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Hospice of the Bluegrass – Northern Kentucky
Volume 134 Number 20 © 2010 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Mother Nature is an inspiration
Wade Summers knows how to create something from nothing. The Boone County potter lives with his son near Woolper Creek on about a hundred acres of rolling countryside. – LIFE, PAGE B1
It’s all downhill for Ryle Ski Club
When snow flakes fall, one group of students celebrates. The Ryle Ski Club takes weekly trips to Perfect North Slopes and share their passion with their friends. – SCHOOLS, PAGE A10
4, 2010
W e b s i t e : N K Y. c o m
B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
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Historic church’s wall damaged
By Paul McKibben pmckibben@nky.com
Richwood Presbyterian Church’s history goes back to 1834. One of its former members, the late slave Margaret Garner, was the subject of an opera and her story was also the basis for Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” novel. But a stone wall in front of the historic church has been damaged again, a costly repair for a church with only 70 members. It is believed that trucks are hitting the wall when their drivers turn around at the church. “I don’t know what the answer is but it’s an expensive adventure for us,” said Sharon Wilcox, a church elder. The church has insurance but it has a $500 deductible. Pastor Rhoda Brumfield said it will cost $3,800 to fix the wall. This is not the first time the wall has been damaged. The wall was previously damaged in 2001, 2002 and twice in 2007. A trucking company paid for the repairs after one of the 2007 incidents. The most recent damage happened on Jan. 19. The wall is located in front of the church’s main door. The wall was built sometime between 1926 and 1952. The church turned 175 years old last year. Its sanctuary was built around 1870, replacing one that was damaged by a fire. There is a sign at the “T” intersection of Richwood and Cham-
PAUL MCKIBBEN/STAFF
Rhoda Brumfield, pastor of Richwood Presbyterian Church, stands next to the damaged part of a wall outside the historic church. bers roads not too far from the church which is located at 1070 Richwood Road. The sign warns truck drivers that there is no truck turn-around beyond that point. There is another sign by the Gold Star Chili restaurant on Richwood Road closer to Interstate75/71. But those signs don’t seem to be working.
Brumfield said if people see it happening, they should report it to the church so it can collect from the trucking companies. “I don’t know if there’s any way to literally prevent the trucks from coming down here,” Brumfield said, later noting it just seems like it’s an injustice. Boone County Sheriff’s Depart-
ment spokesman Tom Scheben said the department can put the church on an extra patrol list and keep an eye on it. “And especially on this damage ... if they can give us an idea of day and date or when they notice trucks more times than not, we’ll have somebody down there as often as we can,” he said.
Residents see devastation in Haiti By Jason Brubaker
gather outside and sing together as the sun rose, and it was great to see them stay positive.”
jbrubaker@nky.com
Positions picked for May ballot
Ballot positions for the May 18 primary election were drawn Jan. 28 at the Boone County Administration Building’s Fiscal Courtroom in Burlington. – STORY, A5
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As a board member of Good Shepherd Orphanage in Carrefour, Haiti, Mike Martin estimates he’s been to the small, Caribbean country about a dozen times over the last 15 years. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he arrived there on Jan. 19, one week after the devastating earthquakes that crippled the country. “It’s hard to describe how bad things were – it was almost overwhelming to see,” said the Villa Hills resident. “But we knew we had to focus and do what we came to do, and try not to let our emotions get the better of us.” That was easier said than done for Martin and his traveling party, which included Hebron resident Dave Zimmer.
Security wall flattened
When they first arrived on the scene at Good Shepherd, they found that the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks had leveled most of the security wall on the orphanage grounds, as well as destroying several buildings. With 75 children at the orphanage badly in need of food, water and shelter, Martin, Zimmer and some others set to work, delivering supplies they had gathered in the Dominican Republic on their way in. All together, they delivered close to 20,000 pounds of beans, rice and other food items, as well as bottles of water. However, there was still the problem of shelter and safety for the children, who, since the earthquake, had been sleeping outside on mattresses amidst the debris.
Much work to be done
PROVIDED
Mike Martin poses outside a tent set up for the children of the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Carrefour, Haiti. Martin, a board member of the shelter, traveled to Haiti with several local residents to help with relief efforts in late January.
How you can help
A “Haiti Night” fundraiser at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, will benefit the Good Shepherd Orphanage and School. The dessert social will take place at The Gardens of Park Hills, 1622 Dixie Highway. Attendees will hear accounts from David Zimmer, Mike Martin and Chrispin Gabriel about their mission to Haiti following the earthquake. They’ll discuss plans to rebuild the orphanage. You may also send checks to: Good Shepherd Orphanage and Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 27, Hebron KY 41048. For more information, visit www.gsohaiti.org.
Zimmer secures tents
That’s when Zimmer stepped up, and armed with persuasiveness and persistence, managed to
secure two giant United Nations tents from the airport. The tents, which took nearly one full day to set up, had room for almost 50 children in each, and provided them security and a roof for the first time in over a week. “He just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” said Zimmer’s wife, Rose, who has made several trips herself to Haiti over the years. “One of their biggest goals was to provide some shelter, and they were glad they were able to do it.” During their week in the country, Martin and the rest of the crew spent time clearing out debris, taking down unstable and damaged walls, organizing supplies and trying to provide a few smiles for the children. “They don’t have CNN or anything telling them that an earthquake hit, so a lot of the kids still didn’t really understand the scope of the tragedy,” said Zimmer. “But every morning they would still
And while Martin said the group was able to accomplish their short-term goals of food, water and shelter, there’s still plenty of work to be done. The orphanage still has several buildings on the grounds that are damaged and unstable, and the food they provided won’t last forever. Despite relief efforts of people from all over the world, signs of devastation are still evident all over the country, Martin said. An international market that normally is teeming with people has been empty for close to two weeks, and tents are now serving as permanent homes for many families, set up wherever there is room, including in the medians of roads and right up to the edge of the ocean. “There’s so much to be done right now that it’s hard to really say where to start,” said Martin. “But we do know that we need all the help we can get.” With another trip tentatively planned to Haiti this spring, Martin and the others are looking to collect funds to help with the relief efforts. Although donated supplies are welcome, the logistics of getting them into Haiti pose problems, making money the best way for residents to contribute to the cause. “Life has always been hard in Haiti, and now it’s going to be even harder while they try to rebuild,” said Zimmer. “But they’ve got a positive spirit and they’re going to get through this, one step at a time.”