Your Community Recorder newspaper serving all of Boone County
TEACHER OF THE MONTH B1 Yealey Elementary’s Becky Courtney
Volume 134 Number 19 © 2010 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Artist finds value in Boone group
Margie Lakeberg has always been artistic, but she recently joined the Boone County Visual Arts Association and for the past year has been pleasantly surprised at just how artistic she really is. – LIFE, PAGE B1
Catholic Schools Week coming up
St. Paul School and Immaculate Heart of Mary School are gearing up for one of their most important weeks. Jan. 31 through Feb. 6 is National Catholic Schools Week and both schools have big plans. – SCHOOLS, PAGE A13
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Extension to build nature center
By Paul McKibben pmckibben@nky.com
The Boone County Cooperative Extension District plans to build a new education center with the entire project costing about $1 million. The Boone The property County Extension Environis roughly mental and 118 acres Nature Center would be locatand the ed on Camp Ernst Road center would across from be located Central Park on on about 40 land the extension district acres of it. acquired a few The 118 years ago. The property is acres is roughly 118 acres and the mostly center would wooded. be located on about 40 acres of it. The 118 acres is mostly wooded. Jerry Brown, the district’s county extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, said the extension district hopes to begin using the center for programming in spring 2011. “We’re going to be starting out with the kids programs and all the kids need to learn about nature,” he said. Brown said the center will consist of a series of trails that lead to outdoor classroom areas. A small shelter with no walls will be at each of the classroom areas. Near
PAUL MCKIBBEN/STAFF
Jerry Brown, county extension agent for agriculture and natural resources with the Boone County Cooperative Extension District, stands on the property where the district will build its Boone County Extension Environmental and Nature Center. The property is across from Central Park. the front of the property will be a covered gathering place with restrooms. A man-made pond will be built on the property. Parking lots, an amphitheater and roads will be built as well. Brown said the extension district has just begun to develop the center. He said the first thing the extension district put on it was a weather station. He said over the years the extension district will
have a multitude of different types of programs and demonstrations on the land. Programming for adults will eventually be done, too. No money is being borrowed to pay for the center. “We have seen the need for this ... type of development for the property ever since we bought it,” said John Walton, chairman of the extension district board. “And
thereby we have, you might say, planned for this project for a number of years and now it’s just beginning to get accomplished.”
Women’s Crisis Center has new leader By Paul McKibben
The Women’s Crisis Center last year opened its new regional services center in Hebron. The Women’s Crisis Center serves 13 Kentucky counties including Boone, Campbell and Kenton.
pmckibben@nky.com
Susan Asher started as the new executive director of the Women’s Crisis Center Jan. 4. Asher’s last job was the executive director for the United Way of Central Kentucky in Elizabethtown. She grew up in Louisville. The Women’s Crisis Center last year opened its new regional services center in Hebron. The Women’s Crisis Center serves 13 Kentucky counties including Boone, Campbell and Kenton. Asher answered via e-mail a few questions for The Community Recorder. Q: Why did you apply for this job? A: At one point in my life I worked with adolescents that were in long-term inpatient treatment for addiction. Most of them grew up in families with a history of domestic violence. They reached for alcohol or drugs to escape from the emotional pain of their family life. Domestic violence leaves emotional scars that take a lifetime to heal. Q: What will be your goals during your tenure? A: Our goal is to bring about the social change needed to end violence against women. We have very promising primary preven-
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PAUL MCKIBBEN/STAFF
Susan Asher is the new executive director of the Women’s Crisis Center that serves Northern Kentucky. tion initiatives that we will be working with. Until we can end violence against women, we will continue to provide them with the services they need to rebuild their lives. Q: What is the biggest challenge the Women’s Crisis Center faces? A: Nonprofit organizations are
constantly challenged to find the funding they need to keep their doors open. We are no different. Social issues such as unemployment and foreclosures increase the stress our families are under. Increased stress contributes to family violence. We have seen an increase in our need for services at a time when many of our funding
sources have decreased. Q: What is the center’s most important asset? A: The knowledge, compassion, and kindness of our staff continues to be our biggest asset. It has been several years since they have had a raise. Some have taken pay cuts. But, it never affects the level of professionalism they bring to the job each and every day. Q: Do you foresee the Women’s Crisis Center opening additional facilities and expanding programs? A: Unless the economic picture changes significantly, we are not positioned to add new programs or facilities. Q: How can the people of Northern Kentucky help the center succeed? A: We are always in need of volunteers and donations. We are always in need of people willing to speak up against any type of violence.
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