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COMMUNITY RECORDER
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Covington, Independence, Latonia, Ryland Heights, Taylor Mill Carla Irving, Dallas Reis and Susannah Wermeling show off some of the gear available at the Midway Tack Shop.
Volume 14 Issue 46 © 2010 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
New school year
Students at Summit View Elementary started school with a bang. Staff and children held a balloon release amongst other activities to begin the school year right with the message of “dream big.” Read what else this Independence school did to start the school in on our school page. SCHOOLS, A6
Library advice
Julie Mills of the Kenton County Library highlights a host of services provided by the branch library system to help parents, students and teachers as the school year begins. From lesson packets to after school specials, Mills writes the library offers more than some suspect. VIEWPOINTS, A10
Equestrian games
Starting in September, Kentucky will take the spotlight in the world of horse racing and competition when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games come to Lexington. The event should draw thousands upon thousands of visitors from around the world. With the event taking place in Northern Kentucky’s backyard, read what has been done and what is planned for the event. LIFE, B1
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Moriconi talks at senior luncheon
By Regan Coomer rcoomer@nky.com
Independence Mayor Chris Moriconi fielded questions ranging from a new commercial development in the city to trash/recycling pick-up Aug. 19. Moriconi visited the Independence Senior Center to speak about the state of the city at the seniors’ weekly luncheon. “It’s a great city. I love it here and I’m proud to be a part of the growth in Independence,” Moriconi said. One topic discussed was the 30,000-squarefoot commercial building that may go next to Ace Hardware in the Independence Towne Center, which could solve the problem of getting a daytime workforce to help support city businesses, Moriconi said. One-third of the building’s space has been spoken for, Moriconi said, explaining he can’t give more details until the city receives a letter of intent. Moriconi said that while there are doctors’ offices in the city, there are no pediatricians, something he hopes changes if the commercial building moves forward. “Independence has so many families, and if a business needs families, this is the right building for them,” he said. Resident Bill Leslie agreed, saying the devel-
“Independence has so many families, and if a business needs families, this is the right building for them.” Independence Mayor chris Moriconi talking about the 30,000 square foot commercial building that may go up next to Ace Hardware
REGAN COOMER/STAFF
Independence Mayor Chris Moriconi (far right) speaks with Independence residents Georgia and Bill Leslie after speaking at the Independence Senior Center’s weekly lunch Thursday Aug. 19. Moriconi discussed the state of the city before answering questions from the 50 or so seniors in attendance. opment of the commercial building could be the “key to expansion.” “I think it would be a benefit to the professional people in the city. It’s the right direction,” he said. One resident, Geneva Gibson, brought up the issue of recycling pick-up, asking the mayor about the possibility of installing recycling dropoffs throughout the city. Gibson expressed the
opinion that residents on fixed incomes may not be able to pay $4 a month for recycling pick-up. “I think more people would recycle if they didn’t have to pay $10 a month already for regular garbage. That’s almost $15 a month for garbage,” she said. Moriconi, who felt the price for recycling pickup is reasonable, still agreed to ask Rumpke about recycling drop-offs. Moriconi also told the seniors that a traffic light at McCullum Pike and Ky-17 will be up in the next couple of weeks, while work on sidewalks between Simon Kenton High School and Frisch’s Big Boy are almost complete. “The sidewalk will then be connected from Summit View all the way to Kenton Elementary,” he said. “It’s great to see the kids off the streets.”
Extension services challenge residents By Regan Coomer rcoomer@nky.com
The Northern Kentucky Cooperative Extensions don’t need 10 reasons to offer a program encouraging exercise. Just one will do. “We want people to get up and do something,” said Kathy Yelton, the Kenton County Extension’s Family & Consumer Sciences Assistant. “Too often we’ve engineered activity out of our lives. Now we vacuum carpets. How did you grandmother clean them? She hung them on a line and beat them,” Yelton laughed. To bring exercise and activity back to Northern Kentucky, the extensions will debut Challenge 10-10-10, a challenge to local people to complete at least 10 physical activities, each lasting 30 minutes, between Sept. 1 and Oct. 10. Kenton, Boone, Campbell, Gallatin, Pendleton, Carroll, Owen and Grant counties’ extensions are offering the challenge. Participants track the exercises they complete and turn in a form to be eligible to win prizes, including the grand prize, an overnight stay in a lodge room plus breakfast for two at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Ky. All ages, sizes and exercise preferences are welcome, Yelton said.
PROVIDED.
The Northern Kentucky Cooperative Extension offices are challenging residents to participate in 10 30-minute exercises between Sept. 1 and Oct. 10, called Challenge 10.10.10. Participants must fill out a form with all of their chosen exercises and turn it in to their local extension office by Oct. 10 to be in the running for prizes. Mary Minnette Lange (far left) gets active in the Kenton County Cooperative Extension’s Active for Life program, held twice a week at the Erlanger Library. “The first step is to get people active and moving because they’ll feel better,” she said. “If you don’t move it, you’ll lose it.” Kenton County Extension Food & Consumer Science Agent Kathy Roesel-Byrnes hopes 10 activities over six weeks will inspire people to keep it up beyond the challenge. “Even though exercise doesn’t sound fun, it could be something
you enjoy that makes you feel better,” she said, “And then you’ll miss it if you don’t do it.” All types of exercise are welcome, Roesel-Brynes said. Participants can do 10 different activities or 10 of the same. Group or individual exercises are also permissible for 10-10-10. “It can be as simple as walking,” she explained. “You don’t have to be an athlete.”
Participants have until Monday Oct. 11 to turn in their 10-10-10 forms. Forms can be mailed, emailed or dropped off at each extension office. Find details on your county’s office, visit www.ca.uky.edu/ces. A brochure with information about participation and prizes can be downloaded from each county Web site.
No tax increase in Kenton County By Regan Coomer rcoomer@nky.com
Kenton officials approved keeping the county real estate tax stagnant at the regular meeting Aug. 24. Commissioners voted 3-1 to tax residents 14.8 cents per $100
of assessed property, the same rate taxed in the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year, a minimal increase from the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year’s rate of 14.7 cents per $100. The tax will generate approximately $13 million for the county, officials said. An increase in taxes isn’t need-
ed at this time, said Judge-executive Ralph Drees. “Right now we have a balanced budget with that number,” he said. “We don’t need the dollars, especially during these tough times.” Commissioner Sara Reeder Voelker was the dissenting vote on
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commission. When asked why she voted no, Voelker stated she “doesn’t believe in taxing people.”’ As for Drees, he didn’t understand Voelker’s position saying, “It’s super we don’t have to raise anything.” There was no public comment prior to the meeting or during the public meeting.