music learned early on that the best way to keep getting gigs was to, well, keep getting gigs. When he’s not organizing sets for his original band Danny Flanigan and the Rain Chorus, or his mates in LittleBand, Flanigan plays guitar for a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Back 2 Mac, or a Rolling Stones tribute band, Tattoo Babylon - or just helps out fellow songwriters on their performances.
getting paid and I don’t care. It’s stress-free music for me. There’s a lot that goes into gigs.” When he started playing local bars back in the 1980s at places like Dutch’s Tavern (four blocks from his family home on Chenoweth Lane) or the old Rudyard Kipling, Flanigan may have imagined himself playing all over the world before giant crowds. Today he’s thrilled with his life, playing gigs a few miles from his home in St. Matthews, the place where he grew up, went to school and raised a family. “I still live in St. Matthews - very blessed to grow up here,” he says. “I didn’t grow up with money but I did grow up in a nice neighborhood.”
“I love the guitar gigs because I just show up with a guitar and amp, I plug in, I don’t choose the songs and I don’t write the songs,” You might think all this music is allhe says. “I don’t know how much we’re consuming - in August alone he played on 30 / JANUARY 2022
“THERE’S A DISTINCTIVE LOUISVILLE SOUND THAT HATCHES FROM OUR UNIQUE LOCATION - A MIX OF NASHVILLE COUNTRY, BLUES, ROCK AND FOLK.” — DANNY FLANIGAN
18 of 31 days - but Flanigan has another career. He’s a nonprofit administrator, first at New Directions Housing and for the last six years at St. Vincent de Paul. He proudly boasts that St. Vincent de Paul is the city’s oldest charity, serving the needs of the homeless and hungry. On his LinkedIn page a photo depicts him in a sharp bow tie and closely cropped beard.
he says, explaining that many bands, including his own, released new studio recordings. “That’s what you do during the zombie apocalypse - you make a record,” he says. “A lot of bands did that.”
These days Flanigan sports a scraggly patch of facial hair, a likely ode to the pandemic that certainly curtailed his ability to perform live. Somehow he managed to play 44 gigs in 2020.
“A lot of bands made a record and they still couldn’t tour, so they went back in and made another record,” he says. “We’re going to be awash in new music. There will be all these albums released over the coming year. It might be like a renaissance - like a digital distribution Woodstock.”
“I got buddies who play a lot, and some of them didn’t play a single day in 2020,”
LittleBand released a debut record in 2020, and Flanigan thinks the world will be filled with new music in coming months.
Photo by Jesse Hagan
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Photo by Rachel Stump
Photo by Jesse Hagan
Flanigan plays a lot of covers with all the acts he plays in, but takes a special pride in the songs he writes and records. You can find five albums of his music with the Rain Chorus online, in addition to the one with LittleBand.
decades, moving from an original spot at Dutch’s Tavern to Anthony’s by the Bridge, the Rudyard Kipling and finally Clifton’s Pizza Co.
“That’s how we pay homage to these folkrock cats,” he says. “I’m never going to be as big as Neil Young or Bob Dylan, but I sure respect the hell out of them. I want to be that good. I don’t need to be that famous, and of course I’m never going to be, but it would be great to be 1% that good.”
Among those who played regularly were the late, great Tim Krekel, Alan Rhody and Carter Wood, all of whom signed publishing “There’s a distinctive Louisville sound that There’s no end in sight, it seems. Live deals in Nashville. hatches from our unique location - a mix music has survived the pandemic and is of Nashville country, blues, rock and folk,” thriving. With two tribute bands, his own “I got to play with those cats on a regular he says. “ I just love songs, and I love the LittleBand, and friends in the business who words to songs. I’m not going have any more basis,” Flanigan says. can always use an ace guitar player, it’s hard children, but if I did I’d name it Song. I love promoting songs and songwriters. I love the In music terms, a lot of what Flanigan plays to imagine Flanigan not working in front of an audience. two-legged performance.” pays tribute to folk-rock artists, going back to the 1970s. He has a unique ability to play “I’m going to keep on writing songs and Ultimately, Flanigan’s claim to fame may requests on demand, and knows material maybe one day I’ll write one that doesn’t be his association with well-known singers from a full library of folk-rock artists suck,” he says. and songwriters. His songwriter showcases, whose works from those early days are still featuring Flanigan and another performer recognizable and popular today. on stage, were a big local attraction for two
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The Horsehead Nebula
Out of This World STEVE KATSIKAS LOOKS TO THE STARS
Association.
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To begin, Steve Katsikas is an accomplished educator. He and his family are from Miami, Florida, where he worked as director of Child/Adolescent Psychological Services at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital. In 2006, they pulled up roots and moved to Louisville, where Katsikas accepted the position of chairman for the psychology department at Spalding University. He now works as a professor of psychology at Spalding, and he just completed his term as president of the Kentucky Psychological
is one of the more equipment-intensive and technical forms of photography, one that Katsikas is also an accomplished musician takes time and patience to master. Ultimately, and is a performer, songwriter and producer. with a great deal of practice and study, the He and his wife Joanna have their own band, results are quite spectacular, as you can see by Grackle, and he plays with a Pink Floyd looking at the photos here that were taken by tribute band called “Dark Side of the Wall.” Katsikas. Katsikas has released seven albums with various bands, and he released his debut His interest in astronomy began in 1995 solo album last year titled “Hidden Village.” when he and Joanna began attending ‘star parties.’ “Joanna and I bought a good But most recently, Katsikas began a new telescope for our fifth anniversary and hobby: astrophotography, also known really started to spend a good deal of as astronomical imaging. It involves time in the Everglades with the star club,” photographing astronomical objects, celestial he says. “We got out of the hobby while raising our children, but we’ve gotten events, and various areas of the night sky. It
34 / JEFFERSONTOWN MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2022 / TownePost.com
Steve Katsikas
10-inch Starfinder. It was a beast, hard to move around, but gave great views of the planets and nearby nebula.” Once Covid-19 hit, Katsikas says began thinking about more solitary hobbies and decided he wanted to trade the Meade for something smaller and more manageable. “I found a used Celestron EdgeHD 8-inch telescope for sale in Northern Kentucky,” he says. “Once I started using that, I got the bug to start taking images and it became very addictive — in a good way!” Going from raw images to final pictures is a complex and detailed process, Katsikas back into it recently, joining the Louisville explains. “It starts with ‘stacking’ multiple Astronomical Society in March of 2020.” pictures of your object,” he says. “I use Katsikas’s first telescope was given to him by software called DeepSkyStacker for that his uncle George. “It was an old Tasco 4.5(- task. Then, you have to process your image with a program like Photoshop to bring out inch) and I can distinctly remember, as a kid, being able to see Saturn’s rings with it,” the colors and faint details. I spend a great he says. “As mentioned, Joanna and I bought deal of time reading, watching YouTube videos and asking questions in forums to our first big telescope in 1998 — a Meade learn how to process images. I am nowhere
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close to the skill level of many experienced folks who have helped me. I see myself as ‘very apprentice’ in my skills, but I am also quite committed to getting better with each observing session.” Most objects that he images are nebula, that is, areas of gas that are energized. “Typically, they are made from hydrogen and can be the ‘birthplace of stars’,” he says. “I’ve also imaged a few galaxies. When you look at the stars at night, every star you see is in the Milky Way. The few galaxies I have imaged are far beyond any star we can see. I have also imaged some star clusters, supernova remnants, and a few closer objects like Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon.” Katsikas loves this hobby, he says, because it’s a balance of nature, art, and technology. “It is complicated and difficult, so when I get a good photo, I feel like I have really accomplished something,” he says. The main joy is just enjoying the incredible
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The Andromeda Galaxy
beauty of the night skies, he says. “It is overwhelming to consider the scale of what I am imaging. For example, the Orion Nebula is twelve light years across. That amazing, glowing, colorful object is so huge, that light takes 12 years to traverse it. And it is just a fist size (as you extend your hand) in the sky. I love processing the images because I often have no idea how the images will look. It is kind of like discovering treasure when it all comes into focus and color.” Most of the time, Katsikas shoots his gorgeous photos right from his driveway, but he’s also taken his telescope to Liberty and Science Hill to get his very best shots. “Dark skies are the key to great photos,” he explains. “It is my goal this summer, conditions pending, to take the scope out West to the desert and image from the darkest skies in the U.S.” His love of the skies and all it holds has also taken him to other parts of the bluegrass state.
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The Helix Nebula
“I had never seen a total eclipse of the sun before 2017,” he says. “We drove to a small town called Princeton, Kentucky, and set up a blanket in a school’s athletic field with about 100 other people. I was not prepared for the emotional impact of the moment when the sun went away. We could see stars, the temperature dropped, and I found myself crying and screaming like I was at a rock concert. It was unbelievable, and I have already made plans to see the next one in 2024.” Katsikas offers solid advice to those who’d like to learn more about astronomy and astrophotography. “I would suggest that folks start with observing,” he says. “Learn how to use your telescope and find your way around the sky. Then, if the astrophotography bug is biting, make the jump incrementally. There are no short cuts to getting good imaging, but I’d always encourage folks start with used gear. You need a decent telescope, a really good mount for tracking, and a good
camera. Most DSLR cameras can be used in the beginning to capture images. I have a friend, Ronnie Yates, who does all his astrophotography with a Canon Ti3 camera and gets the best photos.” He says that dedicated astrophotography cameras are the easiest to use. “Anyone interested should, for sure, join their local astronomy club first to get access to a ton of experienced and passionate folks,” he says. “I am a total beginner at this stage. I am humbled every day by the images I see in the many groups I joined for astrophotography. I love the fact that there is no finish line to this hobby. I am thrilled that this newbie gets to share his images with so many folks who also enjoy them. The universe belongs to all of us.”
Jupiter
The Rosette Nebula
If you’d like to learn more about local astronomy and how to become involved with astronomy, visit the site for the Louisville Astronomical Society at Louisville-astro.org.
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