MY FAVORITE TEACHER B1
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Fort Thomas E-mail: kynews@communitypress.com T h u r s d a y, M a y
6, 2010
RECORDER 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
Ballot privacy measure approved
Emily Hamilton
Volume 10, Number 50 © 2010 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Savings Summit
If you’re looking for ways to save money on health and fitness, grocieries, clothes, beauty and fashion, sign up now to attend the LOL: LIVE Savings Summit. The May 15 event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and free to 350 people. The Locals on Living Summit will draw on the wisdom of local bloggers, who will share their tips and tricks on how to save money immediately. You can get information and sign up at http://lolsavings. eventbrite.com. To read more from Locals on Living, go to cincinnati.com/lol.
Senior games
The Northern Kentucky Senior Games may not be able to match the intensity and pressure of the latest Olympic Games, but it certainly won’t be for lack of competitiveness. This year’s Senior Games will take place May 10-14, with a variety of events planned for venues all over Northern Kentucky. COMMUNITY, B5
Election deadline
The deadline for all letters or guest column submissions concerning the May 18 primary is noon Thursday, May 6. The limit for letters is 200 words; for guest columns, 500 words. Guest columns must include a color head shot. E-mail letters and columns to mshaw@nky.com, or mail to Campbell County Recorder, 228 Grandview Drive, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017. E-mail is preferred.
Smoking ban poll
Do you support some type of ban on smoking in public places in Northern Kentucky? Yes: No:
(515)
46% 54%
(609)
Total votes: 1124
To place an ad, call 283-7290.
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Cruising
Six-year-old Madison Opitz makes her way along Highland Avenue during a bike ride in Fort Thomas Monday, May 3. AMANDA JOERING ALLEY/ STAFF
By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
Scout’s project to include new shelter By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
One Fort Thomas resident’s Eagle Scout project is not only going to improve West Southgate Park, but is also the reason for the park’s new name. City Council voted Monday, May 3 in favor of changing the park’s name to Riggs Memorial Park after it was suggested by Highlands High School junior Will Modrall. Modrall came before council to seek approval for his Eagle Scout project, which includes building a shelter at the park at no cost to the city.
The funding for the shelter is coming from Charles Riggs, whose family has been a big supporter of the park throughout the years, Modrall said. “There is already a plaque for the Riggs family in the park and the park is on Memorial Parkway, so the name just makes sense,” Modrall said. Modrall has to complete the community service project in order to become an Eagle Scout. “I tried to do something that would have a lasting impact on the city and also mean something to me,” Modrall said. The hope is to construct the
shelter by the picnic tables in the park in the beginning of June. Council approved the project and thanked Modrall for what he is doing. “It’s wonderful what you’ve offered to do,” said Councilman Eric Haas. “It’s a great benefit to the city,” he said. Mayor Mary Brown said the city has benefited from Eagle Scout projects a lot throughout the years in a variety of ways. “I’d like to commend the scout program... for allowing this to happen in our city,” Brown said.
No words minced at political debate By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
In the first, and perhaps only debate featuring the two Republican judge-executive candidates before the May 18 primary, the terse opening statement by one candidate set the tone for the evening. Challenger Kevin Sell and incumbent Steve Pendery, sat next to one another at less than arm’s length at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce judgeexecutive debate April 29 at the Southgate Community Center. “My opponent is charming, he tells a good story,” Sell said in the first line of his opening statement. After all he has to. He’s an insurance salesman first and a county czar second...” Sell said he is for consolidation and is prepared to provide transparency. Sell said the county can spend less and do better. Sell said there has been a repetitive 4 percent increase of the property tax each year Pendery has been in office. “All I’m saying is does it have to be 4 percent or can it be 3, or can it be 2 (percent)?” Sell said. Pendery said Sell has not been involved in community service to benefit the county before deciding to “drop by and run for judgeexecutive.” Pendery said he’s in the south end of the county all the time at group meetings like the cattle association’s. “The fact of the matter is in 26 years in community service, I have never seen Kevin Sell at a single meeting,” Pendery said.
MICHELLE SHAW/STAFF
Campbell County Republican judge-executive candidates Kevin Sell and Steve Pendery at the primary debate April 28. The county’s taxes and fees are competitive with other jurisdictions and lower than most, he said. “Campbell County spends less money per resident than any other county and almost every other city except maybe Villa Hills,” Pendery said. On the role of regionalism, Sell said Pendery was putting the needs of the region above those of Campbell County. The county must get along with Boone and Kenton counties, but Campbell County must also promote jobs. “I’ll work for Northern Kentucky growth, but Campbell County will always be number one on my list,” he said. Campbell County has the highest unemployment numbers of three counties, and the lowest number of jobs located in the three counties, Sell said. Pendery said economic devel-
opment is the principal job of county government, and pointed to his involvement with Tri-Ed, the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation. Northern Kentucky as a whole has produced more jobs than both Lexington and Louisville in the past 10 years, he said. The way to make Campbell County successful is with a bi-partisan and regional approach, Pendery said. Many people in Campbell County work in jobs that are in Boone or Kenton counties, he said. “I want all our people to have good jobs, whether they work here or somewhere else is less important,” Pendery said. Democratic candidate Andrea Janovic did not participate in the event, citing a meeting of the Newport Independent School District Board, of which she is a member, the same night as the debate.
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A week after being appointed as the Republican Party’s representative on the Campbell County Board of Elections, Tim Nolan successfully lobbied his fellow board members to take an additional step to ensure voter privacy while using paper ballots in the May 18 primary election. Nolan, of California, was unanimously approved by Kentucky’s State Board of Elections April 20, after the Campbell County Republican Party’s executive committee had ousted its former county board of election’s representative Sam Smith from the position in April, and forwarded Nolan’s name to the state board of elections to replace Smith. Nolan’s voter privacy ideas led to the purchase of protective cardboard sleeves voters can use to carry their ballots from the voting table to the vote-scanning machine. The cardboard sleeves are expected to be available in time for the primary election and available upon voter request, said Campbell County Clerk Jack The cost for Snodgrass, who is a county the sleeves board of elecis about tions member. “We’ll have $1,100. them for the people that may want to use them,” Snodgrass said. The sleeves are on order, and hopefully they will be here in time for the primary, he said. The cost for the sleeves is about $1,100, but they will pretty much last forever, Nolan said. Nolan said the idea to buy the sleeves was passed by the board unanimously, and he couldn’t be happier with the cooperation of Snodgrass and the other board members. Snodgrass really jumped right on finding the shields, Nolan said. “He not only is getting them, but he found really good ones that will serve the purpose for quite some time,” Nolan said. “I’m pretty satisfied that people are going to at least feel that they are doing everything in private,” Nolan said. “Any concern I had has been addressed, and been addressed very quickly.” Nolan said he’s been impressed with the knowledge of Snodgrass, having observed the clerk training poll workers Monday, May 3. Snodgrass does a tremendous job, Nolan said. “He’s been doing it for 20 some years, and it shows,” Nolan said.