Middletown Magazine March 2018

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MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE

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TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE FRANCHISE PUBLISHER Corey Boston

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MARCH WRITERS

Heather Chastain / Leigh Harrington Marilou Jacob / Shannon Evanko Shannon Siders / Stephanie VonTrapp

MARCH PHOTOGRAPHERS Bee Buck Photography Mareike Yocum

DYNAMIC COMBO: BLIND SQUIRREL & KING LOUIE’S SPORTS COMPLEX ARE NEIGHBORING VENUES THAT PROVIDE PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT “The City of Middletown Kentucky is committed to being an open and accessible city, providing an exemplary environment in which to live, learn, work and play.”

6 The Mind of Mason: Local Artist Is Pursuing His Lifelong Dream

22 Business Spotlight: Kentucky Cheerleading Center

10 Restoring Vision: Organization Has 24 Children’s Quilt Show is Coming to Clear Focus On Providing Vision Impairment Relief in Impoverished Countries

14 Dynamic Combo: Blind Squirrel &

King Louie’s Sports Complex Are Neighboring Venues That Provide Plenty of Entertainment

J-Town in July

28 Active Heroes Opens Official

Military Family Community Center

33 Worth Every Minute:

Bluegrass Center for Autism Gives Families Hope

18 A Great Escape: Countdown

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atMiddletown.com / MARCH 2018 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / 5

THE MIND OF MASON LOCAL ARTIST IS PURSUING HIS LIFELONG DREAM challenged me to do the other side. Then I got into high school and took up painting,” he says.

Writer / Heather Chastain

Take a tour in the mind of Mason. Terrance Mason, local artist. A man filled with passion and artistic ingenuity.

A private man who doesn’t want to reveal too much about his personal life but says his art is an expression of his individuality.

Mason says art has also been therapeutic for him.

“My back injury, surgeries and treatments sidelined me from my job,” Mason says.

“But I am not one to sit idle for long.

“I’ve been an artist my entire life, but I I decided to pursue a lifelong dream, became a full-time artist in 2010 after a and that dream was to express myself back injury kept me from staying in my through my art and to one day step out current job,” Mason says. As a child, he first of my comfort zone and show the world. found his love for drawing after an exercise It started when I decided to give friends his dad created. and family paintings for Christmas rather than the typical commercial presents. My “My father drew half a Superman and art has been a way of helping me express

what’s going on inside of me.”

His work is an eclectic group of pieces all reflecting back to what inspires him.

“I like to do things that are unorthodox,” he says. “I use paint sometimes, but I use fabrics, textiles, objects I’ve found that get me in a creative place. I’m not just focused on one discipline. If I had to describe my art, I’d say that it is meant to incite a riot of thoughts in the viewer’s mind. I want them to want to get close, to want to touch it. If my work inspires those sorts of emotions, then I think that I have succeeded.”

Despite being an artist, Mason is also a carpenter.

6 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / atMiddletown.com

“Everything is built. It’s not just painting on a canvas,” he says. “Yes, I’m an artist, but I also feel I’m more of a craftsman because everything is constructed.”

Mason not only works with canvas and digital pieces, he has also been constructing furniture.

Currently, Mason is crafting his pieces inside his garage.

“I hope to one day find an actual studio space so that I can truly spread my wings and work on larger projects,” Mason says. “As it stands, I am just beginning my journey as an artist. I like to take commissions because when I am working with someone else I get fresh ideas and a different point of view.

I find that that definitely helps to get the creative juices flowing.”

The self-proclaimed suffering artist says he also tries to use his art to give people a different perspective on life.

“What I really want to do is get into a position where I can get the next generation to think outside of the box,” he says. “I have a nephew and I always tell him the world is so much bigger than the block you live on.”

A former corrections officer, Mason says he wants to help youth see their potential and stay on the right track.

“Things may not seem all that great, but you can find a way to make life bearable,” Mason says. “I never had atMiddletown.com / MARCH 2018 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / 7

children of my own. I want to be a positive male role model for young men.

Whatever nugget of wisdom I can give them, I give it freely. I try to leave them a little better than I found them.”

Center. The piece was inspired by a comic book from the 1970s.

The artist reflects on his own personal struggles to help guide youth.

The artist is currently working on a new series. The series has two working titles he was not ready to share with the public just yet. He is also working on several canvas pieces and digital pieces, which stretch his artistic range. Mason can also be commissioned for works.

“I felt so lost after I couldn’t go back to my job. I had to find something to get me centered again,” Mason says. “Art did that.

I know I may never achieve a da Vinci or Michelangelo level of success, but I can work as hard as I can.”

One piece in particular he is hoping to see reach a higher potential – an 8’ painting of Muhammed Ali fighting Superman, is under discussion to be gifted to the Ali

“I would love to have it displayed in the Muhammed Ali Center,” he says.

“I just hope to meet a few good people and get my work out there,” he says.

For more information or to contact Mason regarding his art, you can visit mindofmason.com.

8 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / atMiddletown.com

Mark Sachs, Restoring Vision founder

ORGANIZATION HAS CLEAR FOCUS ON PROVIDING VISION IMPAIRMENT RELIEF IN IMPOVERISHED COUNTRIES Writer / Shannon Siders

Vision problems do not always need drastic solutions such as surgery to positively change the life of the person afflicted. Often a simple pair of reading glasses can make all the difference for someone suffering from sight problems.

In the United States, reading glasses can be bought for just a few dollars, but citizens of impoverished countries do not have the same access to this life-changing resource.

eyeglasses, reading glasses and sunglasses to those in need.

Sachs joined a group headed to Mexico in what turned out to be a life-changing trip.

“I didn’t have the technical training to perform the exams, so I would look at the prescription they were given to find a pair of used glasses that most closely matched what the person needed,” Sachs says.

He was eager to find the right match for each patient but quickly noticed his station of prescription eyeglasses was being bypassed by throngs of other patients.

“There are anywhere from 500 million to a billion people in the world who need reading glasses,” says Mark Sachs, founder of the nonprofit RestoringVision. “And most of “Many people didn’t even stop where I was, them are in developing countries.” they went past me to where the reading glasses were,” Sachs says. “I noticed that and Sachs participated in a social responsibility it made a big impression on me.” program through LensCrafters more than 20 years ago while working for an optical Fast forward to 2003, when Sachs was company. A team of optometrists and looking for an opportunity to help others. other professionals in the eye care industry He remembered the experience in Mexico would travel to developing countries from nearly a decade before and contacted to perform eye exams and distribute LensCrafters.

JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

There was a need for Sachs to source reading glasses for the social responsibility program that had made such an impact on him, and he quickly got to work contacting reading glasses distributors to see if they had extra inventory.

Many of the distributors did have extra inventory, but Sachs was disappointed to find out the surplus glasses were usually destroyed. Distributors did not want to hurt their brand by selling extras on the secondary market.

Sachs had another plan in mind.

“I asked them, ‘If I could guarantee you they’d go out of the country, would you be willing to donate?’” Sachs said. “And they said yes.”

The distributors began to donate large quantities of glasses, and Sachs connected organizations already distributing glasses to developing countries with the donated reading glasses so they could be distributed along with prescription glasses.

As supply increased, Sachs made a pivot that to do the work they need to do or the work shaped RestoringVision into what it is today. they love.”

“I got to the point where I had more reading glasses than the optical organizations needed,” he says. “I started to find groups that were going to developing countries for any reason.”

Even simple tasks such as threading a needle can become difficult, or even impossible, with eyesight issues, prohibiting a seamstress or tailor from completing their work.

Sachs knew there were groups going to developing countries to provide dentistry services, build schools and other social outreach on a regular basis. He moved carefully at first, afraid demand for the reading glasses would outstrip the supply, but a commitment to donate every year from Foster Grant, the largest manufacturer of reading glasses in the world, took off some of the pressure.

A University of Michigan study showed that vision correction (not necessarily reading glasses) leads to a 35 percent increase in productivity and a 20 percent increase in wages. For someone earning just $5 per day,

Christian Church for the conference, which brings together those who do mission work to learn about best practices and get connected with more resources for their organizations.

Sachs made some great connections and found even more groups to help further the mission of RestoringVision.

“RestoringVision could not be successful if it wasn’t for the groups that agree to take the glasses, set up the clinics and dispense the glasses,” Sachs says. “We’re a facilitator.

Since then, RestoringVision has supported more than 1,500 groups that have gone on over 5,000 mission trips. Permanent clinics have also started to pop up in some of the developing countries, with the support of the donated glasses.

“We grew very dramatically when Foster Grant said they would support us,” Sachs says. “They’ve been very generous, and it’s been great to grow so quickly.”

RestoringVision also receives support from other reading glasses manufacturers and warehouse space from Walmart. The program has really taken off because of the simplicity of it.

“We get groups to take reading glasses with them because it’s easy to do and makes a dramatic impact,” Sachs says.

Patients are typically able to “self-prescribe” reading glasses because they can tell which power is right for them. The reading glasses provide an instant benefit to the person receiving them, and can truly change the lives of those affected.

“Everyone eventually needs reading glasses because the muscle in the eye weakens when older,” Sachs says. “People all of a sudden can’t see up close anymore and are out of luck. These people have skills and families who need them, yet they are unable

that is an additional $250 of income per year. Reading glasses can help people reap some of these benefits, by carrying out their daily tasks, working and leading productive lives again.

Sachs and his team at RestoringVision are always looking for groups who are traveling to or have clinics in developing countries to help distribute reading glasses. This work brought him to Jeffersontown last November for the 2017 Global Missions Health Conference.

We try to make whatever mission they’re going on more successful, so they can be more beneficial to the people they’re serving.”

To date, RestoringVision has donated more than nine million pairs of reading glasses to those in need, with a goal to distribute 20 million pairs of glasses by the end of 2020.

RestoringVision charges a small handling fee of 50 cents a pair, and the organizations distributing them must commit to doing so Thousands of attendees flocked to Southeast at no cost.

MARCH 2018 / JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE

“We want to make sure the groups we partner with are reputable and ethical,” Sachs says. “We don’t want them selling the glasses to people who can’t afford them.”

Sachs has gone on several more trips since founding RestoringVision and hopes to go on more in the future.

“It is amazing because there’s such a need out there, and the impact is so immediate that you will see people crying with joy,” Sachs says. “They can’t believe it in many cases. Everyone returns with such a profound sense of accomplishment.”

Individuals, groups or companies who are interested in learning more about RestoringVision, donating to the cause, or taking reading glasses on an upcoming trip can visit restoringvision.org for more information.

“We are trying to make a difference in the world, but we could not do it without the support of our partners,” Sachs says.

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DYNAMIC COMBO BLIND SQUIRREL & KING LOUIE’S SPORTS COMPLEX ARE NEIGHBORING VENUES THAT PROVIDE PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT Writer / Shannon Evanko . Photographer / Bee Buck Photography

“The City of Middletown Kentucky is committed to being an open and accessible city, providing an exemplary environment in which to live, learn, work and play.”

According to the city’s website, these are vital tenets of the bustling, lively community of Middletown, KY — living, learning, working and playing. Little do some residents know, they can do all of these things at one unique property right under their noses.

Blind Squirrel and King Louie’s Sports Complex, both located on N English Station Rd., are two local venues committed to serving the community of Middletown in these ways.

Many residents may not know the properties are related, both owned by Matt Rumpke, well-known in the Louisville community for his hand in Rumpke Waste & Recycling. Rumpke has been developing these sites for the past five years, and they have been thriving under the care of his business partners. Rumpke attributes much of his success to his partners — Eric Hillard of Blind Squirrel and Mike Havill of King Louie’s.

The quirky name, Blind Squirrel, comes from a phrase Rumpke’s friends teased him with when he married his wife, Kathy— “even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.” Little did Rumpke know, the phrase would become the moniker for one of his

JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

greatest business ventures.

Blind Squirrel boasts upscale pub food with gourmet burgers and a huge selection of appetizers to attract individuals from King Louie’s and the surrounding community. They have something for everyone, from patrons of sports teams to parents who love live music. Their sports bar includes two 15 x 11 ft. TVs and 23 other large TVs scattered around the facility.

“We want people to feel like they’re on vacation with the restaurant, from our beautiful patio and beach vibe with three beach volleyball courts to our warm fire pit,” Hillard says. “When weather allows,

we put one of our many musicians on the patio for everyone to enjoy.”

As a hub for entertainment on the east side of Louisville, Blind Squirrel hosts leagues on their three volleyball courts almost every night, even offering a heated tent for winter leagues.

Rumpke, a Middletown native, is proud that it has become local hangout for people of Middletown, saying its party room is used by many locals to celebrate big occasions.

The party room has two levels with its own bar, private restrooms and balcony.

“We’ve become the place for live music on the east side of town, and for sports as well.

We’re the only ones doing that on this side of town,” Rumpke says.

The development of this property began with King Louie’s Sports Complex when Rumpke saw a lack of sports facilities on the east side of town. With children of his

own interested in sports, he wanted to build a sports facility to fill that need. As the complex developed and he spoke with more parents and patrons of King Louie’s, he noticed there was no live music locally, either, and thought Middletown residents shouldn’t have to travel into the Highlands to see great live music.

Thus, Blind Squirrel became a great compliment to King Louie’s. Rumpke, Hillard and Havill say they have been amazed with the overlap of patrons between the properties. Many parents drop their kids off at King Louie’s to play sports while they enjoy some food and games at the Blind Squirrel until it’s time for pick-up. It’s the

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square feet of the facility to work with high schools in the area, D1 collegiate athletes and kids. Pro Rehab is their preferred sports medicine partner with a clinic at King Louie’s, as well.

“Anyone who is looking to become better at their sport or have competitive opportunities in their sport — we offer that,” Havill says.

winning combination that the Middletown community sorely needed.

“We want to be the home for lacrosse and field hockey, especially,” Havill says.

According to Havill, King Louie’s Sports Complex offers a myriad of options, including one-on-one coaching, small group training and different competitive leagues.

King Louie’s is trying to be everything someone could possibly be looking for to develop their skills and seize opportunities.

They offer programming that caters to everybody’s needs and are affiliated with a handful of organizations and groups like L4 lacrosse (based out of King Louie’s full-time), which does individual and small group training. Additionally, Edge Sports Performance maintains a dedicated 3,000

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King Louie’s provides local schools like Eastern High School with fundraising opportunities, free clinics and more to benefit the community. Their hours are fluid due to the nature of sporting activities and are based on current programs for the week.

As a 24/7, 365 business, they often stay open late to complete different activities.

One of the biggest draws to the property near and far is that everything is first class.

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amphitheater to the full-sized, outdoor synthetic turf field. They are committed to keeping everything updated to make sure customers have a first-class experience.

“People from out of town ask if we’d take the time to create something like this in their area, telling us it doesn’t really exist elsewhere. There’s a lot of synergies you can create with an indoor/outdoor facility in same site,” Havill says.

What’s the key to the success of these local ventures? Rumpke says he leaves all the leg-work to his partners, sitting down with Hillard and Havill to talk about big-picture financials and make sure things are going well. His partners make all of the day-today decisions regarding facilities.

“My management philosophy is to surround yourself with good people in order to make yourself look smart,” Rumpke says.

So far, that philosophy is paying off in spades for Rumpke. While his current property is maxed-out with the addition of two volleyball courts coming soon, Rumpke hopes to look at surrounding properties for future expansion.

King Louie’s facility any day of the week, based on current activities, and they can visit Blind Squirrel Monday, 4-11 p.m., Tues.-Thurs.,11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11-1 a.m. and Sun. 12-11 p.m.

“Matt trusts the people he hires to do a good job and gives us the resources to do it. So far, it’s been very successful,” Havill says.

The Middletown community can enjoy

For more information, visit King Louie’s website at kinglouiesports. com and Blind Squirrel’s website at blindsquirrelrestaurant.com.

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Countdown Louisville Owner, Greg Butler.

A GREAT ESCAPE COUNTDOWN LOUISVILLE GAINING POPULARITY WITH ITS LOCAL ESCAPE ROOM CHALLENGES Writer / Shannon Siders

A beautiful, young singer has been taken captive by a sadistic songwriter somewhere in the city. When a group of friends find a ransom note for the woman, they become immersed in the sinister plot of a lyrical psychopath. With only an hour to earn their freedom, the group races against the clock to break free and save the singer.

While this may sound like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s actually the scenario of one of the games at Countdown Louisville, Jeffersontown’s only local escape room.

“Ransom was the first game we created,” says Countdown Louisville Owner Greg Butler, of the game described above. “I lived in Nashville for many years and based the idea of the game off the songwriters and record label people I met there.”

A Kentucky native, Butler moved to

Louisville a few years ago with his wife, Dana, who is originally from the area.

The couple tried an escape room in the fall of 2015, and Butler was hooked. By December he had a lease on a building, and Countdown Louisville opened its doors on June 1, 2016.

Electrovault was the second game to open at Countdown Louisville. Groups in this game are surrounded by historical items with ties to Nikola Tesla, and are challenged to escape from a penthouse birthday party after discovering the party host’s dark secret.

Butler had support from a designer out of Toronto, Canada, to assist with the development and structure of Ransom, before going on to create two more rooms, Electrovault and Survival, on his own. Each of the three rooms provide interactive, realworld adventures filled with exciting clues to solve complex, thrilling puzzles.

Around 25 percent of groups have successfully broken out of the Electrovault game in under an hour, and groups participating in Ransom have had a 35 percent success rate.

The games are set up like movie sets, scenically designed to immerse the players in the room’s theme, with the goal of exiting the room by solving its puzzles in under an hour. Each game has a distinct feel and storyline, and many guests end up coming back to try out another room after their first visit.

JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

The advanced level Survival challenges a group of four to 10 guests to help hackers intercept a meteorite that is about to destroy the earth. The group is divided into two separate rooms at the start, and must break down the wall between them to combine their resources for a shot at winning the game.

“Survival is by far our most challenging game,” says Butler, noting that 10 percent of

groups have successfully broken out of the room in under an hour.

Countdown Louisville is completely locally owned, not part of a franchise and Butler is proud of the company’s Louisville roots.

“Everything we’ve created was produced here, and our entire staff is enrolled in local universities,” he says.

Butler and his team have worked together to provide a unique experience for guests, and have been able to attract quite a few repeat customers.

“All of our games have multiple rooms,” Butler says. “That’s a big deal to players. At a lot of other games, you’ll go into a single room and spend the whole hour there.”

While the games provide a spooky setting and can lead to some tense moments as teams race to beat the clock, there are no attempts to startle or scare guests in any way like at a haunted house. Team members are welcome to leave the room at any time if they feel uncomfortable, and all “locked” doors can be easily opened without outside assistance.

The most rewarding part for Butler has been how well-received the games are, even by skeptics.

“We get a lot of people who are dragged to the escape rooms, usually one person is a catalyst and another person isn’t as interested” Butler says. “I can see the look on their face when they arrive that they aren’t into it, but they come out of the game and have truly, genuinely loved the experience. It’s rewarding to see how well it is received. People love it.”

Teams often get so wrapped up in the experience that they leave their hesitations at the door.

“I have never had someone not enjoy the game, even if they didn’t want to do it originally,” Butler says. “The games are a

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guests to craft an unforgettable event.

Groups participating as a team-building exercise make up one of the largest pools of customers at Countdown Louisville and for good reason. Butler and his staff of eight combine to have decades of experience in developmental leadership and team building and have designed the Countdown Louisville escape rooms to challenge participants to exercise their communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. walk-in puzzle that give you the opportunity “The games bring people out of their shells to work as a team to solve problems. to help contribute, and it’s fun to watch them Regardless of a person’s learning style, they have small successes together,” Butler says. will bring something to the table.”

The games are suitable for groups of all Group sizes vary depending on the game, but kinds, including families and friends, typically range from two to 10 participants. coworkers, gamers, teams and more. Groups Butler noted that even in larger groups, of any size can be accommodated, and the everyone has a hand in solving the puzzle.

Countdown Louisville team works with

“I spent almost 20 years in the pharmaceuticals industry in sales, training and leadership,” Butler says. “The most rewarding part of that was in training and development. Whenever we had new hires into the industry, I would train them.”

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groups. Butler noted that the games have been very popular with dozens of local and regional companies, student groups and healthcare teams, as well as various other groups.

Thousands of guests have visited Countdown Louisville since it opened less than two years ago, and Saturdays are typically sold out. A new game is set to be unveiled this summer that will pit two groups against one another, but interested guests will have to wait a few months for the details to be released.

For those having trouble choosing which game to try, it all comes down to personal preference.

“We’ve had a lot of people who have played all three rooms, and there’s not an overall favorite,” Butler says. “People end up finding something in a room to latch onto that they really love.”

The games are family-friendly, but guests must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Any guest age 16 or under must be joined by a parent or guardian, and a waiver is required for guests under 18 who are playing without a parent or guardian.

Countdown Louisville, located at 1500 Envoy Circle Suite 1501, sits just

behind Honda World off Bunsen Way in Jeffersontown. Guests must register in advance at countdownlouisville.com.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: KENTUCKY CHEERLEADING CENTER 2701 Grassland Drive Louisville, KY 40299 (502) 491-1440 kycheercenter.com

The Kentucky Cheerleading Center has changed the landscape of competitive school cheerleading in Louisville since opening in 2012.

Brands. He had several roles within the company, including as an event planner, until he left in 2012 to open the Kentucky Cheerleading Center.

“We try to do things a little differently,” says owner and founder Josh Keeling. “We take a more private, hands-on approach to everything.”

“I decided I wanted to offer Jefferson County a different option when it came to cheerleading gyms,” Keeling says. “They’ve had the same style of cheerleading, the same way of doing things, and I wanted to do something in the other direction more closely to what I was brought up with.”

So hands on, in fact, that when you visit the Kentucky Cheerleading Center, Keeling is likely the first face you will see managing the front desk.

The company’s humble beginnings included a loaned floor from a local school and not much space. Keeling expanded in 2013 and A native of Mayfield, Kentucky, Keeling moved the Kentucky Cheerleading Center was part of the national championship to its current location at 2701 Grassland cheerleading squad at Graves County Drive in the Bluegrass Industrial Park.

High School in 2006, his senior year.

He went on to cheer at the University of The 12,000 square foot facility provides a Kentucky, where he studied marketing and private, air-conditioned space that serves was involved with two collegiate national more than 400 athletes each year. championships as a Wildcat.

Keeling moved to Jeffersontown in 2008, working full time for Louisville-based cheerleading events company The Jam

Originally started as a school-only gym, the Kentucky Cheerleading Center works with over a dozen local school teams each week JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

and used that base to build a thriving AllStars program.

The Kentucky Pride All-Stars offer teams for ages 3-23 and are split by level to allow even the most beginner students an opportunity to compete. The beginning tumbling provides a crash course for those with little to no experience, while intermediate and advanced tumbling is perfect for athletes who already have tumbling experience and want to continue honing their skills.

There are also options for half-season (December through March) and full-year ( June through March) All-Star programs which both include competitions.

Another former University of Kentucky cheerleader, Alex Hull, runs the Kentucky Pride All-Stars. Hull and Dexter James, who is the Classes Director, were both members of the world-famous Stingray All-Stars out of Atlanta, Georgia. James was a cheerleader at the University of Louisville and helped get the Kentucky Cheer Center off the ground when it first opened.

Keeling hopes to keep expanding the AllStars program, which currently has 65 athletes and also has ambitions to open a larger facility and branch out into other parts of the state.

For now, the Jeffersontown resident is content with the facility, and enjoys the small-town feel of J-Town that reminds him of where he’s from.

Keeling has enjoyed seeing the triumphs of the athletes at his gym and has seen a lot of success from both individual athletes and the school teams he works with.

“The most rewarding part is seeing the kids that come in on day one who don’t really know about the sport, weren’t totally sold on it, couldn’t do much and then seeing them go all the way up to hit the peak of collegiate cheer,” says Keeling, who noted some Kentucky Cheerleading Center athletes have gone on to compete at the University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University and Austin Peay State University, among others.

“I enjoy seeing those kids take a love of the sport and put in the hard work to get to the next level,” he says. “Watching them trying to discover their own and grow as a person is probably my favorite part.”

Keeling and his colleagues have also helped transform school teams that were traditionally not as competitive into annual contenders at the regional level. Overall, competitive cheerleading in Kentucky, especially Louisville, has seen a shift.

“We’ve pushed all the other gyms in the area to take a step back and put more of a focus on their school teams, which has made Jefferson County as a whole a lot better,” Keeling says.

“There are a lot more teams placing better at the state and national level than there were before we opened.”

The Kentucky Cheerleading Center is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, including All-Stars participation and class times, visit kycheercenter.com or call 502-491-1440.

MARCH 2018 / JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE

Writer / Marilou Jacob

A very unique quilt show will be held in Jeffersontown this summer.

The special surprise is that all of the exhibitors will be younger than 18 years old.

These youngsters, both girls and boys, will show a quilt that they have made. The rules are very simple - the quilt must be finished.

That’s it. Every child is welcome to show her quilt (or two) and may have all the help she needs to learn how to make it.

The style, color scheme, size, shape and every other feature is open for the sewist to decide.

He might follow a published quilt pattern or she might make it up as she sews. It might

be scrappy multicolored or made with new material. It can be big or small, quilted or tied, square or any other geometric shape.

Quilting is one of the most basic of arts with humble beginnings lost in time.

Ancients used quilting as a way to create warm garments and bedding by layering many pieces of fabric and holding them together by running thread through the layers. It was not decorative nor beautiful but it was warm. Quilted garments also served as very early ‘bullet proof vests’ and padding for armor.

The term ‘quilting’ refers to the sewing together of the layers - a top, a back and a layer in between. Today, the term ‘to quilt’ JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

is used to include any part of the process including sewing pieces of fabric to create the pattern on the top as well as sewing the layers together.

Decoration is a basic need for humans and so decoration began to be used very early on. Sewing the quilting with a contrasting color made a simple but attractive addition.

If the fabric was gray then the sewist might have chosen to use thread she had dyed with green plants. Decoration became more and more elaborate until, in the present day, decoration is the main feature of a quilt.

Quilts are increasingly being recognized as an art form. They are made strictly to be hung as art and can command prices into

the many thousands of dollars, but quilting is still not on a par with painting and drawing as to value. Perhaps that will come as the younger generations find there is less need for hand made warm covers and the artistic joy increases. The artistic palate is fabric and thread and they are available now in unlimited style, color, texture and size.

Sewing machines are cheap and available so most anyone can afford one.

Children have always been involved in the quilting process. At the early American quilting bees the children of the home were given the task of threading needles to be ready for the quilters so they didn’t have to interrupt their work for more thread. The children were taught how to sew pieces of fabric into designs and to follow verbal instruction. Very seldom was there a fully written pattern, although quilters did share drawings of shapes to be used as templates.

As the girls’ skills increased they made more of the household bed quilts or stocked their hope chests for the future.

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In most of the colder parts of the country, having many quilts was vital for survival. In affluent homes the beds that children slept in were hung with drapes to block the winter cold and then several quilts were piled on the bed.

These quilts usually had only a thin layer of fabric in the middle, so several were needed to create the warmth. On the frontier, children usually slept together in one bed with quilts piled on top.

The children would huddle together to share body heat and the quilts held in the warmth. Another advantage of the children sleeping in one bed was space.

Only one bed to take up room in a very small cabin was a space saver.

Today, making a quilt is a great way to learn to sew. The seams are usually straight and short, the work is satisfying and the children feel a great deal of pride in their accomplishment. There are other lessons to be learned as they sew, math, handling an iron safely, geometry and color sense to name a few. · The math lessons are painless as they begin to see the use for the Times Tables and fractions. Reading a ruler is now a useful skill, cutting shapes the right size and learning what ‘square’ means are lifetime skills. · Using an iron is a very necessary part of quilting. If the youngster presses each seam as it is sewn the individual pieces fit together more accurately. A hot iron can be dangerous and should be used with respect, but it should be used in quilting. · Quilting is all about Geometry. Squares, rectangles, triangles are basic shapes for quilt designs. Other shapes like circles, stars, lines and points just broaden the possibilities.

Here, school classes come to life. · In a time when art classes in school are considered to be ‘fluff ’, quilting introduces the color wheel, shades, contrast like light, medium and dark and how one color can influence another.

Pride in a job well done is also important

to a child’s preparation for the adult world and a chance to show her work to any who will come to see it is vital. The Childrens’ Quilt Show is designed to do just that.

Each exhibitor will receive a ribbon of participation.

free. Refreshments will be served.

How can your boy or girl participate?

Complete the registration form below and mail to the address on the form. Please register as early as possible to help the committee with their planning. You can register first and then make your quilt.

Deadline for the quilts to be delivered to the fire department is Sunday, July 22.

The show, sponsored by The Louisville Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild of Jeffersontown and by The Needle Arts Center, will be held on Sunday July 29, 2018 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm at the McMahan Fire For more information and to obtain a Department 4318 Taylorsville Rd. There is registration form, call Marilou Jacob 502no entry fee and guests may see the show for 291-5731 or email 3524mwj@gmail.com.

JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

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Active Heroes Opens Official Military Family Community Center Writer / Stephanie VonTrapp Photographer / Mareike Yocum

On December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Leake brothers from Raywick, Kentucky walked to Lebanon and enlisted to defend their country and fight for freedom. The three were separated but survived to return home and, like many, began a life-long career of factory work.

But surviving to return home does not mean that life returns back to normal. In 1980, after a life-long struggle with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Joseph Leake eventually committed suicide, leaving behind a family who loved him. His grandson, Troy Yocum, always felt there must have been some way his grandfather could have been helped. After his own tours of duty in Iraq, Troy made it his personal mission to help veterans and reduce veteran suicide. The charity, Active Heroes, started as a single fundraising hike across America. Lasting 17 months, covering 7,800 miles and 37 states, the “Hike for Heroes” raised $1.3 million for military

families and brought national attention to veteran suicide. Yocum was awarded the Citizen Honors Medal by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Since 2011, he has served as the president of Active Heroes and grown the mission to serve veterans in every state. Their mission is to end veteran suicide, and they are succeeding with a brilliant commitment to the communities they serve. In the Greater Louisville Area they have created free events and seminars, a Military Family Retreat Center located in Shepherdsville, KY and now a Military Family Community Center located in Jeffersontown, KY. I first became aware of Active Heroes when a friend (who was a disabled veteran) shared with me the story of how Active Heroes helped outfit his home when the government would not. Intrigued, I researched them online and found that more than 80 percent of the money donated goes right to the veterans who need it most.

Immediately, I knew this was an exceptional organization and as the granddaughter, daughter and sister of combat veterans, I felt compelled to contribute to the JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

effort to reduce these numbers. I started participating in fundraising events and encouraging others to do the same. One of the first things we completed was a ruckmarch called, “Carry the Fallen.” It was an emotional experience, and I will never forget as we bowed our heads in prayer for our fallen countrymen in Cave Hill Cemetery. Since then, our work with Active Heroes has only grown.

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, PTSD is defined as a mental health issue that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a lifethreatening event, such as combat, an assault, an injury or natural disaster. One of the most common types of trauma that causes PTSD is combat. Symptoms can include hopelessness, depression, anxiety, addiction, chronic pain, unemployment, homelessness and the inability to sustain lasting, healthy relationships. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation reports that if left untreated, PTSD can also last for the remainder of one’s life.

The most recent reports state that the veteran suicide rate is still twice that of

civilians. For Active Heroes, even one veteran suicide is one too many. There is a great amount of hope and many who are committed to helping our young men and women coming home with PTSD.

more we keep our bodies active, the greater chance we will have at keeping our minds sharp and healthy. Active Heroes knows this and uses activity to inspire, motivate and connect veterans.

“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do,” says Donna Salib, mother of an American soldier and Active Heroes volunteer. Donna got connected with Active Heroes while her son was deployed and has been a passionate supporter ever since.

Several years ago, we began partnering with them for the annual “Pound Challenge.”

Those who participated attempted to lift a total of 22 million pounds in order to inspire others to donate to the cause. Why lift weight for inspiration? The weight is intended to represent not just the physical burdens our soldiers have but the emotional ones as well. The significance of the number 22 is that at Active Heroes inception the Department of Veterans Affairs was reporting a veteran suicide rate of 22 veterans per day. Since then, Active Heroes has played an integral part in reducing that number to 20 per day.

As the General Manager of the Louisville Athletic Club in Jeffersontown, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be of assistance. There, I am responsible for facilitating a welcoming space where our community members can come to relieve stress, exercise their bodies, and relax their minds. Physical activity has been proven to be the single most controllable thing any of us can do to improve our health. The

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inside the Louisville Athletic Club in Jeffersontown. The Grand Opening Event is scheduled for Saturday, March 24. It is free of charge for military families and veterans.

The event will have a yoga class and a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class followed by a dinner with guest speakers and a free raffle for prizes. In future months, tentatively the last weekend each month, Active Heroes will host a Military Family Event. Throughout the month there will be other services for veterans and their families - they include guitar lessons, acupuncture, reiki, massage and more. The community center will also serve to connect veterans with peer mentors, job opportunities, financial and investment advice, veteran family scholarships and educational classes and seminars. There will also be a trained professional on staff who can assist if a veteran comes in with PTSD. As the Community Center grows, they hope to offer even more resources free of charge to military families.

We are grateful to have the resources to offer these families in our community a chance to connect and get healthier together. After 20 years in the health and wellness industry, I’ve come to discover that all of us are hoping for the same thing in life. We all just want to live our best life possible, but that is not always easy. We need the support and confidence of others to lift us up when we get beaten down.

JEFFERSONTOWN/MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

For veterans it is the same, but often they are also carrying the invisible burden of PTSD. If you or anyone you know is suffering from PTSD and looking for a community that can help, please tell them about Active Heroes and the Official Military Community Center located inside the Louisville Athletic Club Jeffersontown, 9565 Taylorsville Rd. 40299.

For more information on how you can help visit activeheros.org or call 502-277-9280.

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Worth Every Minute Bluegrass Center for Autism Gives Families Hope model and an outpouring of support from the community. What started as a handful of concerned parents of children with disabilities in a church basement in 2010, grew in 2012 to become the rebranded Bluegrass Center for Autism with two locations.

Writer / Leigh Harrington

Imagine being told that your child will never speak, then one night you sit down with them to read a book only to hear their quiet, small voice say “mom” for the first time.

“He just looked over and said mom and I guess she lost it,” says Bluegrass Center for Autism Executive Director Paul Kichler.

“I guess she never thought she would hear his voice.”

The Center has a staff of more than 70 teachers and therapists. Student ages at the center range from 2 to 21, with the younger students (ages 3-11) at the Kosair Charities East Campus in Jeffersontown and the older students (ages 12-21) at the Stories like this from the Bluegrass Center Mid City Campus in the Highlands. A new for Autism (BCA) make the countless playground was completed last fall at the hours of speech, occupational and physical Kosair campus that addresses the special therapy worth every minute. The secret of needs of the children and was partially their success is their one-on-one therapy sponsored by the city of Jeffersontown.

“It’s wonderful because J-town absolutely rallied around Bluegrass Center for Autism to make this happen,” Kichler says. “We are forever grateful to J-town for recognizing the need, addressing it and getting it done.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in every 68 children are identified with autism spectrum disorder, which is why the center decided to concentrate specifically on autism. Their unique model of one instructor with one child allows each student to work on the skills and behaviors that need the most attention. It’s a model that is cost prohibitive in most mainstream schools, but Kichler said the center has found a way to make it possible.

atMiddletown.com / MARCH 2018 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / 33

“It’s amazing to see what these kids are capable of when given the opportunity to have the one-on-one model,” Kichler says.

In a traditional school setting many of the behaviors that are common with autism may result in a child being sent out of the classroom or the need for resources that are not covered by the budget. The center’s private, non-profit status means that they are not limited by the learning objectives that public schools must cover each day.

focus on behaviors,” Kichler says.

“We can take as much time as we need to

BCA loosely follows the Jefferson County

If a child is unable to sit for more than a few seconds at a time, the staff at BCA can use positive techniques to work with them to extend that. The center only uses evidence-based curriculum, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in an effort to focus on developing communication, academic, social and life skills for its students.

Public School schedule to make it easier on families with multiple children. Their day starts at 8:45 a.m. and ends around 3:30 p.m. While the center uses a one-onone approach, staff rotate about every 30 minutes to expose the children to different teachers and personalities.

“It would be exhausting for one child and one staff to be together all day,” Kichler says.

The children also have opportunities to play with one another to build their social skills and just be kids.

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“It’s amazing to see what these kids are capable of when given the opportunity to have the one-on-one model.”

-Bluegrass Center for Autism Executive Director, Paul Kichler

There is an art to designing the classrooms at BCA. While each classroom may have only three to five children in it, the rooms must be arranged not only by age group but by ability and sensitivities.

For example, some autistic children are sensitive to loud sounds while others enjoy making a lot of noise.

While Kichler says that early intervention is typically preferred, it is never too late to seek help for an autistic child. For example, teaching any teenager to fold their laundry

or make their bed can be challenging, however it is a necessary life skill that many autistic teens must tackle in preparation for a residential placement later in life.

feel more comfortable going out to eat or to the store.

As you can imagine, such intensive therapy is expensive, which Kichler says was a big obstacle in the early years. The $26,000 “We have a little apartment in our upper campus so the kids can learn how to sweep per student tuition didn’t even cover the the floors and clean the dishes,” Kichler says. salaries. Two years ago, the center hired a part-time insurance specialist and now much of the tuition is covered for about 90 The older students may also learn basic job percent of the families. skills if that is a goal. An area of specific interest to most families is simply learning BCA is not your typical school as it is their how to act appropriately in public so they

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goal to help students gain the tools they need within a year or two so they can graduate to the mainstream educational system.

“We’re obviously not looking to cure autism because there is no cure,” Kichler says. “We just want to treat the symptoms that are aligned with autism so we can help these kiddos reach their maximum potential to be out in the community and being in a typical developing world.”

Kichler has big dreams for the future of BCA, including making it the flagship center in Kentucky for information about autism and services. He also hopes that one day they will be able to serve all their students in one building, make room for more children and expand their job and vocational services for the older students and young adults.

For more information about BCA or the enrollment process visit the center’s website at bluegrasscenterforautism.org.

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any PuRchaSe $40

. One coupon per table. Not to be combined with any other offer or coupon.

One coupon per table. Not to be combined with any other offer or coupon.

Expires 4/30/2018

9420 Shelbyville Road

Expires 4/30/2018

(502) 749-8878

atMiddletown.com / MARCH 2018 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / 39

ADD VALUE TO YOUR HOME! 100% Financing Available! • Financing As Low As 0% SIDING

ROOFING

DOORS

Fascia Soffit

Trim Insulated Vinyl Siding

SUNROOMS

WINDOWS

35

%

off

Any Window, Siding, Sunroom, Screen Room, Door Or Roofing Project Minimum purchase required.

Ask for complete details.

Code: MT0318

*No adjustments can be made to prior sales or estimates.

Coupon must be presented at time of initial estimate to be valid.

Offer expires 03-31-2018. Credit offers subject to approval.

Call

502-962-2500 1-800-530-7005

Click EnterpriseHomeImprovements.com

Visit

6215 Shepherdsville Rd. Louisville, KY