SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Elsmere and Erlanger kynews@communitypress.com T h u r s d a y, J u l y 2 3 , 2 0 0 9
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Elsmere gets grant for senior center By Jason Brubaker jbrubaker@nky.com
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$1,500 cash giveaway
Through July 24, you can win daily cash prizes and get entered for a $500 jackpot from CincyMomsLikeMe.com. Go to MomsLikeMe.com/cincy contests for all the info.
Share you fair photos
The Kenton County Fair and Horse Show is in full swing and we’re looking for your best photos from the event. To get started, go to NKY.com/Share to share your photos with the community. Your shot will be published online and may even make it into The Erlanger Recorder.
Training
Local parents are being trained to assist in their schools once the new school year starts. Under the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership program parents are learning how to lead in their schools and to get other parents involved. SCHOOLS, A5
Elsmere city attorney Paul Markgraf announced at the July 14 council meeting that the Governor’s Office of Local Development has awarded the city $400,000 in grant money to be used for renovations and upgrades to the senior center. The city began the grant process over a year ago, hoping to secure money that would keep the popular center updated. Among the biggest changes expected with the new grant money is the addition of a new elevator to make the building more handicap accessible, as well as upgrading the kitchen area and the restrooms. “This certainly has been a long time in the works, but to hear that we have money coming in now is just great,” said councilman Marty Lenhof, who served on a committee that handled the grant process. “We started this a long time ago, but it’s definitely worth the time we put in.” Lenhof also praised former council member Terry Whittaker and Ken Pallison of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District for their work in helping to secure the grant. “This was really a team effort, and we’re grateful for all they did to get this rolling,” he said. Markgraf said that while the grant has been awarded, the city still has to formalize some paperwork before they actually receive the money.
JASON BRUBAKER/STAFF
Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Local Development, the Elsmere Senior Center will likely have an elevator installed near the entrance to help make it more handicap-accessible. “There’s still a process to go through, but it’s very neat to see this project finally coming to fruition,” he said. Lenhof, who said he had not heard news of the grant until he arrived at the council meeting,
said no timeline is in place yet for the projects to begin. He expects to meet with architects from CDS Associates, as well as other officials, in the coming weeks in order to get the project started. “We’re very early in the
process right now, but the biggest thing is out of the way, and that was getting the money,” he said. “This was fantastic news, and we’re excited to get started.”
Mayor to cede some responsibilities By Jason Brubaker
jbrubaker@nky.com
Fantastic ponds
Pond-A-Rama returns to Kenton County this year with a tour of two neighborhood backyards that highlight the landscaping work put in by area residents. The homes are part of a larger tour taking place this weekend in Greater Cincinnati. Read about what Pond-ARama is and what residents put into their aquatic waterscapes. LIFE, B1
To place an ad, call 283-7290.
Despite some concerns from the city council, Elsmere Mayor Billy Bradford is expected to sign an executive order that allows him to delegate specific duties to city engineer Ray Erpenbeck. According to city attorney Paul Markgraf, Bradford’s lingering health issues have limited him in certain administrative aspects of his job, making it necessary for him to have an assistant. Erpenbeck will not be compensated for the role, and will also retain his role as city engineer. Markgraf also made it a point to note that this new role for Erpenbeck is not permanent, lasting only until the end of the calendar year. Bradford was re-elected to office in 2006 for his third consecutive four-year term.
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Billy Bradford, who is serving his third term as Elsmere mayor, is expected to sign an executive order naming city engineer Ray Erpenbeck as his assistant. “This isn’t a new position being created, and every duty is spelled out very specifically in the executive order,” explained Markgraf.
“This is basically just a second set of eyes for the mayor, and he wanted someone that he trusts, which is Ray.” Council member Gloria Grubbs said she is hesitant about the decision, fearing it could lead to conflicts of interest with Erpenbeck serving both roles. “I don’t know if this looks right for the city,” she said. “We have the mayor delegating power to a contractor whose business profits from our city, and I don’t think that’s an image we want out there.” However, Markgraf explained that Erpenbeck would not be signing documents or exercising special authority as a result of the new role. According to the executiver order, Erpenbeck’s role as the mayor’s assistant will allow him to enforce city ordinances and orders, supervise departments and
employees under the jurisdiction of the mayor, and make recommendations to the council that are found to be in the public interest. “He’ll be making recommendations to the mayor, but he’s not going to be making any financial determinations,” he said. “From a legal standpoint, as long as his duties are specifically outlined, it is not a conflict of interests for Ray to serve both roles.” Bradford said the selection of Erpenbeck was an easy one for him. “I can’t think of a better person than Ray,” he said. “I’ve known and worked him for many years, and I know he’s got the best interest of the city in mind.” The next regularly scheduled council meeting is July 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Taylor Mill gains ‘friends’ on Facebook By Regan Coomer rcoomer@nky.com
The City of Taylor Mill has no trouble getting fans. The city’s official profile on the social networking site Facebook, started in May, had reached 393 fans by the special commission meeting July 20. More than half of the city’s fans, 62 percent, are under the age of 34, an exciting fact to City Administrator Jill Bailey. “It’s kind of nice to see a
younger group of people engaging with their government,” she said. Bailey also found that 18 percent of fans were aged between 33 and 44, 13 percent 45 to 54 and just 5 percent over the age of 55. “We’ve had some really nice comments from residents on Facebook saying they’re happy we’ve entered the world of social networking,” Bailey said. The city has been using Facebook to promote city events and information. However, Bailey
doesn’t want to inundate residents with too many updates – when the city does send information, she hopes fans will pay attention. “We’re trying to make sure we use all avenues possible to reach the public,” she said. Taylor Mill wasn’t the first city to launch a Facebook profile. The city of Fort Wright debuted its profile last August, said Fort Wright council member Dave Hatter. The profile had accumulated about 100 fans before a recent technical difficulty when Face-
book deleted it, Hatter said. At press time, a new Fort Wright City profile had been created. “It’s a great marketing tool because people are opting to get that information,” Hatter said. Hatter said he had been using the city’s profile to get out event information and direct fans to the city’s Web site, fortwright.com. “It’s another way to stay in touch with people,” he said. “People use Facebook everyday, but they’re not going to regularly visit our Web site.”