RIVER FIELDS HELPS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT RESOURCES ALONG THE OHIO RIVER
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CRUCIAL CONSERVANCY
RIVER FIELDS HELPS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT RESOURCES ALONG THE OHIO
RIVER
Writer / Renee Larr
Rivers are critical for safeguarding Earth’s most precious natural resources for future generations. Rivers provide clean drinking water, transportation, irrigation, and habitats for fish and other wildlife. Founded in 1959 in Louisville, River Fields is among the oldest river conservancies in the United States and the largest such group on the Ohio River.
“We serve the Louisville Metro area along a 50-mile stretch of the Ohio River from Westport, Kentucky, to West Point, Kentucky,” says Kristin Faurest, president and CEO. “Our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance natural and cultural resources on both sides of the Ohio River between Westport and West Point, Kentucky, as well as the region surrounding it, for the benefit of the public. River Fields accomplishes its mission through three main programmatic areas: advocacy, conservation and education.”
River Fields owns 10 properties totaling 64 acres along the Ohio River, all of which are accessible to the public. One of these properties is Garvin Brown
Preserve, a 46-acre, biodiverse nature preserve with 1,800 linear feet directly along the Ohio River. The scenic area is rich with wildflowers and an ideal spot for birding. It is open to the public 365 days a year. Another is Fairview, a scenic pull-off from River Road offering sweeping views of the Louisville skyline. River Fields’s other holdings include delicate wetlands and open spaces that maintain the scenic pastoral nature of River Road, Jefferson County’s only state-designated scenic byway, and provide a habitat for threatened flora and fauna. In addition to the property it owns outright, River Fields holds 19 conservation easements that protect an additional 2,177 acres of land from development.
“Many people don’t understand the difference between conservation easements and outright ownership,” Faurest says. “Conservation easements are legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust that place permanent restrictions on the use of property. Most conservation easements, including all the easements held by River Fields, restrict those uses forever, permanently conserving the property while allowing landowners to retain
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many of their rights to the land, including the right to use the land for agriculture, sell it, or pass it to their heirs. The River Fields easement program includes preserving significant historic structures and landscapes in the river corridor. Nearly half of the organization’s conservation easements are co-held by the Kentucky Heritage Council. This partnership allows the Heritage Council and River Fields to share resources and expertise that enable us to protect historic properties comprehensively. Our organization contributes significantly to preserving our community’s culture, nature and history. Once a structure, or place of history and natural or cultural richness and beauty, is lost, it is lost forever. I plan to never lose sight of that.”
Faurest says as the new leader of River Fields, she hopes to build on an already outstanding legacy, and enhance and expand educational offerings. She has served as an educational leader at several environmentally focused organizations, and is also an adjunct lecturer in landscape architecture at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University in Germany, so education about land and environment, and engaging people with nature, have always been at the core of what she does.
“River Fields’s advocacy work centers on encouraging planned development within the Ohio River corridor,” Faurest says. “River Fields works with developers and the Louisville Metro Planning Commission to ensure that the integrity and scenic beauty of the river corridor is not marred by industrial and commercial developments that clash with the area’s bucolic, scenic setting and rich history. The River Fields
board and staff are skilled in using historic preservation laws, environmental regulations and elements of Louisville Metro’s comprehensive plan to hold back the heavy commercial and industrial uses that once plagued Louisville’s waterfront. Sharing that information to advocate and educate others is an important part of this organization’s ethos. Our conservation program, which includes both properties held in fee simple and conservation easements, protects the same resources safeguarded through our advocacy work.”
Faurest says the organization’s educational arm ties together the River Fields advocacy and conservation programs. River Fields regularly hosts tours and nature walks of its protected properties, to allow the public to reconnect with the natural world and learn about some of Louisville’s most spectacular conserved properties. Besides tours, River Fields publishes content-rich e-blasts and newsletters to keep people abreast of developments affecting the river corridor. River Fields also freely consults with neighborhood organizations and individuals looking to better understand the protections afforded by the National Historic Preservation Act, and how those protections can help defend historic homes and neighborhoods.
River Fields hosts varying events throughout the year. Most recently, the nonprofit hosted a wildflower walk at Wolf Pen Branch Mill Farm and a historic walk at Edyalmoor. This storied estate is one of the organization’s easement properties. Faurest says their annual fundraising event on October 25 is a fantastic way for Louisville residents to learn more about River Fields’s tireless work for the environment.
“We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, so public support is critical to our being able to continue doing what we do to protect the land,” Faurest says. “Coming to our programs and events, and becoming a supporting member, are a great way to do that. Any contribution of time, talent or treasure is appreciated. The public can sign up for email, become a member with a contribution of any size, or volunteer on the River Fields website. I am working on enhancing and increasing our programming offerings in the future.”
Faurest says that, like any other nonprofit organization, River Fields is totally dependent on the support of the citizens of Louisville. She says each person can and does make a difference in its mission.
“Few organizations in the United States take the comprehensive approach to conservation employed by River Fields,” Faurest says. “Many land trusts own property, many others hold conservation easements, and some engage in advocacy work. However, very few employ every tool possible to protect open spaces, historic properties, wetlands, farms and forests. This organization has an incredible history of standing up for the land and the people who occupy it. That’s what I plan for us to continue doing. I grew up on the Ohio River and have a profound - you might even say sacred - relationship with it. It’s my personal mission for River Fields to continue to be a voice for the land and the river and, equally important, to be a voice for the people who depend upon both.”
For more information or to get involved, visit riverfields.org.
Spreading the Word
BOOK IT TO THE 43RD KENTUCKY BOOK FESTIVAL
Writer / Grace Schaefer
On November 2, book lovers will converge for a celebration of literature at the annual Kentucky Book Festival. Now in its 43rd year, the festival, a program of Kentucky Humanities, is a day of all things literary; readers can meet authors and illustrators, get signed books, hear presentations and participate in book-based activities.
“It was started by a journalist named Carl West in Frankfort,” says Katerina Stoykova, the festival’s director. “For the majority of its existence, the festival has taken place in Frankfort, and then it moved to Lexington and was at the Horse Park.”
Now, the festival is hosted at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, an independent bookstore in Lexington.
This year, attendees can expect a wide variety of authors and activities, with the festival running from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Patrons can come meet your favorite
author and buy signed books,” Stoykova says. “Also, children 14 and under will be able to receive a free book while supplies last - but we are prepared to give away hundreds of books. There will be a lot of free activities for kids: face painting, pumpkin painting, six story times and three illustration workshops.”
Among the 150 authors and illustrators in the event lineup are Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize winner for his Martin Luther King Jr. biography, “King: A Life”; children’s author and First Lady Britainy Beshear, with illustrator Anita Hatchett; Chef Edward Lee; poet Frank X Walker; culinary memoir author Crystal Wilkinson; and 16-year-old Yolanda Renee King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s granddaughter, bringing her first book, We “Dream a World.”
Brother Paul Quenon, poet, photographer and nonfiction writer, is also scheduled
to attend and speak. As a monk from the Abbey of Gethsemani, his appearances are quite rare. For a full list of authors and illustrators attending, readers can visit the Kentucky Book Festival website, where festival-featured books are listed along with book descriptions and statements from the authors. Not only will visitors be able to meet with and buy signed books from their favorite authors or illustrators, but some authors will also be reading, presenting and giving talks across five stages.
With so many opportunities packed into one day, it might seem that the festival would come with a cost. “People often call and say, ‘What’s the price?’ or, ‘Are there tickets?’” Stoykova says. “The festival is free. All this celebration, all this programming - all that is free.”
The day of the Kentucky Book Festival is packed with activities, but its organizers
put on a variety of events beforehand as well. “Kentucky Book Festival has several events in the week of the festival,” Stoykova says. “We have the Literary Luncheon, which this year will be on October 31 at noon at Fasig-Tipton.” In this ticketed event, participants can enjoy a meal catered by Chef Ouita Michel and Holly Hill Events, while hearing culinary memoir author Crystal Wilkinson in conversation with food writer Ronni Lundy. That evening, Stoykova says, “people will have an opportunity to socialize and to test their literary trivia. It is an exciting event and people get competitive. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s free and open to the public.”
In addition to week-of activities, the group also puts on year-round events to cater to a wide variety of interests, from history to creative writing. “We have something called pop-up events, which are events throughout the year that are Book Festivalrelated events to remind people of what we
do and to keep connected to the public,” Stoykova says. Among the events hosted earlier in the year are a presentation at the Henry Clay Estate by historian H. W. Brands, a poetry open mic, and a book reading and discussion with author Angela Correll.
The Kentucky Book Festival website features other events like these, and those interested can check regularly for updates on upcoming events. The group also hosts School Days, where authors visit Kentucky schools. Each student receives a signed book, but the school pays for nothing. Events like these truly show the Book Festival leaders’ passion for and dedication to fostering a love of reading among Kentuckians of every generation - particularly those of a young age, where the effects can last a lifetime.
Stoykova speaks of the hopes those who work with the Book Festival have for
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Kentuckians statewide: to introduce and provide access to new books, from the adult who has attended many festivals to the child who is picking up a picture book for the first time.
“I have been to the festival as an author myself, I have been at the festival as an attendee, and I have been at the festival as an administrator, so I’ve seen it from those versions,” Stoykova says. “Our Executive Director Bill Goodman says the Kentucky Book Festival is one of the best days that Kentucky has to offer, and we put it up there with the Derby and other very popular events. Books, in our opinion, should have as wide an appeal as horse races. So, we think that it’s an opportunity to celebrate books, and we have the hope that kids will walk away with books, and with a relationship with a book of their choice, and with painted faces, and with bookmarks, and having heard stories. All of these positive associations and
memories with books, they change lives. They could really influence young people. I have noticed that in my own life.”
Kentucky Humanities, the statewide nonprofit that runs the Kentucky Book Festival, has a goal to tell Kentucky’s story, and by supporting the gathering where Kentucky’s readers meet authors and illustrators, they are doing just that. At the same time they are teaching the next generation - those next in line to tell Kentucky’s story - the value of the written word.
But this influence doesn’t happen alone. The festival couldn’t run, and the stories couldn’t be told, without a wide array of writers and illustrators, and just as wide an array of volunteers. “The event needs over 100 volunteers,” Stoykova says. “We have many different opportunities for volunteering and we appreciate our volunteers very much.” For those
interested in helping, Kentucky Book Festival’s website includes a volunteer sheet with links to sign up for various positions. Roles range from working with parking to taking authors to their presentations, and from unpacking books to bringing authors coffee.
Whether volunteering or attending, for the first or 43rd time, Stoykova urges readers to visit. “The Kentucky Book Festival has something for everyone,” she says. “Whatever you like, whatever genre you like, whatever you read, there’s a good chance that you will find it at the festival. Browse all books. You never know what you’ll find, and you never know - maybe you are about to meet your new favorite author.”
For more information about the Kentucky Book Festival including a list of attending authors and illustrators, event locations, and volunteer details, visit kybookfestival.org.
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OCTOBER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
DOWN
1. Benchley classic
2. “Could I interrupt?”
3. Figure of interest?
4. Long Island university
5. Bro’s sibling, maybe
6. Mandela’s org.
7. Child’s ammo
8. Certain helicopter
9. Filming locale
10. It tests the water
11. Worn out
17. Court call
19. Take a bough?
22. Little spasms
23. Brown ermine
25. Referee’s guideline
26. Administered with a spoon, say
27. Soul mate
28. Dieter’s measure
29. Heat, at times
30. In the center of
31. A deadly sin
35. Military trench diggers
38. You can count on them
40. Baby syllable
42. Make known
45. Golden ___ Bridge
47. A bit cracked
48. Revolver innovator
49. Hoopla
50. Band aid
51. Forest female
52. Do some yard work
53. Life story, in brief
54. Novelist Deighton
50. Praiseworthy
Pride partner
56. Debatable, as a point
Grandstand section 58. Matterhorn, for one
Chapel fixtures 60. Many millennia
Abbr. on a road map
NOW THERE ARE 3 LOU LOU’S TO LOVE!
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The Lou Lou Tradition continues with the grand opening of our Middletown location this October.
Connecting and Creating
SCULPTOR WYATT GRAGG FINDS MANY CONNECTIONS TO HIS ARTWORK
Writer / Helen E. McKinney
Sculptor Wyatt Gragg discovered his creative side after being diagnosed with benign brain tumors in 1995, and diagnosed again several years later. Instead of discouraging or holding him back, it gave him a new lease on life.
He says he was diagnosed at the time with “my first of three meningiomas, a benign tumor on the left side, or executive side, of my brain. The result was damage to math skills, some decision making, and short-term memory problems.”
He made the tough decision to leave the security of the corporate world of teaching and sales. Gragg had attended Transylvania University in Lexington, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Education, having no idea he would one day enter the art world.
He taught middle and high school in Lexington for five years before entering sales. He has worked in pharmaceuticals, public relations and advertising at Louisville’s WRKA, and as an account executive in fine color commercial printing. A native of Lexington, he relocated to Louisville around 1976, focusing on his career in marketing and commercial printing.
the recuperation process, Gragg became bored. Remembering an art project he had worked on with his father on their family farm, he began to slowly focus on becoming a sculptor.
the animals there: sand castings of deer, bear, mountain lions and more.
Next he visited the Louisville Zoo. He made track casts of unusual animals like the rhinoceros.
Wanting to expand his knowledge and creativity, Gragg began creating three-dimensional sculptures with the help of bronze sculptor David Kocka. Kocka, who lives in southern Indiana, has been a mentor for Gragg and many others. Kocka studied in Rome, Italy, and in addition to being a sculptor, was a Franciscan priest at the Mount St. Francis retreat center in southern Indiana for a time.
Decades later, Gragg has earned his own reputation by creating commissioned bronze sculptures, which can be found around the country. “My hands continue to surprise me,” he says. “I am truly humbled at being able to provide memorial and public sculpture that allows me to help keep history alive, provide some peace in the cemetery for a grieving family, as well as fine art enjoyed in the home or in the garden.”
After his first surgery, the right side of his brain quickly began to compensate. During
He says he and his father had made plasterof-Paris animal tracks from the animals on the farm. He contacted the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife in Frankfort, and they let him make tracks of
Gragg’s artwork can be found from Washington to Florida to Massachusetts. Locally, his work is on display at Kore Gallery.
He has also branched out into other
mediums. “I have been spending time with acrylics on canvas too - still lifes painted over a minimal background that most often try to dodge tradition just enough to test the eye, and maybe cause the viewer to wonder why,” he says.
“My bronze work has always been wellreceived, but the long months from start to finish forced a lot of my sculpture beyond most people’s art budget,” he adds. “As a result, I am now also creating some new, one-of-a-kind work in hydrocal plaster and garden burlap.”
Gragg says he likes “the more immediategratification approach. Size is not necessarily an issue. The texture combines soft and smooth with the random weave of the burlap. I usually add a skin of acrylic color or colors in a contemporary blend that adds a spirit the bronze just can’t muster. They’re a lot easier to collect and carry home from the gallery.”
Many of his creations are commissioned work. Included in this list is the Daniel Boone sculpture at the Kentucky National Guard post entrance in Frankfort. In Cincinnati at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the number-two cast of Freedom is placed among their permanent collection, he says.
For Louisville’s Norton Women’s and Children hospital, he has created sculptures of a mother and baby (located in the labor and delivery department) and a set of baby hands located in the neonatal intensive care unit. At Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery, Gragg has sculpted many memorials including a group of flourishing doves, pet dogs and cats, and a life-sized “Dancing Couple” commemorating a couple’s first date.
For more personal gardens, he has fashioned butterflies, doves and large garden bells with leaves and flowers gracing the bells’ contours. Such art “provides a great garden focal point with a few chimes softly enhancing the moment as they catch the breeze,” he says.
At the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center in Glasgow, Kentucky, Gragg created a half life-sized sculpture of his wife’s father, representing Kentucky farmers. He said his wife, Mary, grew up on a small farm in Green County, Kentucky, while he grew up in the city. He spent weekends and every summer on his families’ farms in Fayette and Bourbon counties.
The couple has been married for what Gragg labeled “45 fun years. We met at a mutual friend’s engagement party.” Mary paid him 25 cents to “protect” her that evening after a friend of Gragg’s declared, “She’s mine, Wyatt - I saw her first!”
Mary attended Midway University, and graduated with an associate’s degree in nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bellarmine University. She spent her nursing career as a registered nurse in surgery at Methodist Evangelical Hospital (later Norton Healthcare Pavilion) as a nurse manager until she retired in 2018.
The couple shares a passion for motorcycles, and have cruised the Kentucky and southern Indiana back roads in their Boxster, a small Porsche roadster. Over the years they have enjoyed riding the open roads on several Harley-Davidson motorcycles they’ve owned, logging over 50,000 miles.
Gragg was even able to incorporate his love
for motorcycles into one of his sculptures. He fully understood the love for the bike that his subject matter, Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, had, because he had it too.
Gragg sculpted the “Road Warrior” statue that stands on the campus of the Oldham County History Center in La Grange. It depicts a life-sized image of Heilman, a well-loved Oldham County World War II vet. Heilman is riding his Harley, on which he logged over 200,000 miles.
Heilman’s motorcycle was a special Marine issue, having the Marine insignia on the side that was issued only to veterans by the Harley-Davidson corporation. The sculpture was designed so that visitors can hop on and take a ride with Heilman.
Currently he is working with Falls Art Foundry on two new unique commissions. Gragg says one is of a classical female figure for the Louisville Woman’s Club formal garden. “The life-size figure will be
nestled amongst the beautiful landscaping on a large granite base as she interacts with a pair of small songbirds,” he says.
This bronze will replace a smaller statue that was stolen and never recovered. He says this piece will be very securely anchored because “she is not leaving the garden without the 900-pound granite base!”
The second piece is still making its way through the long foundry process and is affectionately referred to as “Chlorine.” “She is destined to be poolside at the home of a Louisville plastic surgeon,” he says.
This artwork depicts a young lady resting on a forest tree stump while playfully holding a small bird. “They are being watched by a chipmunk, which appears to call the tree stump home,” Gragg says. “Her bare feet and grin should be a beautiful patio focal point year-round.”
The Graggs call the Estates of Glen Oaks, near Prospect, home. “We have some fantastic neighbors,” Gragg says. “We are fortunate to have a yard large enough for one of Mary’s passions, her huge annual vegetable garden.”
The garden usually yields an abundance of squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes and onions, which Mary uses to devise new recipes Gragg says are “out of this world.” In addition to gardening, she enjoys genealogy, cross-stitching and cooking. “Her country heritage shows up in the kitchen, so there is always enough on the table in case anyone drops by,” he says.
“There’s always a way to accomplish the task,” Gragg adds. “There’s always a way to create art, and there’s always a way to get from point A to point B without an interstate.”
Mary and Wyatt Gragg
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VISION OF VALUE
THE LYNN FAMILY ARE LEADERS IN EYE HEALTH AND COMMUNITY IMPACT
Dr. Mark Lynn isn’t ready to slow down yet.
A visionary local businessman and optometrist, he continues to expand his impact in the Louisville market with the launch of two groundbreaking ventures: Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training, and Lynn Family Vision. These latest endeavors are dedicated to promoting eye health through advanced methods and technologies.
“I’ve always told my family and staff I’ll probably die in one of my offices,” Lynn said. “Since ninth grade I knew I wanted to be an eye doctor. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to follow my dream throughout my entire career. When you’re doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Writer / Gavin LaPaille
FAMILY-CENTERED EXCELLENCE IN EYE CARE
Lynn, his wife, Cindy, and two of their children, Mark and Jackie, proudly operate Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training. This office specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries from sports and other incidents that can affect both eye and overall health. It also focuses on training athletes to reach their peak performance levels through sport vision training.
After selling his original optometry practice, which included 93 locations across six states, Lynn pursued his passion for sports vision, aiming to help athletes and others think and process information faster. His work focuses on the vestibular-ocular connection, which explores how the brain and eyes interact. Discrepancies in this
connection can lead to significant health issues, and Lynn is dedicated to identifying root causes and providing targeted therapy for improvement.
“Most of us have experienced a concussion at some point, whether from playing sports or through other injuries,” Lynn said. “Many people aren’t even aware they’ve had a concussion. Typically a concussion disrupts how the brain and eyes work together. While some issues may resolve on their own, others may stay with you for months or years if you do not get the right help. If you’re experiencing memory issues, difficulty focusing, balance problems or brain fog, it could be related to how efficiently your eyes and brain are working together. We’re here to evaluate and help improve those areas.”
Lynn’s new practice sees a diverse range of patients, from professional athletes to corporate executives. “We work with everyone from professional athletes to gamers and CEOs who want to think faster,” he said. “The majority of our patients have experienced a traumatic brain injury, concussion or stroke, all of which can severely impact brain function. We have a chance to help you, but we won’t know until we do the evaluation.”
In addition to treating traumatic brain injuries and concussions, Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training also assists children with reading difficulties and memory issues. Often these issues are due to their eyes not tracking or using correct quick-eye movements to see the written word. These issues, usually unrelated to visual acuity, can significantly affect a child’s ability to learn.
COMPREHENSIVE EYE CARE AT LYNN FAMILY VISION
Lynn Family Vision, the second new venture, offers a traditional optometric experience, including routine eye exams, contact lenses and glasses. Located in the Hurstbourne and Prospect areas, they stock over 1,000 frames from leading brands like Oakley, Ray-Ban, Nike, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, Persol and more. The offices offer same-day appointments, accept most insurance plans
Dr. Mark E. Lynn, Cindy Lynn and Dr. Mark J. Lynn.
and, in some cases, patients can even receive their glasses while they wait.
The two businesses operate across three locations: the Edith Road office, which specializes in sports vision and traumatic brain injury therapy and evaluations, and the Prospect and Hurstbourne offices, which provide routine eye exams, frames and contact lenses. The Hurstbourne office also offers full evaluations and therapy for sports vision, traumatic brain injury, vestibular migraines, concussions and more. Lynn continues to work directly with patients, providing both evaluations and routine exams.
A FAMILY LEGACY OF SERVICE AND COMMUNITY GIVING
Having his family involved in the business is nothing new for Lynn, who has worked alongside his wife for many years, as well as his son, a former professor at the University of Louisville. Recently his
youngest daughter, Jackie, joined the team as a certified billing specialist, further strengthening the family’s commitment to the business.
“My wife, Cindy, and I have worked together for most of my career,” Lynn said. “She’s been involved since the very beginning, even when I was still in school. Now she oversees accounts receivable and payable for my offices and my daughter’s two dental offices. My son manages dayto-day operations across all offices, and ensures staff are trained in our policies and procedures, which is crucial for business growth. Jackie has been instrumental in managing both medical and vision insurance claims for all three offices.”
Lynn has also become more visible in recent years, with his name adorning two prominent soccer stadiums in Louisville. The Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium has been home to the University of Louisville
men’s and women’s soccer teams since 2014, while Lynn Family Stadium has hosted both Louisville City and Racing Louisville professional soccer games since 2021.
“We didn’t have soccer when I was growing up, and my first experience was taking my oldest daughter to watch her boyfriend play in high school; I didn’t understand it at all,” Lynn said. “When Tom Jurich approached us about building a soccer stadium at the University of Louisville, my first response was, ‘Are you nuts?’ because I knew nothing about soccer. I realized that if we were going to sponsor the stadium, then I needed to understand the sport! The experience has been incredibly rewarding.”
“Lynn Family Stadium was a little different thought process,” he adds. “It was less about soccer and more about the growth of the city and the state. The good lord has taken care my family, and we’ve been very lucky to be able to have what we have. If we teach our
kids anything, it’s when you get something, make sure you give back. If you don’t give back, it really means nothing. The soccer stadium was our way to give back to the city of Louisville.”
Lynn Family Stadium represents just a fraction of the Lynn family’s contributions to the community. Over the years they have made significant donations to institutions such as the University of Louisville, Bellarmine, Spalding, Simmons, Sacred Heart Academy, Ballard High School, Visually Impaired Preschool Services, FFA, Habitat for Humanity, 4H, Kosair Children’s Hospital, Blessings in a Backpack and many more.
“If everyone who has enough for themselves would give back just a little, imagine how much better our world could be,” Lynn said. “There’s a lot of need out there. When you have a chance to help others, especially the kids, that’s our future. Give them an
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opportunity and help out.”
As he looks to the future, Lynn remains committed to his research into traumatic brain injuries, as well as helping people improve their vision and total eye care.
“I’ve never planned too far ahead,” Lynn said. “My guiding principle throughout my career has been to take care of patients one at a time, offering them the best possible care at a fair price and trying to find answers for their problems. We follow simple but effective business rules. First, always do what’s right for the patient. Second, do what is right for the staff. Third and finally, do what is right for the business. By putting patients first, we ensure that every decision will be made for the right reasons.”
For more info, visit lynnfamilyvision.com or call 502-516-4662.
Live
PIGSKIN PROWESS
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL
JUST KEEPS TURNING OUT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS
Writer / Ed Peak
Kentucky’s gold standard for high school football resides on Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews - Trinity High School. The Shamrocks have won a record 28 Kentucky state titles.
The 6A favorite this season? Also Trinity.
In his fourth season as head coach, Jay Cobb guided the Shamrocks to a title last
December, beating Lexington Bryan Station in the championship. Cobb began as an assistant in 2014, helping legendary coach Bob Beatty.
Was it a relief for Cobb to coach the team to a title? “I’ve been asked that question a million times,” he said. “When Bob left, we had graduated 44 seniors. Because of those factors, we knew it would be a tough job.
We knew we had a good group coming. We told everybody who would listen - I said the third year is going to be that year that we would get back on top of that mountain again.”
Former coaches Jim Kennedy, Dave Moore, Roger Gruneisen, Dennis Lampley, and Beatty set the bar high. Beatty won 15 titles in 21 years. His teams lost twice in the
Coach Jay Cobb
championship game.
Trinity has long been admired and disliked by the state’s opposing coaches. The Shamrocks have played classic games, winning at Boone County in overtime in the semifinals and stopping the Rebels inside the one-yard line in the ’90s.
There was the classic win over Male in 2002
“What gets overlooked here is the work ethic of our kids, and the time they put in is what makes Trinity football special.” —Jay Cobb
at Old Cardinal Stadium 59-56, when the Shamrocks intercepted a Michael Bush pass in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Then-Courier-Journal high school editor Jody Demling called it “the greatest game in Kentucky high school football history.”
The 2011 Trinity team (15-0) was voted number-one in the nation by USA TODAY. When opponents come to Marshall
Stadium they can be intimidated. On the scoreboard at Father Harry Jansing Field reads “Trinity For Ever.” They play on turf and the stadium can hold large crowds. Their games are broadcast live on the radio
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and streamed on TV.
The Rocks play in Class 6A, Kentucky’s highest class. They are in District Four with Ballard, Eastern and Oldham County.
So what makes this school so attractive to so many good athletes? “I think it’s the character of our kids rather than just the talent,” said Cobb. “Bryan Station had seven Division I players last year and we beat them twice. We had one kid, Nate Tronzo, who went to [Southern Illinois University] in Division I. Right now we have one Division I kid. What gets overlooked here is the work ethic of our kids, and the time they put in is what makes Trinity football special.”
Wins and losses are important, but they aren’t the barometer. “I’m a caretaker of this program, and want to make sure that I do it justice and elevate the character and faith of these kids,” Cobb said.
Former Trinity quarterback Jeff Brohm is now
the head coach at the University of Louisville, and brothers Greg and Brian, who are on his staff, also played at Trinity. His father, Oscar, is the Shamrock’s quarterbacks coach.
“I think the city is a big Catholic community a lot of Catholic grade-school kids grow up in,” said Brohm. “One of the things is Trinity is a great school, great education, discipline, and a place to set up their academic goals. The sports programs are talented. They’ve won a lot in the past. You get the perfect combination of, ‘Hey, I’m going to have to work in school.’ Students have an organized plan to get to college. The structure, the organization, the history and tradition, all those things add up.”
The Shamrocks have a younger team this year. Sophomore quarterback Zane Johnson is one of the few to start as a freshman. Kaleb Warner is a top receiver. Cobb has coached defense since 2014 when he came from Texas. This year’s defense is solid.
Some starters returned from last year’s team
in JC Wilson and lineman Bailey Vance, who Cobb calls the “hallmark anchor.”
Senior cornerback Allen Evans has college offers from Kentucky and Louisville. Sekou Kamara and Elijah Burns-Crump are standouts.
Chances are St. Matthews is where the state championship will reside once again.
Trinity football’s complete schedule is available at trinityrocks.com/page/football.
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Expires 11/30/2024
Writer / Devon Dean
The Towne Post Network of publications is proud to announce the launch of a new, hyperlocal community events calendaronline.
Using an aggregating software partner, the Towne Post Events Calendar includes information from more than 200 sources across the regions the company serves. This includes LiveNation, gotolouisville.com, various chamber of commerce websites, and a wealth of other community calendars to give a complete rundown of fun things to do in your area.
As a user, you can filter by date, time, city, proximity, and even by event type. If you are hosting a local event, this is a free service with additional paid opportunities for expanded visibility starting at just $2 a day. As the Towne Post Events Calendar
expands, an email will go out every Thursday to give subscribers the scoop on what’s going on around town each weekend.
“Summer is a busy time and it’s hard to keep track of everything that is happening,” says Towne Post CEO and Founder Tom Britt. “Our goal is to create another point of connection between people and the communities they live in by highlighting all the great local events coming up.”
See what’s happening at townepost. com/calendar. To subscribe for weekly emails, subscribe at TownePost.com and click the “Email Newsletters” button at the top of the website.
ABOUT THE TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC.
Founded in 2004 with a mission to create engaging and relevant publications, Towne Post Network is redefining the magazine industry. With a focus on hyperlocal content and an integrated print and digital marketing approach, their magazines connect businesses and residents in communities like never before. Towne Post Network’s cloud-based platform offers franchisees flexibility and freedom, allowing them to work from home while benefiting from comprehensive support and services. Their success stems from collaboration with local businesses, providing a platform for them to thrive and engage with their target audience. With an expanding network of hyperlocal publishers, Towne Post Network is actively seeking passionate individuals to bring their community-focused magazines to towns across the country. Franchisees benefit from a proven business model and a support system that handles design, distribution and more. For more information about Towne Post Network, Inc. and franchise opportunities, please visit franchising.townepost.com.
GIVE A LISTEN
RADIO EYE GIVES THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE CURRENT PRINT NEWS AND GENERAL INTEREST PROGRAMMING
Writer / Julie Engelhardt
Thumbing through a magazine, newspaper or book provides hours of reading enjoyment for many, yet there are those who are not able to read the printed word because of blindness or other factors affecting sight. That’s where programs such as Kentucky’s Radio Eye come to the forefront.
Radio Eye is a radio reading service that began in Lexington more than 33 years ago. They broadcast the reading of current news, public service and general interest articles to people who are blind and print-disabled.
This idea was the brainchild of Al Crabb, a professor at the University of Kentucky. When he would go to Tennessee to visit his dad, who was blind, he took notice of his father listening to people reading newspaper articles and other publications. He began to wonder if Kentuckians could also benefit
from this type of programming.
“In the beginning it was on a closednetwork radio system,” says Lucy Stone, executive director for Radio Eye. “WUKY was our first original partner, and we broadcast off subcarriers. You couldn’t pick us up in your car. You needed to have a specialty radio because it’s tuned to that specific channel.”
Technological advances have enabled Radio Eye to switch from closed-network radios to an internet system. “Our listeners now use an internet radio that still looks like a radio but with the clarity of listening online,” Stone explains.
Crabb took the idea to the university, where he received their support in starting the service. The process was set in motion, but to accomplish this project he needed to
find volunteers interested in reading and recording news articles and books. Crabb put out an all-call through the HeraldLeader newspaper in Lexington. He began to recruit university professors, college kids and interns.
According to Stone, Crabb put his potential volunteers through a rigorous reading audition.
“He had them read 100 words, plus several phrases and different articles,” she says. “Crabb would go through and correct the people, the way they pronounced words and their cadence. He was quite the stickler as he wanted to make sure that they were putting out quality programming. Back then it was difficult trying to correct reading errors. Nowadays, if there’s a mistake, we can fix it very, very quickly.”
During the past three decades, the Radio Eye team has made great strides in reaching out to other portions of the state to offer services. Stone says they currently have about 10,000 listeners across Kentucky. After initially establishing the program in the mid-state area, the program began to spread to other cities and counties in the commonwealth.
“Louisville was our next outreach area,” she says. “Then in 2014 we expanded out to eastern Kentucky, which took us all the way down to Pikeville, and a few years after that we expanded into the Morehead area. During the pandemic we launched our final stream, which took us to Paducah. Even in the middle of a global shutdown we became a statewide service, and we’re incredibly proud of that.”
The process to become a Radio Eye volunteer has changed vastly over the years, according to Stone.
“One of the first things we’re going to ask is, ‘What kind of a reader do you want to be? Do you want to be an in-person reader or a remote reader?’” she says.
Stone explains that people can either come into their studios to record using their software, or they can do it from their home or office.
“In order to do it at home, you have to be confident in your ability with technology,” she says. “I’ve streamlined it so that it is incredibly easy. That’s something of which I’m very proud. You don’t need to have a recording studio at home. Technology has
changed so much that everything is really built in. We have a lot of people who record in their closets.”
Radio Eye currently has 200 volunteers who not only read, but also do outreach such as speaking to the public and seeking donations.
Louisville resident Chris Clements actively seeks out new volunteers to be readers or to perform other tasks such as community outreach. Clements is a board member for Radio Eye, a volunteer reader, and employed as the coordinator for the Retired Senior Volunteers Program through AmeriCorps.
“I’ve been involved with Radio Eye for about six years,” he says. “My involvement
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began when I was in my current job for about one year or so, and I received an inquiry from Radio Eye. While they have their larger headquarters in Lexington, they do have a satellite office in Louisville, and they had just opened their studios. They wanted to build their base and their exposure, so they approached me to see if I could help them recruit some older volunteers in Louisville to do the recording sessions.”
Clements was on board to help them find local volunteers. He says they received interest from six volunteers. Before COVID-19 hit, their numbers were up to 10 or 12 volunteers who were actively doing recording sessions, but because of the pandemic, that number scaled back to about three or four. Today, 85 to 95% of the local volunteers are from Jefferson County, but they also have volunteers from southern Indiana, Oldham County and Bardstown. As of this writing, the Louisville studio is closed until they hire a new office
manager. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to apply, as recording from home is still an option.
Alice Dehner, who lives in Lexington, is the secretary of the Radio Eye board of directors. She became involved when a dear friend with macular degeneration died. “She loved being read to, and volunteering with Radio Eye allowed me to read to a larger number of those unable to comfortably do so on their own,” she explains. “After many years of volunteering, I was asked to join the board.”
She says that she read the Herald-Leader for about four years in the studio with two others. When COVID-19 struck, she and her husband both continued to read the Thursday and Saturday morning paper, but remotely from their home. She also read magazine articles, local county newspapers, magazine articles and books. She and friends also taped plays through their group, The Signal Theater, for airing during the holidays.
In Louisville, other programs include recordings of the Oldham Era and Spencer Magnet, Sentinel News, Kentucky Standard, LEO Magazine, News and Tribune, Springfield Sun, and Henry County News.
Specialty programming for all areas includes “Children’s Hour”, “Sports News”, “American Past”, “The Pet Corner” and more.
There are several ways to listen to Radio Eye. They include streaming on radioeye. org; Alexa Skill: “Radio Eye Live” via Victor Reader Stream; NFB Newsline (to register, call 866-504-7300; toll-free telephone broadcast, 800-238-5193, ext. 2 for Louisville, or 518-906-1519.
For advertising information, contact:
COREY BOSTON
corey@townepost.com (502) 407-0185
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