SOUTH KENTON RECORDER
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Independence and Taylor Mill
THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013
75¢
PISTOLS AND PEARLS B1
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
OKI launches seasonal Clean Air Campaign By Amanda Joering ajoering@nky.com
Workers pull up bridge fencing so they can more easily remove the debris left by Banklick Creek flooding from the weekend of July 5. AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Judge plans park expansion as crews clear flood damage By Amy Scalf ascalf@nky.com
COVINGTON — Cleaning up Pioneer Park after recent flooding is a big job, but it could get bigger as Kenton County Judge-executive Steve Arlinghaus hopes to add more than 550 acres to the area, creating a whole new nature park.
Heavy rains throughout the week of July 5 swelled the Banklick Creek out of its bed, overcoming the 43 acres of Pioneer Park and the adjacent Kenton Paw Park, along with several homes in the area. Kenton County Parks and Recreation Director Scott Gunning said the park could stay closed more than a week
as crews continue to remove debris, repair fences and wait for the saturated ground to dry out. “We’re making good progress, and we want to get the park opened back up as soon as we can,” he said. “Overall, it’s the second-worst flood since I’ve been here almost 10 years.”
He said the wet ground has not hindered the cleanup crews, made of Kenton County parks and public works employees and Kenton County Detention Center inmates. “We’re filling up a Dumpster every day with debris, and then the next day they deliver See PARK, Page A2
Volunteers needed to help N. Ky.’s elderly By Amy Scalf ascalf@nky.com
Mowing the lawn might not be Andy Crawford’s favorite household chore, but he’s glad he can do it. In addition to mowing his own lawn in Park Hills, Crawford occasionally loads up his green Lawn-Boy push mower and goes out to tend the lawn for an elderly person who can’t. He volunteers for Senior Services of Northern Kentucky where his wife, Carissa,
also works. “There are a lot of seniors who live alone and need help with their yards or home repairs,” he said. “So many people live on their own and don’t have anyone to help. There’s a lot of help needed.” Advancement associate Sarah Siegrist said volunteers are needed in Kenton County as well as in the other seven counties covered by Senior Services: Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Owen
Andy Crawford of Park Hills volunteers to mow lawns, install garbage disposals, clear gutters and perform other handyman-type tasks for elderly residents through Senior Services of Northern Kentucky. AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY
See SENIORS, Page A2
FEELING BLUE
SAVING FRESH FOODS
Rita shares a recipe for blue ribbon blueberry muffins. B3
Diane shares safe tips for preserving fresh summer fruits and vegetables. B6
The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) has launched its seasonal Clean Air Campaign to encourage residents in the region to help reduce smog. Summer Jones, transportation alternatives coordinator for OKI, said the Clean Air Campaign is an awareness program they’ve been holding every summer since 1994. “We want to educate people on the effects of smog and ways that they reduce pollution,” Jones said. “There are several simple things that everyone can do to make a difference.” Jones said while smog is a problem year-round, it is usually worse in the summer because heat and sunlight combine with pollutants to create more smog. By this time last year, OKI had issued six smog alerts lasting 16 days, but they have yet to issue any this year. “We’ve been lucky so far this year because it hasn’t been too hot and we’ve had a lot of rain,” Jones said. But, warmer weather could cause the smog levels to rise, posing a threat to the community since the chemicals found in smog can irritate the respiratory system, reduce lung function and damage the lining of lungs. “Smog is an environmental concern that affects everyone,” said OKI Board President Todd Portune. “It harms our health, our environment and has a significant effect on our economy.” To reduce smog, OKI recommends carpooling, walking or riding a bike, refueling and using cars and gasoline powered lawn equipment after 8 p.m., maintaining vehicles, conserving electricity, limiting car idling and spreading the clean air message to others. “Becoming a clean air advocate is an easy and effective way to have a positive effect on the environment,” said OKI Executive Director Mark Policinski. “Simple changes in our daily lives can dramatically lower See SMOG, Page A2
RECORDER
Contact us
Vol. 3 No. 4 © 2013 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
News .........................283-0404 Retail advertising .......513-768-8404 Classified advertising ........283-7290 Delivery .......................781-4421 See page A2 for additional information
RAIN OR SHINE! Saturday d July 27, 2013 • 9am - 5pm 859-635-9587
Presented by Campbell County Farmland Work Group
campbellcd@fuse.net www.home.fuse.net/campbellcd
CE-0000556172