LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 2 Issue 31 - June 28, 2024
‘This Cat is Fat and I’m Fine with That!’: Love letter to Covington
By Maggy McDonel
Covington author Morgan Coleman wanted to create a story for her daughter, and she knew it had to include the Purrfect Day Cat Café.
“This Cat is Fat and I’m Fine with That!” tells the story of a girl who adopts a big, fat cat at a cat cafe, inspired by Purrfect Day, which is owned by Coleman’s brother, and a Facebook page.
The Facebook page “This Cat is Chonky” is, as Coleman describes it, “all about loving on fat cats.” She said people would post photos of their cats who have been “fatshamed,” and “everybody says how they are perfect and beautiful.”
After the girl adopts the cat, she takes it home and decides to take it on a walk in her neighborhood, which she said was partly inspired by a man in her neighborhood. “We do literally have a guy in our neighborhood who takes his cat on a walk here,” Coleman said. “You know, love the Cov.”
On the walk in the book, the girl and her
on page 3 A
Giving Fields grows support for food pantries
By Haley Parnell
The Giving Fields in Melbourne grows crops that stock local organizations’ food pantries with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.
The fields, owned by Doug and Sheila Bray, have been around since 2011, when the couple was deciding what to do with their 40 acres. Sheila Bray said they would volunteer at local soup kitchens and food pantries and realized there wasn’t much fresh produce available.
“We just saw that there weren’t a lot of healthy alternatives at the food pantries, especially vegetables,” she said. “Some of the stuff that was donated to the pantries was really on its last leg. You know, almost rotting, some of the foods that some of these pantries would get. We had this big field, and Doug grew up on a farm. We had just sold our business, and we had time.”
The Giving Fields has 1½ acres of vegetables, 125 apple and pear trees, and 14 bee hives. The fields use a 7-foot, solar-powered deer fence, drip irrigation with water supplied from a nearby well and weed mats.
Brooke Meyer, assistant farm manager and intern from Western Kentucky University, said the fields have many volunteers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. They take the produce they need for their pantry with them. Last Mile Food Rescue delivers the rest of the harvest to the other pantries.
La Soupe receives much of the Giving Fields’ produce. Doug Bray said they grow 12-15 items specifically for La Soupe, including fresh herbs. The Cincinnati soup kitchen has trained chefs and community volunteers that transform the rescued food into restaurant-quality, healthful meals, soups and salads.
Continues on page 4
Continues
copy of ‘This Cat is Fat and I’m fine with that’ next to one of the Purrfect Day Cat Cafe cats. Photo provided | Morgan Coleman
Volunteers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church pick much of the harvest from the Giving Fields. Photo provided | The Giving Fields
PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling
MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth
SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison
The LINK nky Kenton Reader is a weekly newspaper. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending, permit number 32 in Covington, Kentucky. The LINK nky Kenton Reader office of publications and the Periodical Pending Postage Paid at 700 Scott St., Covington, KY 41011.
For mailing address or change-of-address orders: POSTMASTER: send address changes to The LINK nky Kenton Reader: 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011 859-878-1669 | www.LINKnky.com
HAVE A TIP? News@LINKnky.com
WANT TO ADVERTISE? Marketing@LINKnky.com
WANT TO SUBSCRIBE?
Send a check for $31.80 ($30 non-auto-renewing rate plus 6% Kentucky sales tax) to LINK nky
31 Innovation Alley, Ground Floor Covington, KY 41011 or scan this QR code below
Love what we're doing? Want to support public-interest journalism in Northern Kentucky? Make a tax-deductible donation to support our work. Scan the QR code below, or mail a check payable to the Northern Kentucky Community Journalism Fund to 50 East Rivercenter Blvd. Suite 431, Covington, KY 41011.
No part of this publication may be used without permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies in advance.
cat encounter several different people that call her new cat fat. The girl holds her head high, though, because she doesn’t care that her cat is fat, and, on the final page, she hears someone look at her and her cat and say, “Look at how happy they are.”
That final page is another ode to Covington: The background features a coffee shop which Coleman said is inspired by Left Bank Coffeehouse.
“That’s our little favorite place to go get mother-daughter pastries,” Coleman said. “So, yeah, it’s a little love letter to Covington.”
Coleman, who went to school for playwriting, found a love for children’s literature during her five years working at the Kenton County Public Library.
“I just became kind of obsessed with picture books. And then finally decided to start writing them after my daughter was born, and she just kind of brought out the creative muse,” she said.
Her daughter, who is almost 3, loves the Purrfect Day Cat Café and visits it often. So when Coleman decided to adopt a cat, of course, that was where they went.
Chuck Patton, Coleman’s brother and Purrfect Day’s owner, told LINK nky that he was happily surprised by his sister’s inclusion of his business in her book. He said she came to him with the idea of writing a book about a fat cat getting adopted from the cafe, and he was thrilled.
Patton wasn’t sure that his sister, already a busy mom, would finish the book, but then
he said, “She just kept on persevering and persevering and then had the illustration done and then everything. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s really gonna do this thing.’”
Patton said it was a nice tie-in because Coleman helped write some of the text on the cafe’s website, which he said “created a synergy with how we verbally represented ourselves.”
The cafe, which the website describes as a “cafe and bar meets an adoption center,” offers a place for people to spend time with cats either for fun or with the idea of adopting. Patton said the business has three main objectives: adoption, shelter impact and fundraising. All focus on getting cats to loving homes.
This year, Patton said the cafe is on track to do 1,300 adoptions, which he said is out of the norm. Most cat cafes will do around 150 to 300 adoptions a year, he said.
He attributes this success to making a trip to Purrfect Day an experience, from the website to social media to the vibe of the physical space. He said his staff is a big part of the success because they are passionate about their work.
“Their sales are getting animals adopted.” The staff, Patton said, is always excited to get to see a cat go to a new home. “They’re not on commission, but their commission is emotion.”
Morgan Coleman with her book in the Purrfect Day Cat Café.
Morgan Coleman, right, author of “This Cat is Fat,” and Chuck Patton, owner of Purrfect Day Cat Café. Photos provided | Morgan Coleman
Continued from page 1
“Every week for 15-18 weeks, they know they get that product fresh from us,” he said. “They don’t have to go out and buy it, and it’s a higher quality.”
When the Brays began the Giving Fields, they traveled to places like North Carolina, Oregon and Seattle to review successful business models from around the country.
The crops are all watered through a drip irrigation system that the Brays saw while traveling. Meyer said the five systems have a control panel that allows them to determine how much water they want to produce.
“The water comes from our well,” Meyer said. “It’s a drip line. Water comes out of these tubes, which have tiny holes in them, so they drip slowly. That’s better for the plants because they get to really absorb all of that water through the roots and everything.”
Doug Bray said they use about 25% of the water they would use if they had sprinklers.
The fields also use mats over the roots, which help protect the plants from water loss due to evaporation and keep weeds out.
“The most important thing is sustainability and the ability to get volunteers,” Doug Bray said. “The grass mat keeps you from having to bring a hoe out, and then when you don’t have to bring a hoe out, you get more volunteers.”
The fields also have wildflowers planted to attract bees and help pollinate the crops.
Doug Bray said their strategy is designed to simplify and make things easy.
“We very seldom have a canceled harvest day, because we put grass in between the rows, and, even though we have to cut it, it can rain and we can still get out there,”
Doug Bray said. “As opposed to volunteers coming down [without grass], they get muddy, and that’s a reason not to come back the next time whenever it’s wet. So, we like to do things that just make the overall experience really good, and hopefully word of mouth gets a message out, and we get more volunteers.”
The Giving Fields is a nonprofit organiza-
tion funded mainly by the Brays. One aspect of the business that helps offset expenses is the rent-a-row program, a plot rental program for individuals or groups. Gardeners plant and harvest fruits, vegetables and flowers for their personal consumption.
“A lot of these people that are on rent-arow are also doing work on our pantry side,” Doug Bray said. “This is our first time with rent-a-row, and so far it’s worked out just incredible.”
Beginning in July, the fields will harvest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with Tuesday being the biggest day. Doug Bray said they are hoping to harvest 10,00020,000 pounds of fruit this season.
A harvest that size requires lots of help. To learn more about volunteering at the Giving Fields, go to givingfieldsky.com/volunteer.
The Giving Fields in Melbourne in Campbell County grows crops that stock local food pantries with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Photos by Haley Parnell | LINK nky
The rent-a-row program is new this year at the Giving Fields and helps to defray expenses.
Ky. first lady unveils new children’s section at Erlanger library
By Nathan Granger
“One of the best gifts we can give our children is the gift of literacy and the gift of imagination,” said Britainy Beshear at the Erlanger branch of the Kenton County Public Library on June 17.
Beshear, wife of Gov. Andy Beshear, along with library staff and area families, inaugurated the new children’s section at the branch. The event came on the heels of the recent extension of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to all of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The program provides free books to kids through the mail, and Kentucky’s first lady took the opportunity at the event to describe the importance of early literacy for kids.
“We are helping them not only through identifying letters [and] numbers,” Beshear said. “Being able to follow a story is really critical to the success of our children.”
Before Beshear gave her statement, she read two books to an audience of rapt children who had come to the event: “Dandelion Magic” by Darren Farrell and “Tad and Dad” by David Ezra Stein.
The kids followed along as Beshear read, acting out the things occurring in Beshear’s narration when prompted – roaring when a sea monster appeared or blowing when a character blew a dandelion into the air.
The new children’s section, said library Director Dave Schroeder, aimed to make the space more kid-friendly and up-to-date. The $300,000 renovation included repainting the area and adding a new surface to the floor that is easier to clean, Schroeder said. The new kids section also includes updated technology, more toys and activities, a meeting room, new furniture and, of course, new materials for the collection.
“There’s a lot of new materials that we added to the collection to make it fresh and exciting,” Schroeder said. “But we wanted the kids to come in to see something colorful and bright and clean and that would spark their imagination.”
The benefits of reading to children at an early age are well-documented, and library staff used the event to tout Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a national program that was originally the brainchild of country singer Dolly Parton. The program ships
free books to families on a regular basis with the hopes of inculcating kids with a love of reading as soon as possible.
Kenton County was actually the last partner county in the state to join Parton’s program. A group of volunteers in Covington had attempted to get the program off the ground a few years back, but the effort foundered due to lack of funding.
Schroeder said Ludlow Independent Public Schools had signed up for the program in the interim, so the library got all of the county school districts together to bring it to everyone. Funding for the current program is divided among the state, which provides about half, the public library, which provides about a quarter, and the school districts.
“In the first three days that Imagination Library came here in Kenton County, 1,700 children signed up,” Beshear said.
“All of these local program partners came together to make this happen,” J.C. Morgan, the director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Kentucky and former library director of the Campbell County Public Library
told kids in attendance, “so you can get these books absolutely free.”
Morgan is a firm believer in “laps, not apps,” which means parents should sit and read together with their children so that they can work through the emotional and intellectual challenges of reading together.
Asked if there were any other programs or advice she’d like to draw attention to, Beshear told LINK nky that having meaningful, engaging conversations with children was just as important as reading to them. “It’s also important that, as a child growing up, that they know that their opinions matter and what they have to say matters,” she said.
As far as advice, it was simple: “Keep reading to your kids.”
Any Kenton County resident can sign up to get free books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library by visiting imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability or by talking with an associate at any of the county’s library branches.
Britainy Beshear, center, cut the ribbon June 17 with local chidlren to the new children’s section at the Erlanger branch of the Kenton County Library. Photos by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
J.C. Morgan, Kentucky director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and former library director of the Campbell County Public Library, speaks at the June 17 event in Erlanger.
Car enthusiasts from the Tri-State and beyond turned out June 15 for Newport’s second Low at the Levee auto show. Spectators checked out cars – from Corvettes to Hondas to Volkswagens and more – along the Levee’s promenade and on the Purple People Bridge. They also shopped from popular car vendors and grabbed bites from the Levee’s restaurants.
A white BMW stands out against the Newport on the Levee mural. Photos by Hailey Roden | LINK nky
The interior of this Miata shines in the light.
This head-turning Genesis steals the show.
Cars line up alongside the promenade.
Many people crowd around this RWB Porsche 911 as it stuns in the sunlight.
The crowd laughs as a man rides a motorized shopping cart.
A woman stops to take a picture of a Lexus SC300.
This customized Tesla was a fan favorite at Low at the Levee.
By Nathan Granger
LTwo Covington neighborhood elect new leaders
ast week saw officer elections for two of Covington’s neighborhood associations: Eastside+, which represents the Eastside neighborhood, and the Residents of Mainstrasse, which represents Mainstrasse.
Mainstrasse’s election was contentious and saw a high turnout. People crowded into the Sparen Realty building on Greer Street to cast their votes.
The group’s membership is divided over the neighborhood’s vision, the way preceding officers had enforced beautification standards, recent changes to electoral procedures – which some characterized as overly restrictive – and conflicts on social media. A police officer monitored the proceedings in the back of the lobby where the voting took place.
The voting culminated in the elections of William Dickson as president, Joe Stevie as vice president, Colleen Tarrant as secretary, Brian Goldberg as treasurer and Stacey Tarvin as member at large.
For Eastside+, a relative newcomer among Covington’s neighborhood associations, members who served from January to June as interim officers were officially elected to their posts: Melissa Kelley as chair, Fred Wilson as co-chair, Susan Strating as secretary and treasurer, and Pam Mullins, Lennette Beasley and Teresa Huddleston as members at large.
What are neighborhood associations?
Covington has about 20 neighborhoods, each with its own characteristics and demographics. The neighborhood associations were formed to advocate for their respective areas of the city, especially relating to beautification, cultural events and festivals, and common concerns about infrastructure, like traffic and parking.
Although the associations have elected positions and by-laws, they aren’t binding political organizations with the power of law behind their actions like a city council. Neighborhood associations, though,
can serve as a centralized way of bringing concerns to local governments and administration.
“I certainly felt it was needed,” Kelley said of her group.
Eastside+ began meeting informally late last year. As interest in the group grew, housing became a top concern among residents. “[Residents] hate the term affordable housing,” Kelley said, instead preferring the term low-income housing.
Kelley and other Eastside residents gave weight to this at a public comment session with Kenton County’s Planning and Development Services in April. There, residents discussed the emergence of real-estate investors going door to door looking to buy people’s properties.
“The big thing is people don’t want to be pushed out of the neighborhood,” Kelley said.
Reyna VanGilder, chair of the Covington Neighborhood Collaborative, said that associations in other neighborhoods have addressed issues such as parking in Licking Riverside, property turnover in Westside and short-term rentals in Mutter Gottes.
The Neighborhood Collaborative serves as a kind of hub, Van Gilder said, aimed at “bringing together the neighborhood associations into a forum to discuss ideas and hot topics.”
Each association contributes a voting member to the collaborative, but anyone is welcome to attend meetings and serve on committees.
The collaborative also oversees the Covington Beautification Awards, which highlight home renovations and improvements in the city. Nominations for the awards are open until the end of July and announced in September. Nominate a house for Covington’s Beautification Awards through the collaboritve’s website, thefriendsofcovingt. wixsite.com/friendsofcovington.
Finally, the collaborative also engages in community charity drives, such as a book drive in collaboration with the Roost La-
tonia, a local coffee shop and store, which took place in February.
The tension leading up to the Mainstrasse association vote was unusual for the internal dynamics of the neighborhood and stemmed from both conflicts on social media as well as changes to the criteria for who could run for a leadership position.
“It’s important to listen to people,” said new Residents of Mainstrasse President Will Dickson. Dickson said he wasn’t interested in casting aspersions on anyone and hoped
the new leadership could represent the diversity of the neighborhood.
The Covington Neighborhood Collaborative meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Center for Great Neighborhoods, 321 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (The July meeting, which would fall on Independence Day, has been canceled.)
Nominate a house for Covington’s Beautification Awards through the collaboritve’s website, thefriendsofcovingt.wixsite.com/ friendsofcovington.
A Mainstrasse resident drops a ballot into the ballot box at the June 12 Residents of Mainstrasse election.
Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Lenette Beasley, from left, Susan Strating, Melissa Kelley, Teresa Huddleston and Pam Mullins are among those elected to lead the Eastside+ neighborhood association. Photo provided | Melissa Kelley
Celebrating Juneteenth 2024: ‘Today is a day of freedom’
By Nathan Granger
“Today is the day of reflection, right?” said Tracy Stokes, a Union-based business owner and motivational speaker, to the audience in the auditorium of the Lincoln-Grant Scholar House. “Today is a day of freedom. Today is a day of celebration.”
Stokes was among those who took the stage June 19 to celebrate Juneteenth at the scholar house. The event showcased local social service agencies and featured food, vendors, music and, especially, the talent of local youth. At the same time, families packed into Randolph Pool, adjacent to the scholar house, to escape the week’s high temperatures.
“It just amazes me to see how many awesome events are going on across the city, across the Tri-State and the country, even,” said poet and author Kimberly “DuWaup” Bolden, originally from Elsmere, who emceed the talent show.
The Lincoln-Grant Scholar House takes its name from the Lincoln-Grant School system. The system began in 1866 with the William Grant High School, which was founded to educate local African-American children. In 1876, the school was established as an African-American public high school.
Eventually, the system expanded to include K-12 education, becoming the Lincoln-Grant School. In 1965, following desegregation, the students from the high school were integrated into Holmes High School. Earlier this year, Covington Independent Public Schools displayed photos and other historical memorabilia related to the school and honored Lincoln-Grant graduates.
What is now the scholar house, built in 1932 for the K-12 Lincoln-Grant School, continued operating as 12th District Elementary until 1976, when it was converted into the Northern Kentucky Community Center. In 2017, the building was converted again into the Lincoln-Grant Scholar House.
These days the scholar house is managed by the Northern Kentucky Community
Action Commission, which provides a variety of resources to local families in need. The building serves as live-in quarters for single parents pursuing full-time college, trade and other post-secondary education. Students receive housing assistance, career counseling and other services to help them establish long-term self sufficiency without taking on excessive debt. The building features a computer lab, a children’s library, exercise facilities and an auditorium. About 45 local families use the scholar house’s services, according to the community action commission’s website.
Juneteenth itself commemorates Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger’s announcement of the abolition of slavery to enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865 – the last people to receive the message after President Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Juneteenth was made a national holiday in 2021 and is widely celebrated as both the end of slavery in the United States and as a commemoration of Black emancipation struggles generally.
The event’s talent show featured three local young people: one elementary school student, Kingston Dawson; a high school student, Dante Hall Jr.; and a college student, Tayda J. As there were only three contestants, each won a cash prize.
Dawson sang a song. Hall, who was crowned Mr. Juneteenth in Florence last week, recited an original poem, and J. both recited a poem and sang a song. J. eventually won the top prize, taking home a cash prize of $285.
“It’s been an amazing event all together, and I’m just happy that we’re taking a step forward as a community,” J. told LINK nky after the show.
Likewise, Bolden said after the show it was good “just to know that it has really opened up to be as big as it is and to be able to be right here at this community center, where so many of these people who came to enjoy the talent show grew up and even went to school here. And now they’re able to connect with the younger generation because of Juneteenth.”
Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. (Duke Energy Kentucky or Company) hereby gives notice that, in an application to be
no later than July 1, 2024, Duke Energy Kentucky will be seeking approval by the Public Service Commission, Frankfort, Kentucky, of an adjustment of its Pipeline Modernization Mechanism (Rider PMM) rates and charges proposed to become effective on and after January 1, 2025. The Commission has docketed this proceeding as Case No. 2024-00191.
KENTUCKY
The rates contained in this notice are the rates proposed by Duke Energy Kentucky; however, the Commission may order rates to be charged that differ from the proposed rates contained in this notice. Such action may result in a rate for consumers other than the rates in this notice.
Any corporation, association, body politic or person with a substantial interest in the matter may, by written request within thirty (30) days after publication of this notice of the proposed rate changes, request leave to intervene; intervention may be granted beyond the 30-day period for good cause shown. Such motion shall be submitted to the Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, 211 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky 406020615, and shall set forth the grounds for the request including the status and interest of the party. If the Commission does not receive a written request for intervention within thirty (30) days of the initial publication, the Commission may take final action on the application.
Intervenors may obtain copies of the application and other filings made by the Company by requesting same through email at DEKInquiries@duke-energy.com or by telephone at (513) 287-4366. A copy of the application and other filings made by the Company are available for public inspection through the Commission’s website at http://psc.ky.gov, at the Commission’s office at 211 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am. to 4:30 p.m., and at the following Company office: Erlanger Ops Center, 1262 Cox Road, Erlanger, Kentucky 41018. Comments regarding the application may be submitted to the
Commission through its
or by mail at the following Commission address.
For further information contact:
Kimberly "DuWaup" Bolden announces the winners of the Juneteenth 2024 talent show. Photos by Hailey Roden | LINK nky
Juneteenth 2024 attendees leave the Lincoln Grant Scholar House on June 19
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City of Bellevue has adopted Ordinance 2024-05-02 adopting the annual budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, by estimating revenues and appropriating funds for the operation of city government. The Ordinance can be viewed in full on our website at http://bellevueky.org/ ordinances/ or 616 Poplar Street, Bellevue, KY.
/ss/ Lindy Jenkins
Lindy Jenkins, City Clerk/Treasurer
SCAN THIS QR CODE TO GO TO OUR DIGITAL PUBLIC NOTICE PAGE
Kentucky now allows for Public Notices to be published digitally on LINK nky’s website. You can find public notices for the following organizations on our site at https://linkreader.column.us/search
• AJ’s Towing & Recovery
• Boone County Clerk
• Campbell County Clerk’s Office
• Campbell County Fire District #1
• Campbell County Fiscal Court
• Campbell County Planning & Zoning
• Campbell County Public Library
• City of Alexandria
• City of Bellevue
• City of Cold Spring
• City of Covington
• City of Cresent Springs
• City of Crestview Hills
• City of Dayton
• City of Edgewood
• City of Elsmere
• City of Erlanger
• City of Florence
• City of Fort Mitchell
• City of Fort Thomas
• City of Fort Wright
• City of Highland Heights
• City of Independence
• City of Lakeside Park
• City of Ludlow
• City of Newport
NO.: 23-CI-01349
HAWKS LANDING COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. VERSUS}
COREY MATTHEW RENFRO, ET AL
• City of Ryland Heights
• City of Silver Grove
• City of Southgate
• City of Union
• City of Villa Hills
• City Of Walton
• City of Wilder
• City of Woodlawn
• Covington Public Independent Schools
• Cresent Springs Board of Adjustment
• Family Dollar Store
• Fort Mitchell Board of Adjustment
• Fort Thomas Independent Schools
• Highland Heights Planning & Zoning
• Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Kenton County Fiscal Court
• Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment
• Larry Dillon Boone County Master Commissioner
• Northern Kentucky Port Authority
• Northern Kentucky Water District
• Planning & Development Services of Kenton County
• The Baker Firm PLLC
• The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered MAY 6, 2024 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
Parish Kitchen marks 50 years of serving Covington community
Each day since June 1974, Parish Kitchen of Covington has served free lunches and offered a place of respite to anyone in the community in need.
Founded by the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington, the organization over 50 years has provided millions of meals to Northern Kentucky residents.
On June 17, the staff of Parish Kitchen came together to celebrate the milestone. Guests, volunteers and friends gathered to sample some of the guests’ favorite meals, tour the facility and visit with friends.
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer at the kitchen read an official proclamation declaring June 17 as Parish Kitchen Day in Covington.
“This kitchen started with 35 volunteers and served five guests at its first meal,” Meyer said. “The Parish Kitchen is now served by roughly 300 volunteers who take daily lunch shifts to serve anyone that comes to its doors.”
However, the 50th anniversary was not the only event guests were celebrating. An addition to the kitchen’s garden was unveiled, revealing a memorial dedicated to Tom Rawe, who died in April of pancreatic cancer.
Rawe was a former board member of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Covington and a beloved helping hand of Parish Kitchen who dedicated his life to serving others in his community.
Covington schools show mixed progress in reading, English language assessments
Covington Independent Public Schools reviewed data on reading assessments for students in kindergarten through sixth grade at the board of education meeting June 13. They also reviewed figures on the progress of students studying English as a foreign language, which the district refers to English language learners.
The reading assessment data suggests gradual improvement overall, although some grade levels – particularly grades three through five – have outsized numbers of students who need intensive help. The English language learners’ data, on the other hand, suggested a very slight decline in the number of students improving their English well enough to cease English language instruction.
Reading assessments track student abilities into three categories: on or above grade level, on watch and intervention. Students in the intervention category require more intensive instruction in reading, and num-
bers in the intensive category tend to be higher in the fall, immediately after summer vacation.
“So they’re lingering around 30% in that number. We need to get that number down to about 8% to 10%,” said Assistant Superintendent Scott Alter. “Right now we have 30% intensive students in schools, which is very hard for schools to serve that many students with interventions.”
The number of students who read at or above grade level tends to increase through the year, according to the district’s analysis of students’ DIBELS scores. DIBELS is a raft of early literacy assessment tools from the University of Oregon. Moreover, the overall percentage of students reading at or above grade level has been gradually increasing since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.
Alter said students who were struggling would inevitably need more interventions if the district hoped to close the gap. This means more time with intensive instruction, and he stated that he had already contacted several principals to begin that planning process.
School board member Stephen Gastright asked if it was possible to move more students into the summer program to help prevent learning loss between school years. Board President Tom Haggard said summer programs were clearly good for the students but that the current program is capped at about 100 students and couldn’t handle more.
Alter said expanding the program would require hiring more instructors and that there was no money to do that.
Internal assessments for other subjects and grade levels weren’t discussed.
In spite of the improvements, the district’s state report card has flagged the district’s performance as either middling or poor, depending on the grade level. Moreover, overall student enrollment has been declining year over year, according to state data. The district expects to get results from this year’s state assessments in September.
The number of students learning English as a foreign language has ballooned in the district over the last few years, especially at Sixth District Elementary School, Holmes Middle School and Holmes High School. About 30% of the overall student population are English language learners.
Kentucky’s state report card has indicated comparatively high marks for the district in English language proficiency at the elementary and high school levels. Moreover, the district has recently begun integrating more robust interventions for English language learning into its instruction.
Florence Walmart to expand with new pickup area
The Florence Walmart is set to expand thanks to a recent ruling from the Boone County Planning Commission.
At a meeting June 19, the planning commission heard a presentation from staffer Todd Morgan regarding the technical design and review of Walmart’s proposed expansion. Two representatives from Walmart attended the meeting. The Florence Walmart is located at 7625 Doering Drive.
“They’re doing a 3,600-square-foot addition on the southwest side of the building,” Morgan said.
The addition will create a new pickup area for the store. Walmart’s e-commerce sector grew 24% from last year, according to a report from Digitalcommerce360.com.
In October, Walmart announced it would invest more capital into expanding floor
Todd Morgan presenting Walmart's expansion plan to the Boone County Planning Commission. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky
Holmes Middle School in Covington. Photo provided | Covington Independent Public Schools
Continues on page 12
Guests gather around to try some of the kitchen’s favorite recipes. Hailey Roden | LINK nky
Mayor Meyer poses with Bishop John Iffert while holding the proclamation. Hailey Roden | LINK nky
and retail space for online grocery pickup and delivery. According to a company press release, Walmart is in the midst of a twoyear, $9 billion investment plan to remodel more than 1,400 stores.
The Florence Walmart’s addition will feature earth-toned bricks and muted trim colors. Changes to the building’s elevations and signage include reducing the total amount of building-mounted signage, relocating the pickup sign, and removing a dumpster area.
Additional signage changes include enhancing the signage at the auto and garden center from nearly 40 to 90 square feet. Walmart will also install seven new directional signs throughout the parking lot.
Prior to the planning commission meeting, Boone County’s Technical/Design Review Committee unanimously approved Walmart’s proposal 4-0.
As of now, there is no timeline or cost for the expansion.
Free English language classes through Gateway expand to Covington
English language learners come to Northern Kentucky from over 20 countries. When they get here, many find their way to Gateway Adult Education in-person or online classes.
In fact, Gateway Adult Education Director
Gina DeWard told LINK nky that English language students make up a whopping 75% of the agency’s adult education population.
“We have over 30 languages,” DeWard said, referring to the native languages spoken by students in Gateway’s ESL (English as a second language) program offered through Gateway Adult Education — a partnership between Gateway Community and Technical College and the Kentucky Office of Adult Education. “We have a large ESL population in all different demographics. That’s really fun and exciting when you see all the different types of students coming together in the same classrooms.”
Opportunities for in-person English language learning classes through Gateway have been somewhat limited. For now, the only options are in-person classes in Florence, online ESL classes and some options through local businesses.
Enter Covington, where Gateway will start offering in-person English classes starting in August. The in-person classes will be held at the Gateway TIE building (Center for Technology, Innovation and Enterprise) at 516 Madison Ave. Orientation starts in July.
Like all ESL and GED (high school equivalency diploma) services through Gateway Adult Education, classes will be free to students.
The Covington classes are intended to serve a large number of English language
learners in NKY’s urban core, said DeWard. Gateway decided to embark on the expansion after working with Kentucky Refugee Ministries – a resettlement agency that serves thousands of immigrants and refugees annually through its locations in Covington, Louisville and Lexington.
“We decided to do that because we know there are lots of people in the ESL population that are living in the city versus out in Hebron – although there are a lot of ESL individuals there as well,” DeWard told LINK nky. “And because we are working closely with KRM [Kentucky Refugee Ministries] in Covington. So it’s kind of a partnership we have created with them.”
Kentucky Refugee Ministries clients start ESL classes soon after arriving in the U.S. Other services like job workshops help connect newcomers to the workforce to ensure that “they can support themselves and their family,” according to the nonprofit.
Independence resident honored as grocery industry rising star
Shelly Flynn, an Independence resident and pharmacy practice coordinator for Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton Division, has been honored as one of the Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer, a national trade magazine.
“Our honorees exemplify true leadership and raise the bar when it comes to inspiring
our associates and serving our customers,” said Ann Reed, president of Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton division, in a news release.
“They live by our motto to Feed the Human Spirit each day through their work to care for the health of our customers, advance equity with diverse products on our shelves, eliminate hunger in the community and provide a full, fresh and friendly shopping experience.”
Flynn, who was honored with a Rising Star Award, began working with Kroger in 1991. Since then, she has “championed the strategies of 20 pharmacies within the division and also supported The Little Clinic locations within her scope of stores,” according to Progressive Grocer’s profile.
In addition, “she and her team sold more than 4 million prescriptions and administered 65,000-plus vaccines, making them tops in their division for vaccine-to-goal percent; she also rolled out a simplification pilot to streamline pharmacy procedures.”
Shelly Flynn, on of the 2024 Progressive Grocer Rising Stars. Photo provided | Kroger Co.
June July
Movies in the Park, 7 p.m., Florence Nature Event Center, 7200 Nature Park Drive, Florence. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for a free showing of “Super Mario Bros.” Free popcorn available. Food also available from multiple food trucks. Information: 859-647-5425, victoria.riley@florence-ky. gov or florence-ky.gov.
Crosstown Comedy Festival: Mark Chalifoux, 7-8:30 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton. Rookies and veterans of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky comedy scene compete to win coveted paid spots on shows at Commonwealth Sanctuary and Bomb’s Away Comedy in the fall. Admission $10. Information: programming@ commonwealthsanctuary.com or commonwealthsanctuary.com.
COVer LOVer, 7-11:30 p.m., Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington. Benefit for Brighton Center’s Homeward Bound shelter with Bronson Arroyo Band, Wallace Woods, the Weathered Feather. Admission $10. Information: 859-491-2444 or madisontheater.com.
Community @ Commonwealth: Garrett Titlebaum’s ‘The Greatest Comedian In The World,’ 9:30 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton. Titlebaum hosts a game show that puts comedians Karinne Turnbow, Connor Twele and Giles Chickering through their comedic paces in a fight for comedic supremacy. Admission $10. Information: programming@commonwealthsanctuary.com or commonwealthsanctuary.com.
Campbell County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:306:30 p.m., Alexandria Courthouse, 8352 E. Main St., Alexandria. Information: campbellcountyky.gov.
Union Commission meeting, 6-7 p.m., Union City Building, 1843 Bristow Drive, Union.
Southgate City Council meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Southgate City Building, 122 Electric Ave., Southgate. Information: southgateky.org/mayor-city-council.
Boone County Planning Commission meeting, 7-8 p.m., Boone County Administration Building, 2950 Washington St., Burlington.
Fort Thomas Independence Day Celebration, 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Tower Park Amphitheatre, Cochran Avenue, Fort Thomas. Daylong festivities include Firecracker 5K (8:30 a.m.), parade (10 a.m.), music, food trucks and activities (6 p.m.) and fireworks (10 p.m.). Information (including 5K registration): 859-572-1209 or fortthomasky.org/news.
For more events, scan the QR code or visit:
Renovated turn-of-the-century home in Covington
Address: 234 Kentucky Ave., Covington
Price: $389,900
Bedrooms: Two
Bathrooms: Two
Square footage: 2,174
School district: Covington Independent
County: Kenton
Special features: This newly renovated home in the Mainstrasse neighborhood is located on a quiet, one-way street. Built in 1904, this historic home offers a small fenced in backyard. It’s within walking distance of coffee shops, bars, restaurants and retail.
An exterior view of this Kentucky Avenue home in Covington. Photos provided | Sara Brown with Cahill Real Estate Services
A view of this home’s fenced in backyard.
By Maria Hehman
TRooftop beer, killer pizza and momo in Covington
his week, Streetscapes checks out summer hot spots on Covington’s West Seventh Street. Visitors will find beers and pizza from NKY staples and a brand new Nepali restaurant from Cincinnati. Grab your sunglasses and meet us on the rooftop.
Braxton Brewery
Since Braxton’s rooftop opened, its ambiance on a summer evening just never gets old. Since its debut, Braxton first became a local hotspot, then expanded across the Tri-State both through other locations and
offering their beverages in stores. Yet there is still no better place to spend a summer evening in NKY than on Braxton’s Covington rooftop.
Braxton is best known for its craft beers. Storm and Garage Beer are among the most popular, and there are regular collaborations with local businesses like Graeter’s to create delectable, dessert-worthy beers. Currently on tap, Greater’s Lemon Meringue Pie is a great beer for hot summer days. The lemon and meringue balance out one another so it isn’t too tart or sweet. Scooter and Summertrip are popular summer choices, too. With fruity notes, they’re the perfect refreshing drinks to celebrate the weekend.
Not a beer lover? Braxton has its own line of seltzers, plus wine and plenty of cocktail choices. On hot days the rooftop often features some sort of frozen alcoholic beverage – basically slushies for adults. Like many of its other drinks, the flavors rotate and are always fun seasonal choices.
Braxton offers food through its neighbor, Dewey’s (read on). This can be ordered from the taproom and delivered directly to guests.
Dewey’s Pizza
Most Northern Kentucky residents will fondly remember Dewey’s Pizza at its former Newport on the Levee location. Although that has closed, Dewey’s recently added a location in Covington, conveniently next to Braxton.
There is a reason Dewey’s is as popular as it is: The pizza is undeniably good. From the light chewy crust to specialty pizzas with edge-to-edge toppings, it’s always a reliable and fresh meal. The inclusive menu offers choices for vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike.
Meat lovers are best sated with the Don Corleone – with red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Genoa salami, capicola and oregano – or the meatball, with red sauce, basil,
mozzarella, Italian meatballs, oregano and shaved parmesan. Veggie fanatics should look to the Edgar Allen Poe – a pizza with olive oil, mozzarella, fontina, mushrooms, whole roasted garlic, kalamata olives, goat cheese, tomatoes and parsley – or the Killer Veggie, featuring red sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, white onion, black olives, green bell peppers, tomatoes and parsley.
Like a little of both? The menu offers plenty of other specialty pizzas mixing meat and veggies, and guests can always order half and half for a taste of everything.
Dewey’s salads shouldn’t be overlooked, either. They’re massive and packed with ample toppings to fill up even the hungriest customer.
Bridges Nepali Cuisine
With three locations north of the river, Bridges Nepali Cuisine found a home in NKY to bring Kentuckians a taste of Nepal. It has choices for all diets, including vegan dishes and desserts. It’s most famous for momos, a Nepali style dumpling that can come steamed, pan seared or jhol, served in caramelized tomato soup with roasted sesame and soybean. Guests also can choose from chicken, pork or vegetable filling.
For speciality dishes there are chow mein, fried rice and woh. Woh is made of ground mixed lentils that form a pancake-like patty that’s marinated in fresh ginger and spices, then served as is or stuffed with either protein or vegetables. The aromatic chicken or aloo wala (marinated potatoes) are perfect complements to any meal.
Although it does offer some seating both inside and outside, the restaurant is on the smaller side, and so it’s a great grab-andgo option. Don’t forget to order a chai tea or a yogurt lassi for a tasty drink.
ighlands Middle School language arts teacher Brian Alessandro is in a jumbo jet. He’s traveling with his wife, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The newly retired high school track and cross country coach is on his way to see his wife’s relatives in the United Kingdom.
Helping himself into a British state of mind, Alessandro passes the time by watching the film “Chariots of Fire” on his iPad. The movie, set in 1920s Britain, follows two runners who are training for the 1924 Paris Olympics. With the 2024 Paris Olympics coming up this summer, Alessandro is eager to watch the movie again with a renewed perspective.
The movie’s theme, achieving victory through self-sacrifice and moral courage, still resonates with Alessandro. The soundtrack by Vangelis still stands out. Something new is the way the movie makes Alessandro realize how much he’s going to miss coaching.
“No doubt I’m going to miss it. But I’m going to be spending more time with my family,” said Alessandro, who remains on the Highlands Middle School teaching staff. “The thing is, I’m still looking at race results. I’m watching ‘Chariots of Fire’ again. It just says I can’t let that part go.”
With 21 regional championships and nine state titles at Highlands, Alessandro thought he’d never quit coaching. The journey began as a Highlands cross country volunteer assistant in 2002.
“We immediately won three state titles in girls cross country,” Alessandro said. “I loved coaching, and I was hooked. I quit my job and went back to school to be a teacher because of that and started out in Boone County.”
Alessandro assisted at NKU from 2005-07. He was head coach of the Thomas More cross country and track and field teams from 2007-11. He’s been head coach of the Highlands boys and girls cross country teams and the girls track and field team since 2012.
“We won five state titles the first six years in girls cross country,” Alessandro said. “We had the first individual state champs in Highlands cross country history with Maggie Schroeder and Ethan Shuley, who both won twice.”
However, family responsibilities increased. The coach’s children are now 7 and 4. Alessandro, a 1998 Highlands graduate, is 44. The former Bluebirds and Norse standout wants to make sure his children receive all the support they need as they become more involved with school activities.
Highlands rising senior Shelby Shields understands, but it’s still a shock. Counting relay runners, Alessandro coached nearly 30 individual state champions in cross
country and track and field. He was named Girls Cross County Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2014 and 2020.
“He’s been in my life as a coach since I was a little tiny sixth grader,” Shields said. “I had him as a teacher in the seventh grade. He’s always been there. He became a good listening ear.”
Alessandro has a way with young runners while using an array of coaching skills. It enabled him to be a program builder at Thomas More and Highlands Middle School and a program rebuilder at NKU and Highlands High School. Working with a positive attitude at his high school alma mater, he tapped into a special connection with his athletes.
The dynamic benefitted Highlands’ Jack Haggard, on his way to Bellarmine University to play soccer and run track. Haggard sought improvement in both sports without compromising either. Alessandro, ever the thoughtful protagonist, took an interest in Haggard’s dilemma. As the soccer team’s leading goal scorer his senior season at Highlands while running cross country, Alessandro had been there and done that.
“The biggest thing he did was work with me between running and soccer,” said Haggard. “Coach figured out the best plan. He knew what distances were perfect for me. He knew how I should train for soccer so I could still run.”
Shields said Alessandro’s laid back, inclusive style makes it easier for him to help student-athletes solve problems.
“I’m in two sports, and he is so understanding and very helpful,” Shields said.
Alessandro developed a personal yet meticulous approach to coaching. He applied it with such care that often his Bluebirds were greater than the sum of their parts. His teams were delicate in texture but tough as nails.
“You want to run for him,” Haggard said. “I also wanted to get better, and he did a really good job with it.”
Alessandro’s finespun strategy significantly improved endurance and race times. In Highlands girls track and field, all but one new school record out of 18 track events has been established since 2012. In boys track, all distance records have been reset since 2012.
“I found just as much joy in coaching young people who weren’t vying for state titles,” Alessandro said. “They all worked hard to break personal bests and pushed themselves daily.”
Language arts teacher Brian Alessandro holds a Tradition of Excellence award given by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, one of many awards he has earned. Photo provided | Highlands Facebook page
Bluebirds record-holder Maggie Schroeder, left, is one of many state champions coached by Brian Alessandro. Photo provided | Brian Alessandro
Highlands 800-meter record-holder Thomas Gray-Torsell, left, stands with Brian Alessandro, formerly Bluebirds track and cross country coach. Photo provided | Brian Alessandro
Twins Brian, left, and Kevin Alessandro, 1998 Highlands graduates, were inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. File photo
KSCA releases All-State teams; Barth, Horner take 9th
Region honors
The Kentucky Softball Coaches Association has released its All-State teams and Region Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
The Highlands pair of senior Michelle Barth and coach Milt Horner took home 9th Region Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
Barth led the Bluebirds in multiple hitting categories, starting with a .586 batting average. She also led the three-time reigning 9th Region champions in RBI (67), doubles (17) and struck out just three times in 111 atbats. Barth was also vital in the field as the team’s primary catcher.
Horner’s Coach of the Year honor comes
after Highlands finished the season with a 27-13 record and won the 9th Region for the third straight season. In those three seasons, Highlands has amassed an 80-37 record. Since Horner took over the program in 2019, Highlands has accumulated a 12458 record.
Barth was also named to the Class 3A AllState second team, the Coaches Association splitting the state into three classes for the team. Barth’s teammate Kaitlyn Dixon was also named to the second team for her stellar performance in the circle this season. Dixon went 21-6 with a 1.68 ERA for the Bluebirds in 2024 with 286 strikeouts in 190.4 innings pitched.
Cooper’s Ava Scott made honorable mention for the 3A All-State team. Scott led the Lady Jaguars in batting average with a .491 average and also led the team in hits (52), doubles (12), triples (7), runs (45) and stolen bases (24). Scott is also considered one of the best shortstops in the region.
Notre Dame’s Abby Turnpaugh made the honorable mention list for the 2A AllState team. Turnpaugh was the ace in the circle for the regional runner-up Pandas this season. She went 18-7 with a 1.37 ERA in 143.1 innings pitched. She collected 211 strikeouts to just 30 walks and allowed 107 hits and 28 earned runs. At the plate, Turnpaugh batted .329 and was second on the team in doubles (8) and walks (15). She drove in 22 runs and struck out just five
times in 73 at-bats. Turnpaugh was also named to the East-West Junior All-Star game.
Bishop Brossart’s Maddie Kremer made the Class 1A All-State second team. Kremer hit .420 for the Lady ’Stangs this season, collecting a team-high 37 hits and driving in 23 runs. She also led the team in doubles with 15.
Five from NKY make baseball All-State teams
The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association released its All-State teams June 17 with five Northern Kentucky student-athletes on it.
Making the first team was Covington Catholic junior Jackson Reardon. Ryle sophomore A.J. Curry made the second team, while Cooper senior Mark Nowak, Ryle senior Sam Eppley and Campbell County sophomore Tyler Schumacher made the third team.
SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS
In order to keep bringing Northern Kentucky the news it deserves, we need your help. Donate to the NKY Community Journalism Fund today to support our public-interest reporting. DONATE TODAY
SCAN HERE TO DONATE NOW
Reardon won 9th Region Player of the Year honors and NKAC Division I co-Player of the Year and was named to the NKAC and NKBC All-Conference teams. He hit .463 this season with a team-high 15 doubles, six triples and tied for a team-high three home runs. Reardon stole 20 bases and walked (18 times) more than he struck out (14 times) in 121 official at-bats. Reardon was the Colonels primary shortstop and has committed to the University of Cincinnati.
Curry was the NKAC Division I co-Player of the Year with Reardon, NKBC Division I Player of the Year and selected as a sophomore showcase All-Star for the 9th Region. He led the state in batting average for the majority of the season, finishing with a .571 batting average in helping the Raiders to a 9th Region championship and state quarterfinal appearance. Curry’s first season in Union was one for the record books, breaking the program’s single-season hits record with 72 on the year. On top of leading the team in hits and batting average, he led the Raiders in runs scored (43), RBI (35), doubles (20), homeruns (6) and walks (31). Curry also pitched 21 innings this season with a 2-2 record and two saves, sporting a 2.33 ERA. He struck out 35 batters and walked 18.
Nowak made the NKAC All-Conference team and NKAC All-Conference team. He led the Jaguars in batting average (.411), atbats (107), hits (44), runs scored (32), RBI (22), doubles (10), triples (4), stolen bases (28) and struck out just five times in 107 of-
ficial at-bats. He also threw 34 innings for the Jaguars this season with a 2.26 ERA. He struck out 60 batters compared to just 18 walks.
Eppley was one of the aces for the Ryle staff this season, going 7-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 55 innings pitched. He struck out 86 batters and walked 30 and allowed 35 hits. At the plate, he hit .280 with 13 RBI and 10 doubles in 93 at-bats.
Schumacher led the Camels in hitting with a .424 batting average in 99 at-bats. His 42 hits were tops for the team, along with triples (3), and tied for first in doubles (8). On the bump, Schumacher posted a 5-1 record with a 2.80 ERA in 35 innings pitched. He struck out 43 batters to 17 walks.
Meyers brings extensive coaching experience with him and is deeply rooted in the Northern Kentucky community. He’s a native of Northern Kentucky, a Covington Catholic grad and continued his education at Northern Kentucky University.
Meyers has stops at the middle and high school level coaching in Florida and Northern Kentucky.
Meyers has also been an official for over 15 years in Florida and Kentucky. He officiated basketball, football and soccer.
Meyers replaces Trevor Gould, who coached the Vikings the past four seasons. Gould guided Villa to a 37-73 record, the 14 wins this past season the most since the 2017-18 season under Nathan Dilts.
The Vikings lost seven seniors to graduation, Henry Thole leaving the biggest void with his 17.8 points and 15.4 rebounds a game last season. They’re expected to return three of eight that played in at least 27 games this past season in Aiden Day, Michael Callioni and Quinn Thomas.
Villa Madonna hires James Meyers as new boys basketball coach
Villa Madonna has hired assistant coach James Meyers as its next boys basketball coach.
Covington Catholic’s Jackson Reardon was named to the KHSBCA All-State 1st team. Photo provided | Charles Bolton
James Meyers will be the next head coach of the Villa Madonna boys basketball team. Photo provided | Villa Madonna High School
Highlands catcher Michelle Barth, right, and pitcher Kaitlyn Dixon were selected to the KSCA All-State Class 3A second team. Photo provided | Charles Bolton
You asked: What we learned about school choice amendment
By Rebecca Hanchett
Northern Kentuckian Cathy Volter supports Kentucky’s public school system.
She made that clear earlier this month on LINK nky’s Facebook page when LINK asked readers to comment on whether or not Kentucky needs the school choice amendment that will be on the ballot this fall.
Amendment 2 is the ballot measure. If approved by voters, it would allow state lawmakers to provide public funding for K-12 education outside the public, or “common,” schools system. All seven states surrounding Kentucky – and dozens more – have private school-choice programs with some degree of public funding; Kentucky does not.
“Does anyone think that a charter/private school will ‘accept’ and provide service to a student with learning disabilities, behavioral disabilities, lacks motivation to learn, acts out constantly in class, attends school irregularly, is in the foster child system or is homeless?” Volter wrote. “Our current public school system accepts and provides exceptional service to all these students in these situations. The system of charter/ private schools is discriminatory toward those who have difficult and exceptional needs, thus making education a classist system.”
Volter’s remarks were among 55 reader comments in the LINK thread. Some commenters oppose the amendment, and some don’t. Among those who do not is reader Timothy Mc, who voiced support for charter schools.
“You think they’re discriminatory because you’ve been told that,” Mc replied to Volter, later posting, “Charter schools are great and often outperform other public schools while doing it at a fraction of the cost.”
Also voicing support for charters on the LINK post was Diane Howard, who wrote, “Charter schools would provide much needed alternatives especially for children in poor performing public schools.”
Charter schools are legal in Kentucky, although there currently are none. A state court has ruled that funding charter schools with public money is unconstitutional. That case has been appealed. Also ruled unconstitutional (this time by the Kentucky Supreme Court) are tax credits for private school tuition authorized by state lawmakers with the passage of 2021 House Bill 563.
Should Amendment 2 pass, though, it would potentially open up public funding for charter schools and more. How that would work would be up to the Kentucky General Assembly, which voted this year to put the amendment on the ballot.
What would Amendment 2 do?
If it passes, Amendment 2 would change the state constitution to read like this:
“The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools.”
Nowhere in that wording is there any mention of charter schools. Instead, the amendment is written broadly to give state lawmakers considerable leeway in how public funding is used, either for nonpublic schools or public charters – typically defined as public schools run outside the state school system. Funding for charter schools is a potential option. Other potential options are publicly funded vouchers for private school tuition, tax credits for private school-tuition donors and more.
Voters will see this question followed by the amendment language when they go to cast their ballot for or against Amendment 2:
“To give parents choices in educational opportunities for their children, are you in favor of enabling the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education costs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are outside the system of common (public) schools by amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below?”
A yes vote would allow state lawmakers to pass legislation providing public funding for nonpublic schools, while a no vote would prevent it.
Who is working for, against it?
A statewide effort to defeat Amendment 2 is being led by Protect Our Schools KY, an organization that describes itself as a “coalition of public education advocates and allied organizations committee to defeat a harmful constitutional amendment” it calls the “Voucher Amendment.”
The group was to kick off its NKY campaign June 20 at Newport High School. Helping to organize the campaign is Blue Dot Consulting, a Louisville-based firm that has worked on numerous political campaigns, including that of former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker.
“Our Kentucky Constitution is the only thing protecting Kentucky families from these voucher schemes. We must do everything we can to safeguard our public schools and that means voting NO on Amendment 2,” according to the Protect Our Schools KY website.
On the other side is Frankfort-based EdChoice Kentucky. That organization is led by board chair and CEO Charles Leis, a retired business executive who was honored by the Catholic bishops of Kentucky in 2021 for helping to pass HB 563 into law that year. The EdChoice Kentucky board also includes Elizabeth B. Ruehlmann, director of
development for Catholic schools with the Diocese of Covington.
EdChoice Kentucky’s website says Amendment 2 is needed “to help an entire generation of Kentucky students succeed,” adding, “Every child is unique, and all children learn differently. Some children might succeed at their assigned public school, while others might fit in better in a different environment. That’s why educational choice is so important.”
Will it take money from public schools?
That depends whom you ask
Public money for private education is a main sticking point for many of those who opposed Amendment 2 on the LINK Facebook page. “I’m against public tax dollars going to any private schools,” wrote reader Alex Breyer.
“Public dollars should stay with public schools. They take ALL children. Private and charter schools do not do this,” said Jenna Van Laningham, another reader.
EdChoice Kentucky doesn’t see a problem. Its website cites an increase in K-12 public education funding in Kentucky in recent years (including increases in funding for school transportation and per pupil funding in the next budget cycle) to make its case.
“Would the Constitutional Amendment ‘defund’ public schools? No,” the website said. “The Constitutional Amendment would simply allow the General Assembly to pass a separate program supporting students in nonpublic schools.”
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) told LINK by phone that the argument that Amendment 2 would potentially take funding away from public schools is “specious.” He then went further, calling the argument “a scare tactic by defenders of the status quo.”
“If you look at the recent record of the
General Assembly since Republicans took control of both chambers (in 2016), we’ve been funding public schools at record levels, including this year, where we included back-to-back increases in the school funding formula,” Thayer told LINK. “I don’t see the General Assembly taking money away from public schools – as a matter of fact I see it continuing to increase.”
Protect Our Schools KY questioned that support on its website. It called Amendment 2 “another attempt to attack public education and undermine the backbone of our communities – our public schools,” its website says, again with a focus on vouchers. To that end, the organization says, the amendment would “mostly subsidize existing private school students.”
LINK reader Alanna Blum also had questions about funding when she responded to the LINK post on Amendment 2. Blum specifically questioned how Kentucky’s phase-out of its individual income tax impacted school funding.
“The biggest question I have is …. Where is the money coming from? If KY lawmakers still plan to sunset state income tax, it simply doesn’t sound like a fiscally responsible decision,” Blum said.
The state did not meet requirements for further reduction of the tax in 2025, although its 2022 plan to phase out the tax eventually remains in place.
The Kentucky Capitol building. Photo provided | Kentucky State Capitol website
Like what you see and want to subscribe? Scan the QR code above
