SOUTH KENTON RECORDER
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Independence and Taylor Mill
THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013
75¢
BEAST BASH B1 Pets and their people celebrate at Pioneer Park.
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Kenton’s Army fulfills local needs By Amy Scalf ascalf@nky.com
Monica Fritsch watches her shot sail over the net while practicing in the Sawyer Point Tennis Court. KAMELLIA SMITH FOR THE COMMUNITY RECORDER.
A PASSION FOR
TENNIS
Kamellia Soenjoto Smith Community Recorder contributor
INDEPENDENCE — What can a person accomplish in life with just their two arms? Monica Fritsch of Independence knows the answer. Born with a birth defect called spina bifida, she is paralyzed from the waist down and must use a wheelchair to get around. But, she earned a degree in journalism from Northern Kentucky University. She even danced ballet for10 years. “I’m never afraid of a challenge,” she said. And she plays tennis, too. “I love the exercise it gives me,” she said. She’s had a passion for it since she was 11 years old. A friend from Fort Mitchell, Emmy Kaiser –now a nationally ranked wheelchair tennis player— thought it was something that Fritsch would love. “Turns out that she was right,” Fritsch said. Every Tuesday evening, at the Sawyer Point Tennis Courts she practices with other play-
INDEPENDENCE — The soldiers of Kenton County Independent Army have been busy since March. In the five months since the group of neighbors, friends and family members became an official organization, Kambie Thomas-Perkins said they have given away more than $6,700 and nearly 300 items to help 214 local families. “It keeps growing,” said Thomas-Perkins. “It’s heartwrenching what we do, and there’s so much more to do.” To support their work, the army hosted yard sales and held fundraisers at Skyline Chili and Buffalo Wild Wings in Independence, in addition to private donations. They’re also planning an October event at the Kenton County Fairgrounds to raise funds. Thomas-Perkins said the group paid nearly $2,500 to Kenton County Schools so children could eat lunch every day. And they purchased caps and gowns so seniors “could graduate in style.” She said the group helped students at Beechgrove Elementary, Kenton Elementary, R.C. Hinsdale Elementary, River Ridge Elementary, Scott High School, Taylor Mill Elementary and Twenhofel Middle School – some more than once. To help fill tummies when kids are out of school, the army has provided more than $850 worth of food. They have also paid more than $3,300 for utilities for lo-
cal families. They’ve bought beds, blankets and pillows for children who had been sleeping on floors. People are telling each other about the organization, and even more are learning about the group on Facebook. For information, check the Kenton County Independent Army page or call Thomas-Perkins at 859-356-1447. Kelly Doyen of Independence said she reached out to Thomas-Perkins in June after she and her family moved to Independence for their first house. “They blessed us with a desk, a file cabinet, dishes and silverware. I work from home, so those were very big blessings for us. I am so thankful for all they did to reach out and help families who are trying to start over,” said Doyen. Interaction with the army led Doyen to a donor who gave her a kitchen table and chairs and decorations. “We feel so blessed to be able to restart our lives in a great little place. We’re overwhelmed with gratitude. We feel like kings and queens,” she said. “I just feel like they just came running to see what they could do to help us.” Doyen said asking for help wasn’t easy, but it’s been an eye-opening and emotional experience. “That’s been hard for me, to ask for help. You can get down,” she said. “I just encourage people to reach out, because when people come together to help each other, then See ARMY, Page A2
Coach Ron Tolley gives some tips to Monica Fritsch. KAMELLIA SMITH FOR THE COMMUNITY RECORDER.
ers, all of them in wheelchairs, as part of a program offered by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. “I’ve met a lot of great friends through tennis,”
Fritsch said. When asked about the difference between regular tennis and wheelchair tennis, See TENNIS, Page A2
Members of the Kenton County Independent Army raise funds and awareness for local needs at the Kenton County Fair. AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Kenton County history gets updated online By Amy Scalf ascalf@nky.com
The Kenton County Historical Society made history itself in July when the organization launched a new website: bit.ly/kenhistory. For years, the society’s information had been stored on one page of the Kenton County Public Library site, but vice president Bob Webster said one
page just couldn’t hold all the history. “They were nice enough to give us a page, but we really couldn’t get our message across to people,” said Webster. “We were unable to really communicate the fact that we have 25 years of bulletins archived and indexed. You can pick a date and print out a bulletin if you want, or you can order one.”
The new site also allows visitors to purchase the society’s Northern Kentucky Heritage magazines, which have been published since the historical society started in1977, or books on local history, such as an account of the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire. The website also allows credit card payments through Paypal for membership and other purchases.
HOMEGROWN VEGGIES
CHOIR PLANNED
Readers share photos of produce fresh from the garden. B4
Independence Youth Choir to bring young people together through music. A5
“Before we started this site, if you wanted to become a member, you basically would have to email us, and we’d put your information in for the mailing list. It was a crazy thing, but we finally got into the technology age here,” Webster said. “You don’t have to buy anything. You can do research without becoming a member.” The site also features upcoming events, and a listing of
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other historical organizations. Membership costs $20 per year and lifetime membership can be purchased for a onetime contribution of $200. The group doesn’t have regularly scheduled meetings, but society members attend local historical events, such as Battery Hooper Days in Fort Wright.
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