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B1 Your Community Recorder newspaper serving the communities of southern Campbell County E-mail:kynews@communitypress.com T h u r s d a y, J u l y 1 6 , 2 0 0 9
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Volume 4, Number 38 © 2009 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Scouts ‘bag’ New Mexico challenge By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
Northern Kentucky residents have made their choice for the very best in The Community Recorder’s first annual Readers’ Choice Awards. We’re counting thousands of votes and will announce the winners in a special publication in August. Winners of the Kings Island tickets won’t have to wait, however. Those local residents will be announced in next week’s Alexandria Recorder.
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Members of Alexandria Boy Scouts of America Troop 96 cross a stream at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico in mid-June. “Every day when you finished the trek you had in your mind, ‘Oh God, I can rest,’” Beck said. The morning the scouts climbed Mount Baldy’s summit, they had to go back down by
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Members of Alexandria Boy Scouts of America Troop 96 take a break for a photo at the summit of 12,400-foot Mount Baldy during an 81-mile trek through the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico in mid-June. From left kneeling are, Steve Hoffmann, Tyler Bezold, Bruce Bezold, Justin Bezold, Kyle Neltner, and Ross Pritchett. From left, standing in middle row are Jeff Kuhl, Justin Fischesser, Adam Hoffmann, Jacob Vogelpohl, Kris Sullivan, Randy Vennemann, and Bob Pritchett. From left in the back row are Ryan Beck, Adam Dewey, and Rob Fischesser. Not pictured: Matt Kriege and Jared Fischesser.
noon to avoid inclement weather. “When we got down from the mountain there was actually a cloud covering the top where we were,” Beck said. Keeping the scent of food away from camp and not leaving food waste around was important because other scouts have been mauled by the bears that are prevalent in the area, said Bezold. They hung their food in “bear bags” strung between trees to keep the creatures away. Any food-stained clothing had to be put away into one of the “bear bags” and there were even guidelines for handling toothpaste because it attracts bears, said Matt Kriege, 15, of Alexandria. “You had to swallow your toothpaste,” Kriege said. But there were amazing sites, and it was a good time, he said. “It was a great lifetime experience, and it definitely brought us
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closer together as a group,” Kriege said. The scouts all used basic lessons and camping skills learned previously and picked up new skills while on the trek, said Randy Vennemann, 16, of Alexandria. Because of the altitude, the journey was pretty exhausting, said Justin Bezold, 16, of Alexandria, son of Bruce Bezold. “Nose bleeds and nausea because of the altitude all played a toll,” Justin Bezold said. It was windy in the mountains, often with gusts of 40 miles per hour, and it was cold and chilly, he said. But most of the scouts said they’d like to make the trip again. “You’re seeing things that you would only see on a postcard,” said Tyler Bezold, Justin’s twin brother. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Committee looks at changing employee benefits to save the city $38,000 a year By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
In an attempt to save $38,000 on annual insurance premiums, the personnel committee of Alexandria Council is asking the city to change the benefit structure for city employees. The personnel committee discussed and recommended options for employee benefits packages during a July 9 special committee meeting. The recommendations will be presented to the full council at the 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16 meeting. Under the recommendations, the city will switch to a different type of Anthem Blue Cross plan through the city’s agent, Craw-
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ford Insurance. The personnel committee recommended changing policies so that the city’s exposure risk for paying for employee health care costs go from a maximum of $105,000 per family to a maximum of $230,000 per family. It’s a risk that the city’s employees will remain relatively healthy and the city will realize cost savings on annual insurance premiums. “It will reduce the city’s premium by about $38,000 a year and increase the benefit options with flexible spending,” said council member Bill Rachford, chairman of the personnel committee. The committee is also recommending adding child orthodonture onto the city’s insurance and
adding a flexible sending account program, Rachford said. The idea of a new flexible spending program has been a popular idea with the city’s employees, said Karen Barto, city clerk. A health reimbursement account the city has used in previous years will also change under the recommendation and require receipts to be mailed in with paper forms instead of the use of a pre-loaded credit cardtype system. Under the plan the employee co-pay will remain $20 per visit with a primary care physician, but increase to $40 per visit with a specialist. The personnel committee discarded the idea of asking employ-
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ees to pay part of the deductible for the city’s monthly health care costs. “As far as employees kicking into the deductible, I’m still against that,” said Council member Dave Hart, a member of the personnel committee. Council member Lloyd Rogers, who is also a member of the committee, said he agreed that employees should not have to pay part of the city’s deductible. Hart also said that people can benefit from a health spending account if used properly, but that he’s not crazy about the idea. If the changes are approved by council, there is a plan for representatives of the city’s insurance company to meet with employees before the end of July.
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Conquering the high altitude 81-mile trek and climb through the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico takes a thick skin and determination, and 18 Campbell County Boy Scouts have proven they had the fortitude to finish. Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 96 completed the 12-day course in mid-June. Their hike started at 6,500 feet above sea level and featured a climb to the summit of 12,400-foot Mount Baldy. The scouts are responsible for everything from cooking, cleaning and storing their food to navigation, Bruze Bezold, scoutmaster for Troop 96 said. Justin Fischesser of Melbourne led his scouting peers on the trail. “They’re pretty much supposed to lead the trek, and the adults stay in the background,” Bezold said. It was grueling, but fun, said Ryan Beck, 16, of Alexandria.