Middletown Magazine June 2024

A Place for Growth

The Scripture Garden in Forest Hills Serves for Gathering and Reflection

EXPERIENCE KIM MAHLBACHER’S WHIMSICAL, AWARD-WINNING ARTWORK

Eye on the Ball

Jaelin Howell Is a True Team Player on and off the Soccer Field

QUICK FACTS

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VALHALLA POST ACUTE

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Inexpensive Ideas to Check Off Your Summer Bucket List

Writer / Aimee MacArthur

While I like the idea of a summer bucket list, it can feel a bit overwhelming. I prefer to make a short list, so I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can complete the list. Here are 5 inexpensive ideas to add to your summer bucket list. I guarantee you’ll save money and have some fun this summer.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM … VISIT AN ICE CREAM SHOP!

It doesn’t seem like summer unless I’m standing in front of an ice cream stand. I have many fond memories of visiting ice cream shops when I traveled with my family. I enjoy standing in line and chatting with other customers about what they plan to order. Long lines don’t matter to me when there’s an ice cream treat waiting at the end. My favorite ice cream splurges are a hot fudge sundae and a cherry soda with vanilla ice cream. Go with a group of family or friends and each choose something different. Ask for recommendations and try some fun flavor combinations. Make it a contest and vote on who ordered the best ice cream treat. Award the winner a gift card from the ice cream shop.

HAPPY HUMMINGBIRDS. SET UP A HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER.

These tiny birds bring me so much joy. A hummingbird feeder is an inexpensive investment. Most feeders run between $10-$20. You will need a pole or a stand to hang the feeder and they are around $20 or less.

It’s easy to make the hummingbird nectar. It’s one part sugar to four parts water (1 cup of sugar 4 cups of water) and let boil. Let the solution cool and fill the feeder.

Hummingbirds are attracted to red, so be sure you have some red objects near the feeder. You can have red flowers or even a red patio umbrella. Hummingbirds will visit the feeder a handful of times a day. Believe me, they are fun to watch and sometimes I’ll have three or four at the feeder at one time. Delightful!

For more information on hummingbirds, visit the National Audubon Society at audubon.org.

VISIT A FARMERS MARKET

Summer is the time to appreciate local produce and other homemade goods. I enjoy stopping at a local farmers market and thinking of different things to cook. It’s a way for me to jump out of my comfort zone. I set a budget for myself before I go the market. A trip to the market doesn’t have to be expensive. A stop at a farmers market can be one-stop shopping for breads, dairy, produce and meat all in one trip. On a recent trip to my local farmers market, I purchased a loaf of country white bread, a couple of spice packets to make a fantastic meal, and some fresh produce. When I’m finished shopping, I sit on a bench and do some people watching and listen to music. It’s also a good time to see if I need to get anything else. I usually decide to make a few more stops at the market before I leave.

GO FOR A SUNSET WALK

Some of the best sunsets are during the summer. You can’t beat the mix of amber and violet hues. I take my dog, Louis for long sunset walks, and I always bring my phone. It’s a chance to capture a few photos and send to friends and family. I get some ideas by looking at my neighbors’ yards. As an extra bonus, you’ll be getting in a healthy workout while enjoying a gorgeous sky. Perfection!

CHILL AND GRILL

I can sometimes get into a grilling rut. Summer is the perfect time to shake up your grilling game. I like to make kabobs (veggie, chicken, shrimp, steak), which are inexpensive if you buy the ingredients and assemble them yourself. You can save money by using less meat and more vegetables. Don’t forget to season well with salt and pepper or spice mixes. Serve the kabobs with rice and a feta, tomato and cucumber salad and you’ve got a perfect meal. Grill packets are inexpensive and easy to make. Put veggies and potatoes in aluminum foil and season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Seal them up and cook them on the grill. Fajitas are another fan favorite. Choose your veggies, protein and put them on the grill. Any of these meals can be enjoyed outside. Want to save a little more money? Check the grocery store ads and select your grill meal based on what meat and produce is on sale. Make your meal fun by taking photos of your grilled feast.

For more information on grilling, visit foodnetwork.com and search for grilling ideas and recipes.

KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS ACADEMY

Writer / Gavin LaPaille

Photography Provided Kentucky Gymnastics Academy (KGA) has been flipping Louisville kids for over four decades.

Offering classes and open gyms geared toward all skill levels, KGA has continued its mission of celebrating each child’s accomplishments, no matter how great or small. Children starting at 18 months old are invited to learn gymnastics at KGA, which offers programs for both recreational and competitive athletes.

“We meet kids where they are in their development,” said KGA Owner Shannon Wickel. “That’s the beautiful thing about our program; students can do gymnastics just for fun, and for the reward and joy of finding a new skill, or they can come in and we have the resources and ability to train them to go to college gymnastics if that’s what they desire.”

KGA was founded in 1981 by local gymnast Ingrid Bojanowski after she saw the need for a dedicated gymnastics facility in the Louisville area. Originally located in Anchorage, KGA now calls a 14,000-squarefoot building just outside the Lake Forest subdivision its home. The facility provides state-of-the-art gymnastics equipment, plus in-ground trampolines, loose foam pits, dance rooms, and a NinjaZone rig for their enrollees, which include boys and girls. It even has some offerings geared toward adults.

After working at the gym as an instructor, Wickel purchased the business about 10 years ago and continues the long-standing degree of excellence KGA is known to provide.

“When we moved into the building in 2016, we tripled the enrollment and doubled our competitive team,” Wickel said. “We’re not looking to have a huge team. We want to know every kid that walks into the door. Our student-to-staff ratio is very low for the industry. We typically have a 6:1 ratio in classes because I want to make sure the kids are learning.”

As the only licensed NinjaZone program in the state of Kentucky, KGA also offers a unique opportunity for those interested in martial arts and parkour.

“NinjaZone is a combination of gymnastics, parkour and martial arts,” Wickel said. “Not only are they learning gymnastics skills, but they’re learning strength and coordination,

how their bodies move, and how to take calculated risks to gain confidence. It’s not quite as structured, and is more free-form movement.”

Wickel said the benefits of getting your children involved with gymnastics are limitless.

“It’s going to teach them self-confidence and time management,” Wickel said. “We make sure we’re setting them up for success. The confidence gained from setting and achieving goals follows these kids for the rest of their lives, creating physical and emotional health. It’s so important for our well-being to physically move. Kids need a physical outlet to express themselves, and parents tend to see a happier and more emotionally stable child after they’ve had a gymnastics class.”

Families interested in gymnastics or NinjaZone classes, preschool and big-kid open gyms, or KGA’s First Stop academic preschool program, can learn more at kgagym.com, or by calling 502-254-1010.

1160 Avoca Station Court

Louisville, KY 502-254-1010

kgagym.com CONNECT

Owner Shannon Wickel

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

BOYS & GIRLS

WITH FOSTER CARE, INDEPENDENCE

READINESS AND COUNSELING SERVICES Writer

/ Grace Schaefer

Provided

In 1950, nine boys, a chef and a Catholic priest moved into a newly built cottage on Goldsmith Lane in Louisville. At that time, children in Kentucky’s foster care system were turned out at the age of 14, and while girls were often able to find a home, it was more difficult for teenage boys. Father Maloney, a Catholic priest, noticed the need and, with a conviction to make a difference for these boys, sought support from both the church and his family. He gained funds, bought land and began a building process that would house nine turned-away boys.

One cottage, it turned out, wasn’t enough.

The project on Goldsmith Lane continued to grow until now, over 70 years after its small but significant start. It has become a

22-acre campus, working in concert with off-campus apartments and community services, all in the name of giving a home to Kentucky’s vulnerable children. Today this organization is called Boys & Girls Haven.

“Our mission is really to help these children and families,” says Amanda Masterson, the organization’s CEO. “In [the Goldsmith Lane facility], we serve boys ages 11 to 17 who need residential treatment and who are in the state’s foster care system.”

Along with a residential home, the boys receive continuing - though not simply traditional - therapy. The facility provides “music therapy, art therapy, just different types of creative therapies that you can do with teenagers,” Masterson says. “We have

a barn on our property, and so the kids can also participate in equine- or animal-assisted therapy.”

The farm animals serve more than just therapeutic purposes. “A lot of times it’s a way to build trust with the kids,” Masterson says. “They don’t oftentimes trust adults. This teaches them to use skills to build relationships with animals, and helps them understand how to translate that to people relationships.”

The activities have a vocational training aspect as well, teaching the young men how to show up and complete tasks.

At the age of 18, young men and women have the option to “recommit” to the state, extending state-given support until the age of 21. Boys & Girls Haven also helps young men in this transition period learn how to function with increased independence. “We work with you on getting connected to school, growing your independence,

making sure you know how to make doctor’s appointments, how to get to and from where you need to go, and to ride the TARC,” Masterson says.

There are supervised pre-independent living apartments, and after “graduating,” there are independent apartments available.

Boys & Girls Haven does not, however, serve only young men. Every program they offer, with the exception of the residential campus option, is open to girls. The organization also works with the broader community, including outpatient behavioral health services, referred to as Haven Family Counseling. This includes mental health and case management services.

“That’s a pretty large program for us,” Masterson says. “We’re serving children and families in their community, whether that be in the school setting or in their home, or in an office space.”

Additionally, Boys & Girls Haven trains foster parents who plan to serve higher-need children - those coming out of residential treatment or into the state’s foster care system.

“Truly there’s not a more vulnerable population than kids who have been removed from their home of origin or family, and these are abused and neglected kids so they’ve experienced trauma,” Masterson says. “We’re part of their healing journey. Boys & Girls Haven has always let me put the kids first.”

The mission is dear to Masterson’s heart. She has worked with the Haven for 15 years, first as a social worker, and then in a variety of roles including programming director and chief operating officer, before becoming the organization’s CEO over four years ago.

“I work with some really dedicated, talented people,” she says. “As a leader I just get out of their way and let them do what they’re

really good at. Our mission is really to help these children and families to be resilient members of the community, to help them heal, and to give them hope for their future. We know that this population is at high risk for being homeless, and so we want to work to combat that, and the better we do at getting them stabilized and getting them to work through some of that trauma, and getting them back into a home environment or on their way in independent living, the better they’re going to feel.”

The role of each individual is essential to helping Louisville’s vulnerable children, and Masterson acknowledges this by discussing the impacts of contributors, volunteers and Haven staff.

“Abuse and neglect is a difficult topic,” Masterson says. “It’s easy to not think about it, but it happens everywhere. It happens in all zip codes.”

Masterson urges readers to be kind, stay

aware and offer support. “You just never know what someone’s going through,” she says.

Neighbors helping neighbors can reduce the number of children in need of services like Boys & Girls Haven.

For those who want to serve with the organization, there are many options. They host events, both for the community and for the young men living at the Haven, and volunteers are welcome for all. Financial support can also be given, whether through donations or through the Gravy Cup, held in February. “It’s a way to support the organization and also just have some good comfort food,” Masterson says. Community members purchase tickets to sample an incredible variety of biscuits and gravy made by local cooks, and professional chefs declare winners in different categories.

There are also opportunities to serve on the grounds. “We’re always looking for

volunteers,” Masterson says. “We have older buildings and 22 acres of property to take care of.”

Volunteers can help care for the grounds, gardens, animals and barn on-site. “Also, we look for opportunities for people to help mentor the kids,” Masterson says. For a group of children who don’t always trust adults, a good mentoring relationship with a grown-up can be life changing.

Masterson says the staff makes Boys & Girls Haven’s work possible. “It takes a special kind of person to do it,” she says of the team. “It’s making a difference in this kid’s life. It’s meaningful work.”

Since that first cottage opened over 70 years ago, the organization has shown Kentucky’s vulnerable children that there is, indeed, a hope for their future.

To learn more and get involved, visit boysandgirlshaven.org.

INTRODUCING NEW SERVICES

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Zoom Group [ZG] is thrilled to announce the launch of our new Residential 2 and Respite Services.

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EYE ON THE BALL

JAELIN HOWELL IS A TRUE TEAM PLAYER ON AND OFF THE SOCCER FIELD

Jaelin Howell has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old.

She loves the game, loves her fellow athletes, and loves having a platform that enables her to give back.

The Colorado native played for the Florida

State University Seminoles for four years, and won the Hermann Trophy in both 2020 and 2021; it’s awarded to the top men and women college soccer players. She became one of only six women to receive the trophy in consecutive years, alongside Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow, Christine Sinclair, Morgan Brian and Catarina Macario.

In 2022 Howell scored her first international goal against Uzbekistan with the U.S. women’s international team, and that same year she signed a three-year contract with Racing Louisville FC as team captain.

She comes from a family of athletes. Her father, John Howell, was an NFL Super Bowl-winning safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and she and her two brothers

have played sports for as long as she can remember.

“I think sports in general teach so many different aspects of life: hard work, dedication, discipline,” she said. “I was always taught that a lot of lessons in sports translate to life. I love how competitive and physical soccer is. You have to be fast, strong, technical and smart - really, a complete athlete in soccer.”

Howell started all 22 matches in her rookie season and just completed her second season with Racing Louisville.

Sports also often bring people together for the greater good according to Howell, and though she’s enjoying her second season

Writer / Melissa Stalb Photography Courtesy of Racing Louisville FC

with the team, her mission off the field is just getting started.

In 2023 Racing Louisville, led by Howell, partnered with Down Syndrome of Louisville (DSL). The organization was formed in 1977 by Mary Carter, and what began as an intervention program to support children with Down syndrome became year-round programming, which included educational, physical and personal development, health and wellness, and social development for children and adults of all ages.

It remains the largest Down syndrome association in the world, and offers more than 50 programs, events and services to over 1,200 families.

The organization also works to advocate and educate the public about supporting individuals with Down syndrome, partnering with employers for job

ways of teaching, and individuals, or “Kindness Warriors,” to spread compassion and inclusivity.

The good they were and are doing has been inspiring to Howell, and she wanted to get involved.

“I think as a pro athlete you have a responsibility to give back to the community,” she said. “Helping others is super important to my family and to my faith. I knew I wanted to do something in Louisville, particularly as the only top pro soccer team in the area.”

She has experience working with people with Down syndrome, making the support of DSL and the relationships formed close to her heart.

Several years ago Howell became friends with Mike Waters, a man who befriended her brother through a football camp.

“Mike just showed me how amazing a person with Down syndrome is, and what a light they are to the world,” Howell said. “There’s an innocence and an ability to love others, and I just saw all of those aspects in Mike.”

With Waters in mind, she reached out to DSL and they were immediately open to the idea of a partnership.

“Support from our community is imperative to our mission,” said Julie Torzewski, executive director for DSL. “We just could not do it without the financial support of our donors. However, when someone gives of themselves above and beyond financial support, it’s that much more meaningful. From the day she reached out to us, Jaelin has been 100% committed to being a friend of our members. She is their biggest cheerleader.”

In 2023 Racing Louisville hosted a DSL dance and soccer camp. They focused on

raising funds for the organization and received a $25,000 Nationwide Community Impact Award donation.

In addition, members of DSL join the team as honorary captains at each home game and are able to see their photo displayed on the big screen.

“The dance was called the Racing BFF dance and we had a photo booth, dancing and balloon art,” Howell said. “They got to eat and hang out with the Racing players. Throughout the year we set up different donation opportunities. For example, we held a drive for markers and paper, because our friends at DSL love to color and draw.”

They’re already gearing up for 2024, and are excited to expand the partnership and better the program through new ideas and events.

“My vision from the beginning was a Racing and DSL soccer camp where kids got to come out and play on the field, receive

coaching and get to experience what it’s like to play with these pro athletes,” Howell said. “They receive their own T-shirts and bags with some gear. I think this year we’ll combine the two and have the soccer camp, and at the end host the dance party. That’ll be super exciting.”

Her vision is coming to fruition, and while the team checks the boxes of support and fundraising for DSL, a much stronger bond is forming.

In just the first year, the relationships between DSL members and the players have blossomed.

“We’ve gotten to know a lot of families,”

Howell said. “As much as we think we’re doing for them, they do just as much for us. It’s awesome to watch my teammates interact with them and help. These are really special humans and I just love them. I think we can learn so much from them.”

In 2024 DSL is planning to expand and open a full-time preschool program. They already work with developmental intervention and additional therapies, but DSL is preparing to offer even more. The women of Racing Louisville will be by their side, raising awareness and funds to make it possible.

“We are opening a preschool in the fall of 2024, and funds raised with Jaelin’s support

will help us launch this effort and meet vital needs for our families and children,” Torzewski said.

Though Howell’s contract ends in 2025, she loves her “second family” and hopes the partnership she’s developed will last far into the future.

“I hope we just keep getting bigger and better,” Howell said. “I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I want this partnership to continue even if I’m not here.”

Follow Howell’s journey with Racing Louisville FC at racingloufc.com.

Photo courtesy of David Mucker

JUNE CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DOWN

1. Slap on

2. ___ buco

3. Belittled

4. Dagger part

5. Out of whack

6. Summer shade

7. Drifted off

8. Secretary, at times

9. Goings-on

10. Firm head

11. Tit for ___

19. Exceptional

21. Not brilliant

24. Took to task

25. Error message?

26. Pending, as a legal decree

27. Ease, as hostilities

28. Argument’s weakness

29. Generational divide

32. Stock holder?

33. Way to go

35. Signature piece?

36. Track events

38. Like a windbag

39. Dickensian denomination

42. Staff roster

43. Stick with a toothpick

44. Polished off

45. Chinese brew

46. “Deck the Halls” contraction

48. Calif. airport

Solution posted on Magazine Facebook Page

44. Takes steps

47. It parallels a radius

49. “___ bad!”

50. Anything but that?

51. Like some romance novels

52. Capt.’s announcement

53. Street for the wealthy?

54. Divorcees

55. Flatfish

IN HER NATURE

Writer / Helen E. McKinney

Picture a little girl perched on a soft, colorful hand-stitched quilt reading her favorite book. Surrounding her are some of the animals from the stories, having come to life right before her eyes.

You have just conjured up “Imagined Real,” the Best of Show artwork from last year’s Arts on the Green (AOG) winner Kim

Mahlbacher. So real is her artwork that you would think the girl and her companions will strike up a conversation with you.

Mahlbacher has a deep love of nature that stems from her childhood in Anchorage, Kentucky, where she grew up on a farm. With that she combines a passion for wool to create alluring creatures that appear to

have stepped right out of the pages of a fairy tale. She described being chosen as the 2023 Best of Show winner for the juried art and craft festival as being “overwhelmed, overjoyed, and extremely honored and humbled to have my piece chosen amongst the works of so many incredible artists who were showing at Arts on the Green.”

Photography Provided

Last year’s show brought in over 80 artists, including a dozen from Oldham County, 20-plus from out of state, and 50 from across the state. Art was represented in the following categories: painting, drawing, wood, sculpture, fiber, 2D mixed media, 3D mixed media, jewelry, metal/blacksmithing, glass, photography, consumables, ceramics, and digital art.

AOG will be held on June 8 and 9, 2024, at The Maples Park in Crestwood. Organized by the Arts Association of Oldham County (AAOC), it gives artists an opportunity to display and sell handcrafted items and vie for monetary awards, ribbons and the coveted Best of Show designation.

The AAOC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission involves promoting the arts in Oldham County. This is done in a variety of ways including monthly art exhibits and competitive shows including student shows, art-themed international travel tours, as well as arts education programs and classes.

Three $5,000 scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from Oldham County Schools, and the AAOC works closely with the Kentucky Arts Council, Fund for the Arts and the Louisville Art Association. The AAOC operates Gallery 104 on historic Main Street in La Grange.

The AAOC is partnering with the Louisville Food Truck Association to provide 15 food trucks daily. West Sixth Brewing and Wildside Winery will be participating, and there will be free shuttle buses to transport attendees to and from The Maples Park, as well as designated public parking sites. Handicap parking and transport will be available on-site, as will artist parking. There will be a full lineup of local entrainment, children’s activities, and students from the Oldham County Schools Arts Center will have an Emerging Artists booth featuring local student artwork. Attendees can vote for their favorite student piece and the winner will receive a People’s Choice Award.

A panel of eight judges critiqued and scored the artwork for AOG, choosing who they thought was the best in each category, and best overall. One of the judges, Leah Tenney, a fiber artist herself, said the show “included many wonderful entries across all categories. There were eight individual pieces nominated for Best of Show, and the judging team gave special consideration to each one.”

While all of the nominees showed a high level of skill and design, Tenney said Mahlbacher’s piece stood out with an extraordinary level of creativity and craftsmanship. “Her piece communicated a rich story, full of emotion and whimsy, transporting the viewer to their own childhood memories of the magic of imagination,” Tenney said.

Mahlbacher said her handcrafted artwork “encompasses woodland creatures, fairies and animal fairies, animals wild and domestic, gentle nativities, and the garden. I try to reflect my love of nature in each piece,

and to capture a whimsical, joy-filled spirit where there’s a gentle smile, a mischievous wink or imaginations from childhood. I’m of Irish descent.”

Mahlbacher said the piece was inspired by her 4-year-old granddaughter, Anna, who “loves books and making up stories about her animals and dolls - dear beyond words.”

Working primarily in fiber and wool, needle felting, and wet felting for the clothing on the pieces, she describes her work as “art which comes to life with imagination, because all the pieces are posable. They can be changed to express moments in time. I try to impart a gentleness in each piece. All have little smiles.”

While she does not raise her own sheep, she is a Kentucky Proud member and buys all her wool with curls from Kentucky breeders of Cotswold and Shetland sheep. Her wool roving comes from Ireland.

Tenney said Mahlbacher’s “dedication to her craft also stood out. Not only does she excel in needle felting, her sculptural work is entirely handmade, from the posable armature supporting each figure, the hand-dyed wool, the realistic design of both animal and human figures, the handmade garments often embellished with embroidery and found objects, to the narrative she creates. Every step is done with care, skill and meaning.”

To learn her craft, Mahlbacher said she took a three-day class with Silke Sordy, a German-born doll artist who creates fantasy worlds with needle-felted dolls resembling gnomes.

In addition, Mahlbacher took a three-day class with a fiber felting artist from Ohio, Megan Nedds. Nedds sculpts animal figures, and in her classes, students learn how to felt a variety of animals, including their own pets in certain classes.

Felting can be slow and detailed, and Mahlbacher is also self-taught. “I have no other formal artistic training and no degree in art,” she said.

She volunteered for three years while in high school with a veterinarian, Dr. Gerry Meyer, DVM, who founded Pewee Valley Veterinary Center. “This helped me with an understanding of animal structure,” she said. “I’ve also always had animals in my life.”

Mahlbacher said she has “always loved art and animals. I wanted to go to UC Berkeley art school to study after high school, but my dad said, ‘Starving artist,’ so I complied.”

Instead, she attended the University of Louisville to earn a degree to become a registered nurse. After she retired and was left with an empty nest, she returned to her love of art.

She is also skilled in papier-mâché, pen and ink, pencil, quilting, and polymer clay.

Mahlbacher incorporates polymer clay into some of her pieces for parts such as hooves. She has exhibited alongside her peers in such shows as the St. James Court Art Show, Louisville Artisans Guild Fine Arts Show, and WinterFair 2023. She is a member of the AAOC, Gallery 104, Kentucky Crafted, Louisville Artisans Guild, Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists, and the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild.

Organizers try to maintain a high quality of artwork for AOG. Tenney said last year’s show “was full of high-quality work across all genres and styles. The artists were so engaging and willing to share their stories and inspirations. Nearly every booth held a creative surprise, and the judging team was very impressed with the skill and creativity we saw.”

For more information about Arts on the Green, contact the director at artsongreen@aaooc.org, call 502-487-0379, or visit aaooc.org.

Summertime Nostalgia

Writer / Stanley Hewson

Photography Provided

As we enter into summer, I find myself in a rare state of mind for myself - that of nostalgia and retrospection.

When I think back on the summers of my childhood, I remember being carefree, spending all day outside, except for the occasional brutally hot day when the basement was the only place to cool off. Lack of central air required box fans in the windows to keep air circulating. Some days, constant perspiration was experienced. You’d get used to it after a while.

The days seemed to stretch on forever and summers didn’t fly by like they do now. By the time summer ended, it felt as if I was a different person than the one that entered into summer each year.

I remember long days, late nights and plenty of time to lounge around if so desired. Summer camping trips to nearby lakes and rivers were an annual tradition. My family didn’t take expensive vacations far from home, but the memories see no difference. Campfires, swimming, roasting marshmallows and waking up with the sunrise, regardless of how late we went to bed, was par for the course.

Once I was old enough, I used some of the free time summer allowed to make some money. Cutting a neighbor’s grass and/or doing odd jobs was standard. My first purchase with money earned that first summer was at a pet shop. I bought a bird cage and a parakeet. That bird lived a good number of additional summers beyond. Not a bad investment.

I’m going to resolve to attempt to recapture some of that carefree perspective this summer by taking more time off work, spending more time outside, and maybe even chase down some fireflies while I’m at it. Want to join me?

A Place for Growth

THE SCRIPTURE GARDEN IN FOREST HILLS SERVES FOR GATHERING AND REFLECTION

Writer / Julie Yates

Within Louisville’s Forest Hills neighborhood is a place of peace, where all are always welcome to spend time connecting with nature. Situated on the property of Community of Christ church, visitors to the Scripture Garden will find beauty no matter the season. The handicap-accessible, half-acre plot features permanent installations, but the appearance of the flowers, shrubs and trees is constantly changing.

For over 25 years, Dave and Joyce Blair,

with help from the church congregation and members of the community, have been the stewards of the garden. It was initiated to honor the wish of their daughter, Dr. C. Darcy Blair, who passed away in 1997. Now, after the recent passing of her husband, Joyce Blair is handing her role as garden caretaker over to an organization, Friends of the Garden.

“The garden was dedicated in May of 1998,” Blair says. “It is in honor of our daughter, but it’s not really a memorial. It’s a place that

Photography Provided

Joyce Blair

is open all the time, and is lit from dusk until midnight for people to draw strength from nature.”

“Darcy was widely traveled,” she adds. “She was interested in scripture gardens she had seen while visiting England and other localities around the world. Our family has attended Community of Christ church for many years and Darcy had presented the idea to the church. After she passed away, our family thought it fitting to present the idea to the congregation again. We found

out they were already discussing it, and thought it would fit in with their objectives and goals to provide a peaceful place to the community.”

Friends of the Blair family, the church congregation and the community all rallied behind the idea, and contributed labor, funds and donations of plants. The garden was designed by Virginia Lee Pledger, who compiled a huge binder of the 150-plus species of perennial flowers, shrubs and trees. Along the curving walkways there

Heartsong East Adult Day Health Care

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are markers identifying the names of the vegetation, as well as 20 rocks and boulders with Bible passages etched on bronze plaques.

The garden is filled with varieties native to Kentucky, and flowers include roses, peonies, irises, lilies, bleeding hearts, forgetme-nots, coral bells and lilacs. Permanent installations add to the beauty. Benches are available for those who would like to sit and view the flower-covered archway, watch birds fly, listen to the wind chimes and take

a few minutes to think. Anchoring it all is a large pergola with a birdbath fountain. The Blair family engaged an architect to design the structure and was responsible its inclusion in the garden.

One community member, the late Stan Lemaster, left a wonderful legacy in the garden. He traveled around the world and collected seeds and cuttings from trees with historic pasts. Eleven of the trees in the garden are cultivated from his efforts. One came from a tree that was growing on the

grounds of Buckingham Palace in England. Another is the descendent of a tree grown by Johnny Appleseed, from Lima, Ohio. Also included is the offspring of a magnolia tree that was planted on the White House grounds by President Andrew Jackson.

Over the years many events have been held in the garden, such as weddings, wedding vow renewal ceremonies, parties, luncheons and musical events. Midnight vigils have been held, including one for a fallen highway patrolman and another for Dave

Blair. Many residents of the neighborhood have family albums that include senior and prom photos taken in the garden. A teacher from a nearby school brings groups of students to learn about the life cycle of plants and how to recognize bird calls.

“If someone would like to reserve the garden for an event, all they must do is call the church office,” Blair says. “There is no real charge, but donations are welcome. A lot of people walk in the garden with strollers, dogs and friends. People get a lot

of good out of seeing the orderly unfolding of nature. I was weeding one day when a woman came by and told me she is her husband’s primary caregiver. She is busy all day, but at night she comes and sits on one of the benches.”

“Health care professionals know the value of being out in nature,” she continues. “I’ve seen individuals unload easels from their car and paint. Someone recently came up to me and said, ‘I thought you ought to know, our family is getting a lot of good from the garden. Our handicapped daughter is in a wheelchair, but she can come here and is getting to know the names of the plants.’ One group of children painted sayings on little rocks and hid them around the garden for people to find.”

The garden is usually the site of a special gathering every season. This past December, people visited the space at the conclusion of the Forest Hills Neighborhood Dinner and Carriage Rides event. The holiday

decorations, Christmas music and cozy fire pit were enjoyed by all who attended.

“It’s now time for me to pass on the leadership and help with any problems to make sure the transition goes well,” Blair says. “The organization, Friends of the Garden, will manage, develop and raise funds to enable it to continue. It is led by Blake Rosbury.

There are many chances to volunteer, such as planting a plant or raking leaves. Donors have the opportunity to insert a brick, engraved with their name, special passage or important date, in the crosswalk. In a lot of ways, the Scripture Garden has been a real blessing to the community. It was initiated by my daughter, but it’s never been a sad place. It’s a place for people to get their thinking straight. I think it is serving a real purpose and people are getting a lot of good from it.”

Donations to the Scripture Garden can be

sent to: Community of Christ Church, 2401 Merriwood Drive, Louisville, KY 40299. Call the church office at 502-267-5508 to reserve it for a special event, or to find out more about Friends of the Garden.

“Cafe Osteria” menu is offered Monday- Sunday 11am-3pm.

TAPPING INTO HOPE

WATERSTEP WORKS FOR SAFE, CLEAN WATER ACCESS AROUND THE WORLD

It began with a mission trip in West Africa in 1983. Mark Hogg, a college student, was helping to build a dam that would expand a 20-acre lake to 60 acres.

“The lake was filthy,” he says. “It was causing sickness and disease. Women were bringing their cattle, and their goats or sheep. It was a terrible place. There was no support, no way for them to have safe water.”

Though it is well-known that contaminated water causes sicknesses and fatalities, many people around the world still drink it. Some know that the water will make them sick, but without access to safe water, there isn’t an alternative.

“At night I would hear this drum cadence periodically, and it would be kind of odd,” Hogg says. “The first time I heard it, I asked around that morning what it was,

and people said, ‘That’s the drum cadence that happens when a child dies in the community.’ I know now that was from waterborne illness.”

After his trip, Hogg was confused. “I couldn’t imagine how these people could be living like this,” he says. “It became a big part of my life to look for a way to solve that problem. My faith has always played a big part of what I am and what I do, and long ago I felt this tug - a call - to be able to help people somehow.”

Years later, Hogg is now hard at work on the problem. He is the founder and CEO of the WaterStep organization.

Writer / Grace Schaefer Photography Provided

Mark Hogg

“WaterStep is an organization that works in the developing world and in disasters, in order for folks to be able to control their own safe water access,” Hogg says. “Today we teach people all over the world WASH - water and sanitation hygiene. We’ve really been able to help teach communities how to do WASH programs, and then they teach another [community]. That is being done without us having to travel. In all these countries, we have dozens and dozens and dozens of people that are working together to develop their own strategies, and carry the WASH programs out to impact the entire region.”

“It was all, constantly, things coming together at the right time, and the right opportunities being taken for me to be able to be a part of this,” he adds. “Hope happens when people are living lives of hopelessness because they’re sick, because they can’t work, because they can’t go to school, because they can’t process food - but you’re able to bring them something that transforms their life. I think hope is seen clearly.”

Hope was certainly seen in Turkana County in Kenya, where water was scarce, and safe water even more so. The riverbed was dried up.

“[Children] would dig [holes] in that riverbed and dig down to get water,” Hogg says. “They put a marker at their hole so they could go back each day and dig a little deeper. A lot of times they would have to reach down in there with their face and suck water into their mouth and spit it out into some sort of container. That is one of the really hard stories - living that kind of life, where I’ve got to work so hard every day to dig my own hole to get water out of a dry riverbed, and the water is contaminated. I know it’s going to make me and my family sick, and I’m going to bring it home anyway.”

The full story of Turkana was filmed and titled “Holes.” It can be found on the organization’s YouTube page.

Much of WaterStep’s good work comes directly from volunteers and partners. Donations are always helpful for the organization, but there are also creativeand unusual - ways to help. The organization collects shoes, which they use as a means both to raise funds and to publicize their mission.

“A lot of people in the city are getting involved,” Hogg says.“If folks are traveling internationally to a developing country where there are water issues, sometimes people will move equipment for us. We’ve had people take equipment to different countries as a part of their luggage, and we’ll have somebody meet them at the airport and pick that up. We also are constantly looking for committed volunteers to help us build our equipment. These are predominantly retired people. They can

work and learn how to put our equipment together. It’s folks that can be committed and patient, and learn how to put our equipment together. They get to put their fingerprint on a piece of equipment that goes somewhere in the world and saves lives.”

“It’s interesting how social media ends up in places where sometimes we find people that are in other places of the world,” Hogg adds. “The media has really become a big part of our volunteer base as well - people engaging and sharing the story.”

The people involved with the organization, including equipment builders, staff, shoe collectors and more, are affectionately referred to as WaterStep Nation - and the “nation” is reaching the world.

“We now believe that there’s the possibility that we could actually be a champion,” Hogg says. “I believe that we can solve the world’s water crisis in our lifetime, and

that we can provide safe water worldwide. The goal of WaterStep Nation now is to see the day no child dies of waterborne illness. We think we can solve this in our lifetime. Access to safe water is a human right. People living without safe water and proper sanitation is something that we need to be fed up with, and it’s something that we can fix in our lifetime. It’s not complicated. It’s done with simple solutions. It can be affordable, and we can do it.”

Hogg is hopeful for the future - not just for WaterStep, but also for the millions of lives that can be changed for the better by clean water.

To learn more or get involved, go to waterstep.org. Also visit WaterStep’s social media pages, and explore youtube.com/@ waterstep5570.

Expires 7/31/2024

Expires 7/31/2024

MODERN CHIROPRACTIC & INJURY CARE

Writer / Gavin LaPaille

Photography Provided

Dr. Mike Norman wants to give everyone who walks in his door answers. Norman, the owner and head doctor at Modern Chiropractic & Injury Care, specializes in helping people resolve the underlying issues causing their often-complex problems. There is no cookie-cutter approach here. Everyone gets individualized treatment approaches for their individual and unique problems.

“We do two things that set us apart,” Norman said. “We continually research solutions to your complex problems, and we invest in technology that will resolve painful inflammation. Many people come to us when they have been to many other doctors and have gotten nowhere. They still have this issue and it’s unacceptable to them. We take the extra time needed. We’re looking for what the other people missed. When you find what the underlying cause actually is, the solutions are easier.”

Norman is a lifelong Louisville resident, known for being creative and helping people find alternative solutions for even the most difficult patients. He attended the University of Kentucky and graduated from the Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2002. With over 20 years of experience, Norman aims to offer a different perspective, even for those who have been to other chiropractors before.

“That’s really where we shine - finding out where the issues are,” Norman said. “That’s where my niche is. When you say chiropractor, you get a certain idea in your head on what that means. I’m not the guy who is twisting and popping everyone. We also use instruments that are a low-force, safe way to treat people and get mobility back to the spine. We treat people after surgery. Chiropractic philosophy is to get people healthy and keep people healthy. Back pain is only a part of what we do.”

“The problem and the symptoms of the problem are never the same thing,” Norman added. “If you only focus on the symptoms, you actually leave the underlying problem there. The first step in treating the problem is removing the problem. Then treat the symptoms. If nothing is working, then we have to look deeper to find the actual source. If I can’t help you, I’ll let you know, and I will help you find the person that can.”

Norman also wants to work with his patients so they have some control in their own health. “We are a team,” he said. “You do your part and I’ll do mine. I need your help too, to fix your problem.”

Norman stresses that he is an educator, and endeavors to teach clients how to fix their own problems as well.

“We work together,” he said. “That puts the power back in their hands so they can have some control of it themselves. It’s not all hopeless. I’ll teach you things to do at home. When you understand what the problem is and we work together on the solution, you now understand how to stay well. We don’t want you right back in here with the same problem.”

Modern Chiropractic has been in its current location for about a year, and is open Monday through Thursday with appointments available. Norman is a big fan of his new space.

“I feel really blessed to be here,” he said. “It’s really nice on the inside. It’s classy, calm, modern, and gives us room to grow. We are implementing a full-body detoxification and nutritional rebuild program for people who have health issues and don’t know what to do with them. We are also having great success treating inflammation from neuropathy, or nerve pain. Do you have some unresolved issue affecting your life? Are you looking for answers and curious about our options? Give us a call.”

CONNECT

TOUCHING BASE

KEEPING THE HISTORY OF ST. MATTHEWS BASEBALL ALIVE

Writer / Carrie Vittitoe

Baseball has permeated American culture, from movie references to music to commonly used idioms. Whether you learned the phrase, “Hey, batter-batter-batter. Swing, batter!” from watching “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” or know the tune “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in three notes, baseball is ingrained, in some way, inside all of us.

Three Louisville men - Charles F. Siegel, Hunter Look Sr. and Dave McCandlessloved the game so much that their images and stories have now been commemorated in three plaques on view at St. Matthews Community Park off Shelbyville Road. Without their love of the game and commitment, St. Matthews Baseball might not be what it is today.

According to Chris Gadansky, who served as executive director of St. Matthews Baseball until January 2024, someone from the city of St. Matthews approached a local family that owned the land that is now St. Matthews Community Park about leasing the grounds in 1953. “Rumor or legend has it that it was one of those $1

handshake deals,” he says. “Once the land was secured, Siegel, Look and McCandless were instrumental in starting a league and building those fields.”

Although the three fields at the park are named for Siegel, Look and McCandless, as the years passed, fewer and fewer people were aware of the stories behind those who made play possible in the beginning. Several years ago Gadansky was contacted by McCandless’s son, who asked if he could show him some old photos. “We sat down at the park and talked for an hour or more, looking at these old photos,” Gadansky says.

“He was telling stories about his dad building the field. This was our first glimpse into the real people behind the names.”

In what Gadansky calls his “white-whale project,” he began his mission to tell part of the story of these fields and St. Matthews Baseball as a whole.

“The seed was planted in 1953, and their first charter with Little League Baseball was 1954,” Gadansky says. Siegel, called “Mr. Little League” by those who knew him, was the man behind the first field and served as one of the first presidents overseeing the league. By the end of the first season, the organization began work on the other fields.

“Enrollment for that first year was maybe 100

Photography Provided

or so kids,” Gadansky says. “It doubled the next year and started growing and growing.”

Annually, the fields now see upwards of 1,200 kids playing ball. Archives of The Courier-Journal suggest that a small parade, a ceremony, and short exhibition games were held on June 7, 1953, to introduce St.

Matthews residents to Little League play, with Siegel speaking to families to explain

family business, The Kentucky Model Shop, partnered with The McGregor Company, to provide uniforms for teams in the early days of the league. McCandless’s tireless work led to a light system for the fields, and he would spend countless hours ensuring the field that bears his name was ready for play.

Looking into the history helped Gadansky see that St. Matthews Baseball was truly a community endeavor, with so many people donating their time or resources, and the local St. Matthews government supplementing those efforts.

After his conversation with McCandless’s son, Gadansky began making phone calls to gather stories about how St. Matthews Baseball and its fields developed. It was a project with lots of stops and starts due to work, raising a family and, of course, baseball. He spent time tracking down the family members of Siegel, Look and McCandless, to interview them about what they remembered and the stories they heard about their fathers and grandfathers. Compiling and cross-checking this information took considerable time.

In early 2023, with a historical record finally compiled, Gadansky reached out to Best Stamp Company and began working on the plaques, which, like the history itself, took longer than one might expect. “The copy on each plaque went through weeks and months of changes,” he says. With his retirement as executive director on the horizon, Gadansky set October 14, 2023, as the date when the plaques would be dedicated. St. Matthews Baseball invited the family and friends of Siegel, Look and McCandless to attend. “We had families

from four points of the U.S., down to three generations worth, so it was an awesome day,” he says.

The effort for Gadansky was fulfilling, in part because hearing about these men brought up memories of his own father, who he says was a “baseball nut,” and who passed away from COVID-19 in November 2020. “He helped me the first year and a half after I took the job as executive director,” Gadansky says. For Gadansky and for many men, baseball is a love passed down from their dads that they then instill in their own sons. “[The plaque project] took on a higher meaning,” he says. “It turned from a tedious process to a labor of love.”

From which pitchers played on which teams in which decades, to which player has the most runs batted in, baseball is about record keeping and tracking data to tell a story.

Were it not for McCandless’s son reaching out to Gadansky, the history of Siegel, Look and McCandless may have been lost to time, with their names on the fields but no one knowing much more than that.

In the 70 years since the inception of St. Matthews Baseball, things have changed, and baseball for young people is changing, with more kids moving to club play. “Recreational baseball is dying a slow death,” Gadansky says. “The fact that St. Matthews Baseball has beaten its enrollment for five years is a testament to a community that comes together. There are kids who want to play recreational baseball and want to come back [year after year]. They get something out of it that you don’t get with club ball. It’s a unique experience and has been for 70 years.”

Lyndon Summer Fest

COREY BOSTON

corey@townepost.com

502.407.0185

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