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Editor: Nancy Daly, ndaly@nky.com, 578-1059
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Boone parks are ready for spring The Boone County Parks & Recreation Department is ready for spring. We began taking shelter reservations on March 1. Boone County Park Shelters are reserved from April through October. To reserve a shelter please call Boone County Parks at 859334-2117 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. For shelter policies visit: www.boonecountyky. org/parks/ Policies.aspx ?PolicyID=7 Shelters and amenities are available at the following parks: Boone Woods Park England-Idlewild Park Walton Park Central Park Lincoln Woods Park Giles Conrad Park Gunpowder Creek at Sperti
Jackie Heyenbruch COMMUNITY RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST
Woods Park Also join us for our 2012 Concert at Creekside Series. These free concerts take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the Boone Woods Stage: Friday, June 8: Swingtime Friday, June
15: Sweet Beats Friday, June 22: Blue Chip City Big Band Saturday, July 14: Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Saturday, July 28: Florence Community Band Saturday, Aug. 25: To be announced Shakespeare is coming to
Boone Woods as well. “Shakespeare in the Park” will be presented free by The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company at a date to be announced. Bring the whole family out for Family Fun Nights. These are free at the Boone Woods Stage on Saturday evenings: June 16: MadCap Puppets (Rumpelstiltskin), 7:30-8:30 p.m. July 21: MadCap Puppets (When You Wish Upon a Fish), 7:30-8:30 p.m. The city of Walton, Walton City Council’s Park Committee and the Boone County Parks Department are proud to announce the Walton Community Park Renovations and Upgrades. Walton Community Park is a 30-acre facility located at 35 Old Stephenson-Mill Road. The park already consisted of three large
shelters, ballfields, playgrounds, walking trails and much more. The renovations and upgrades to Walton Community Park have included a new playground, a nine-hole disc golf course, repaved parking lot, new water fountains and a dog park which includes three separate runs. The future will bring more renovations and upgrades to Walton Community Park. The Boone Conservancy and the Boone County Parks Department are proud to announce the upcoming opening of The Conservancy Park Belleview in April. The Boone Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of parks and protection of land with unique or significant recreational, natural, scenic, historical and/or cultural
value. The Boone Conservancy undertook the reclamation of an old abandoned gravel mine working with Kentucky Department of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement. The park consists of over 45 acres of land. The Conservancy Park Belleview will offer a walking trail, shelter, fishing and much more. Park development, operation and maintenance will be provided by the Boone County Parks & Recreation Department. For more information on Park Programs and Events, visit us at www.boonecountyky.org/parks or call us at 859-334-2117. Jackie Heyenbruch is marketing and resources coordinator for Boone County Parks & Recreation.
Keep in mind the budget is a process
Before the March 2 tornado, the Imhoffs of Piner had completely renovated their home at Ky. 17 and Paxton Road. It was destroyed by the tornado in southern Kenton County. NANCY DALY/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Banding together to help Kentucky after tornadoes It has been a little more than a week since a massive tornado outbreak struck Kentucky and neighboring states. While it was heartbreaking to watch the storms come through and the damage left behind, it has been heartwarming to know that neighbors and good Samaritans have banded together under clearer skies to respond with a helping hand. Organizations and individuals have responded with financial assistance as well. Many of our neighbors have donated to the relief efforts through local nonprofits and the American Red Cross. Toyota, Ford, Xerox, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and other organizations have all pledged generous contributions for the relief efforts. This financial aid supplements federal resources requested by Gov. Steve Beshear and supported by the Kentucky congressional delegation. In Independence, Twenhofel Middle School opened its doors to donations for the victims of an EF-4 tornado that touched down in nearby Piner. Within mere hours of advertising the drive, clothing tightly packed
yards-long coat racks, and tables became mountains of clothes, toiletries and food. The school’s principal deGeoff scribed the Davis outpouring as “overwhelmCOMMUNITY RECORDER GUEST ing.” COLUMNIST Another example of the outpouring of good will was in Fleming County when neighbors rushed to offer clothing and toys to a family whose mobile home was all but destroyed in the storms. Volunteers have operated shelters from Bedford to Dry Ridge to our neighbors in West Liberty in the Sixth District, where the town suffered devastation. The Tide “Loads of Hope” mobile laundry program, which first began in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has come to the commonwealth to wash items for local residents. And there’s the entrepreneurial work of Lisa Raterman, who helped start the Facebook group “Coordination of help for NKY victims of
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A publication of
3.2.12 tornado” almost immediately. She used this page to begin recruiting, coordinating and focusing local assistance and relief efforts in our communities. All of these efforts have been crucial and they inspire us to keep helping. Kentucky Emergency Management has a page with information on relief agencies and a form to sign up for donations and volunteering. Additionally, the Red Cross is continuing to take financial contributions for the Kentucky Cares Campaign. Simply text “REDCROSS” to the number 90999 or visit http://www.redcross.org to give to the Disaster Relief Fund. The path to recovery is just beginning. We have seen disasters strike before, but one thing has remained constant: our will to rise and rebuild. This will hold true again, as Kentucky rallies around the common cause to emerge from this tragedy a stronger and tighter commonwealth. U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Hebron, is a member of the House of Representatives.
Greetings from Frankfort! We arrived last Monday with heavy hearts, several legislators describing parts of their home communities devastated by storms, some friends and towns gone forever. We shared our prayers and support knowing Kentuckians are strong and resilient folk, committed to rebuild if at all possible. On March 7, the House passed the two-year budget by a vote of 78-17. Addia Folks, I was Wuchner one of the 17 COMMUNITY “no” votes RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST and will explain why later in this article. Keep in mind the budget is a process. The governor proposes, the House of Representatives then spends weeks reviewing his budget proposal. We have seven budget sub-committees, consisting of approximately 75 House members reviewing the subsections, and listening to hours of public testimony. Then the Appropriations and Revenue Committee reviews and rewrites the budget, which then comes to the House for a vote. Next, the process continues as it moves on to the Senate, the Senate changes it and votes, then it comes back to the House at which time no one usually agrees and we then have to go to conference committee to hammer out the final budget. It is a process, and often not a pretty one. I had several concerns with the House proposed budget, and the revenue bill, House Bill 499, that accompanied the budget bill. The debt ratio, the structural imbalances, and the rush to vote. In recent years, we have stressed the need for transparency and providing time for the voting members and the public to review the budget. It is too important to Kentucky and her people to vote on a $19.5 billion dollar
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budget when we are only given a few hours to review the complex 297 pages of budget language before casting that vote. The people of Kentucky deserve good government. On the matter of debt ratio, I recently joined many of my caucus members in sending a letter to the chairman of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee asking him to hold a hearing and vote on Senate Bill 1, which passed the Senate 34-2 last month. Senate Bill 1 is sound fiscal policy and essentially would limit the general fund debt service not exceed 6 percent. Even with all the reductions, the debt ratio in the proposed House budget was 6.71 percent. It is critical that we bring Kentucky in line to live with our means, as we cannot continue to spend more than the revenue we take in. The budget that passed the House did implement across-the-board cuts of 8.4 percent in all three branches of government. Higher education, which is our state’s public universities, is receiving a budget cut of 6.4 percent. The SEEK formula for local school funding does not incur the cuts above and maintains their current 2012 funding level for 2013-2014 school year. But in essence, growth districts like Boone and Walton-Verona would experience some reduction when there is the same amount of money, but more students to serve. We have taken several budget cuts the last few sessions, but like the citizens we serve, Kentucky government is learning to rework priorities and live within our means. Again, please keep in mind the budget is a process and there are several more votes to be made before finally passage. As always, I welcome your comments and concerns for the upcoming session. State Rep. Addia Wuchner, RBurlington, is a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.
Boone County Recorder Editor Nancy Daly ndaly@nky.com, 578-1059 Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday See page A2 for additional contact information.