LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 2, Issue 23 - May 3, 2024

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As public pools close, how does NKY stay cool in the summer?

By Haley Parnell

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.

Public pools have been a time-tested solution for cooling off in the hot summer months, but more and more are closing.

In the most controversial case, Cincinnati’s Sunlite Pool was sold, along with the rest of Coney Island, to Music and Event Management Inc., the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra subsidiary that manages Riverbend and part of the historic Coney Island announced last year that its amusement park and Sunlite pool would close on Dec. 31, 2023, to become a destination music venue.

The park opened in 1886 and would later add a pool in 1925. Sunlite Pool was a destination for folks across the Greater Cincinnati Area to seek sanction during scorching summer temperatures.

According to Clearcomfort.com, by the 1930s, public pools had transformed from

Residents will place their votes in the 2024 primary election on May 21 this year.

And while there are a good number of local legislative races that are contested in the primary, the only other contested race in NKY is in Covington, where 10 people are running for commission.

So what’s with all the uncontested local races?

Kenton County Clerk Gabrielle Summe said that, for a lot of people, uncontested races can be a sign of confidence in the other side.

“That,” she said, “or they couldn’t find someone to run.”

Former Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson said he thinks the amount of uncontested races is an issue.

“We need good people to run,” Grayson said. “It is a sacrifice to do it, but it’s rewarding. We need good people to run and hold people accountable. It keeps people on their toes when they have someone running against them in the primary or the general elections.”

He also said voter turnout rises when there is a tightly contested race.

“That‘s when you get more turnout — when it’s competitive,” Grayson said. “When there are uncontested races, people ask, ‘Why would I go out and vote?’”

Whether or not you live in Covington, there are plenty of legislative races that will affect Northern Kentuckians’ daily lives to draw voters to the polls.

Inside this edition, learn about what a legislator does, and how a representative is different from a senator. You’ll also meet

all the legislative candidates in uncontested races that you’ll have a chance to vote for on May 21, so you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Also inside, learn about how Covington’s commission works and meet the candidates vying for a spot on the ballot in November.

Swimmers at the Goebel Park swimming pool in 1981. The city announced it would close the pool this year. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

We would like to thank all of our customers for supporting Marshall over the last 48 years. He loved his business and appreciated all of his customers.

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MARSHALL GRANGER JEWELERS, FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1959 will be closing sometime in 2024. Due to Marshall’s unexpected passing, it has been very difficult to go on without him leading, directing and advising.

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PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Meghan Goth

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

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What’s a commissioner do, anyway?

How Covington’s city government works

By Nathan Granger

Covington is the only city in Kenton County holding a primary this month.

This year, the city has 10 candidates for the city’s board of commissioners, and results from the primary will knock two candidates out of the race, leaving eight to compete in November for the board’s four seats.

Although the commission has a primary, it is nonpartisan, and candidates need not declare a party affiliation to run. All candidates in the May primary are running as nonpartisans.

The rule for triggering a primary in Kenton County is straightforward: double plus one. In other words, there needs to be double the number of candidates for a given office plus one more candidate to trigger a primary. There are four open commission seats on the Covington Board of Commissioners. Double that number of seats – eight –and add one more – nine – to calculate the number of candidates required to trigger a primary. The field has that beat with one to spare.

Covington’s City Government

Even though the spotlight is on commission candidates, Covington does not operate on a city commission model or on the more common mayor-council model, under which executive and legislative powers are separated in the positions of the mayor and council members, respectively. Instead, it operates on the city manager model.

Under that model, every commission member and the mayor has a vote in local laws. Mayors are responsible for running meetings, signing contracts and acting as the public face of the city, but they share executive and legislative power with the board. Because the mayor casts votes on laws and policies, the person sitting in the mayor’s seat has no veto power, unlike mayors under the mayor-council form of government.

Additionally, unlike the mayor-council and city commission models, city manager governments are required by law to have a full-time administrative officer, the city manager, who directly oversees the departments and workers in the city (although some cities who use the other two forms of government often have a city administrator or city manager anyway). The city manager is appointed through a full vote of the board of commissioners and is responsible for much of the day-to-day operation of the city.

The city manager is a sworn office, but, as a non-elected official, the manager doesn’t have voting power. Still, city managers hold a lot of sway in how a city is run, especially since the commission and mayoral positions do not have required full-time hours. (Mayors and commissioners often work full-time jobs outside of city hall.)

Covington’s current city manager is Ken Smith. “So generally, it’s running the dayto-day operations, but I don’t make decisions for the city or for the people of Covington that aren’t spelled out,” Smith said.

That means if you’re a Covington resident with a workaday issue related to the city (e.g., potholes, downed signs, flickering traffic lights and so on), you’d probably have more luck checking in with the city manager or the head of the appropriate department for help, even if your first instinct is to call your elected officials. Chances are, they’d probably refer the problem to city staff, anyway.

The city manager’s other major duty is recommending a city budget and carrying it out once the board votes. The commission has the power to discard a recommended budget or other proposal with a majority vote. The city manager also can’t enter into contracts on behalf of the city, although he can make recommendations.

The Board of Commissioners

“It’s a serious job that I wouldn’t suggest anybody take on unless they were genuinely wanting to – because you’re not going to make any money – genuinely wanting to serve their local government,” said current Covington Commission Member Steve Hayden, who is not running for election.

Commissioners’ duties include setting the city’s budget, passing ordinances and other policies, making board appointments, hiring and firing city workers – from the city

manager down to the newest police recruit fresh out of the academy – and generally acting as representatives for the city’s public interest.

It’s important to remember, however, that there is no unilateral power on the city commission. The commission acts and exercises power only as a group; it needs a majority vote to do anything, including making personnel decisions.

“Commissioners are not involved in the day-to-day supervision of employees,” said Morgain Patterson, the Kentucky League of Cities director of municipal law. “They cannot independently hire or fire an employee. They cannot make unilateral decisions on the needs of the city. The board of commissioners really only acts as a complete body in and of itself. They don’t have independent authority per se.”

As an illustration, Hayden talked about how surprised he was by the degree to which commissioners were constrained in their individual decision-making and their ability to collaborate outside of public meetings. That’s because meeting laws often force commission members to discuss things in the open, rather than behind closed doors.

“The working it out together thing is just not what I thought it was going to be,” Hayden said. “So you’re still on your own, and sometimes you’re on your own until you’re on the dais and into the comments section or something like that.”

To Hayden’s point, Patterson said the position tends to attract people with a genuine interest in public service.

“I do think that, in any form of government, there can be tension because of the desire for more ability to affect policy on an individual basis,” Patterson said, “but that’s not really the way our cities, or even our state, are set up.”

Letter from the CEO: Local news matters

Dear Reader,

As voters in NKY head to the polls this month for our primary election, we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the critical role newsrooms play during an election year and how you can help power this important work.

According to the Medill Local News Initia-

tive, 70 million people in the U.S. live in areas that have already lost or are at risk of losing access to local news. Independent journalism, like ours at LINK nky, is vital for a strong democracy—according to the Federal Trade Commission, when local news is consumed, 13 percent of non-voters are more likely to vote. Our work matters. We keep voters informed through our in-depth, unbiased coverage, and

make it easy for anyone to be prepared to cast their vote.

At LINK, we’re committed to providing you with the election coverage you need before you cast your vote. If you value journalism like ours that strengthens our democracy and holds our leaders accountable, will you support us by donating today?

Scan the QR code to donate, or mail a check to the Northern Kentucky Community Journalism Fund, 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd, Suite 431, Covington, KY 41011.

A chart showing the power structures of the three allowable local government models in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Provided | Kentucky League of Cities

10 hopefuls vie for seats on Covington City Commission

By Nathan Granger

There are 10 candidates in the running for four open seats on the Covington Board of Commissioners. The board is the only race for which there’s a primary election in Kenton County (read our commission explainer to learn how primaries and Covington’s city government work). Voters can cast ballots in the Covington primary on May 21. Two of the 10 candidates will be eliminated as a result, and the remaining eight will move on to the general election in November.

LINK nky reached out to the candidates to ask them about the issues. Their responses are below. Due to space constraints, we had to edit many of their responses. You can read more complete versions of the candidates’ answers as well as more questions in the digital version of this story at linknky. com/category/elections.

Tim Acri

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

Small businesses are the backbone of Covington, and we are truly fortunate to have such an amazing and eclectic variety of local business owners and entrepreneurs right here. I am keenly interested in supporting, promoting and keeping our small businesses in Covington by looking for creative ways to help incentivize and retain them to continue to do business in our community while promoting their growth and expansion.

Our parks, green spaces and open spaces are the real gems of our city, and we need to restore, protect and preserve these important areas while also creating more opportunities for recreation and public enjoyment of these public spaces.

I believe each and every child should be

given the opportunity to play any sport they desire, no matter where they come from or who they are. I want to work with our community to create more youth leagues and sporting programs for our youngest residents.

We have an incredible opportunity to reshape the former IRS property into something that truly benefits all our residents and our business community. A carefully planned new development with input from a broad reach of stakeholders in our community will return a large vacant property to a prosperous one with elements that will benefit everyone.

Community safety goes a lot deeper than crime, violence and public health issues. Street lighting, stop signs, sidewalks, basic traffic control on side streets and other items are all key to public safety. Vacant buildings that present health and safety hazards need to be addressed quickly, as well as older infrastructure.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

I’ve spent the majority of my professional career working closely with private businesses, local communities, labor unions, and local, state and federal officials on both small and large-scale environmental remediation, demolition and redevelopment projects around the country. From permitting, financing and grant funding to zoning, contract negotiations and procedural approvals, I’ve formed strong relationships with and brought interested parties together to solve the toughest development challenges and move the needle forward to a successful outcome.

I’ll bring these same skills, experience and abilities to the table in representing the city of Covington, our residents and our local businesses. While there are always challenges faced in bringing a final development project to fruition, I don’t foresee any reason we can’t overcome them with honest and open communication, trust and integrity – all of which have been cornerstones of my professional career.

Bradie Bowen

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

We have made significant strides in development of the city; however, we still have a large portion of our citizens who are not being serviced to the best of our abilities. We must prioritize engagement of youth with a focus on violence prevention, safe and quality housing as well as opportunities for career and educational advancements for all of our residents.

Continuing the momentum of our current economic development, strengthening relationships between the city and school district, and city leadership uniting the various community groups who are already tackling the issues of youth engagement, housing and career development would be my priorities as a Covington commissioner. Last year the city created a youth liaison position to work with the school district and parks and recreation to promote programs led by the city but housed on school properties. This was a great start to working on providing opportunities for our children, but, due to the recent budget issues, the position and program were cut. This was unfortunate as it was a positive step towards providing opportunities for our youth.

I would like to see a greater focus on programs and initiatives that have research-based evidence to support their effectiveness on community improvement with ongoing data analysis of the impact of these programs to determine if they are meeting community needs. Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

While advocating for the best interests of the city of Covington is important, the

primary role of the city commission is to oversee the city government and to manage development of ordinances and policies that serve the best interest of our residents. Beyond these duties, I would engage stakeholders at all levels of government – county, state and national – whenever possible to advocate for funding and laws that would improve the quality of life for all citizens within our city.

That requires being able to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds with differing viewpoints, something I do on a daily basis when working with students and adults.

Morgan Davenport

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

I am particularly concerned with infrastructure access for all Covingtonians. What policies are we choosing not only for Covington 100 years from now, but for ourselves over the course of that same time? For example, are our policy decisions satisfying the spectrum of everything from creating safety for pedestrian students while also preserving everyone’s ability to age happily in place and easily make use of shared mobility like our buses?

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

As a government employee, I learned quickly that there are many agencies and roles to accomplish a goal. We are truly lucky in Kentucky to be palpably on the same team across our civil services.

Tim Downing

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Tim Acri. Photo provided | Tim Acri

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Morgan Davenport. Photo provided | Morgan Davenport

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Bradie Bowen.

Photo provided | Bradie Bowen

First, the economic development opportunities in the city. The old IRS site is generating national attention as an incredible opportunity for our city, but it isn’t the only one. We are attracting businesses to Latonia, and the recent Hands Pike development and zoning changes have opened up new opportunities in South Covington. The commission should be working to entice businesses that provide jobs for our residents and fit within the fabric of the communities we’ve built throughout the city. The business retention programs we have introduced have brought dozens of local businesses to our communities that reinvest in our neighborhoods.

Next, infrastructure, specifically improving pothole response and repair time. Our city has invested in the staffing and technology to reduce response times for pothole replacement and repair. During my tenure we’ve begun publishing the road repaving schedules in advance to help set expectations with our residents. We’ve invested in software so that any resident can easily submit requests and get updates on timing for work being done in the city.

Third, supporting our police and fire departments, ensuring they maintain full staffing. We have the best police and fire departments in the area, and to ensure continued excellence we need to make sure they are supported with the appropriate resources. This is why we have restored staffing in departments closed by previous administrations.

Finally, enhancing communication and outreach within the community. A government that doesn’t interact with its residents can rarely understand what it can do to make residents’ lives better.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

I have dealt with budgeting for the better part of 15 years in the corporate sector. My job for the past decade has required that I take massive amounts of data and find the anomalies. I have worked on a multitude of projects where I have to understand and forecast the impact of various investments to understand and explain our financial return. I am the only candidate with this level of corporate business experience and the only candidate with an MBA.

Our city is growing, and there is a lot of hard work ahead. I’ve said this many times as I’ve spoken with residents throughout the city: The next several elections will shape the face of our city for years to come. We will be making decisions on plans for the IRS site, development around Hands Pike, navigating Duveneck construction projects, shaping the economic development in Latonia, identifying how and where we will build a new city hall and countless other projects too numerous to mention.

The state, county and other local elected officials see this and are doing their part to help support our growth. They see that

having a dedicated and experienced legislative body can bring about wins for our community and the region because they see that we have a commission that is willing to do the work and listen to all of the residents. Plus, like our residents, they understand that these decisions impact us all, and we need strong leadership to guide us through.

Maria “Cari” C. Garriga

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

My campaign stands for transparency and open dialogue in tackling all issues. Covington needs to work through budget difficulties while ensuring that we have top-notch services like our police and fire departments.

The city faces several world-class opportunities to increase revenue: The Covington Central Riverfront Development, the Fourth Street bridge, and the Brent Spence Bridge project. These projects need to be nurtured by individuals who bring fresh approaches and new ideas to the table. Economic development balanced with sustainability is the key to Covington’s future.

The city needs to focus on issues that keep us safe and prosperous. We should be looking to develop small businesses while ensuring that citizens feel safe as they walk or bike from their neighborhoods to Main Street. Covington needs to walk united into its bright future, a future that will benefit all of its citizens.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

Individually, in bringing people together, I look to ideas that unite us and focus on points of common interest for strength in overcoming obstacles that may, seemingly, divide us. In my experience, people want to be heard and typically support ideas for the common good. In higher education, I have experience working across groups of students, staff and faculty in staying united working to advance the mission of the uni versity.

Practicing active listening and maintain ing an even temperament are character traits that have brought me success. Being well informed and being open to asking for and receiving help have also helped me; so, I would do as much. My experience as a yoga and meditation teacher prepares me to maintain a steady mind in turbulent sit uations.

I enjoy all my roles because they intersect to make me who I am: a capable adminis trator, a smart and kind individual who will work hard for the city of Covington.

Devin Kroner

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

As I outline on my website (kronerforcovington.com), there are three primary issues I am focused on:

Fair Housing: Housing and affordability are issues all over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do more to make sure that we are doing what we can right here. These measures would include using the HOME Consortium program, working with private landlords to take vouchers (it’s not that hard, and they get a guaranteed rent check) and creating more affordable housing as we continue to develop areas. Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability: We need more transparency with spending, more accountability from the city manager and well-thought-out decisions before we do things like, say, cut fire services.

Strategic Community Partnerships: Addressing things like drugs, homelessness, trash, city beautification, hunger and even the need for resources like equipment can often (but I know not always) be done through partnerships. However, we need leaders who pursue partners and bring them to the table to help solve problems, not trying to do it through taxes or cuts alone.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

I’ve spent my life in ministry and in real-estate working for compromise. I’ve had to work with other agents for win-win deals, even when that means neither side gets everything they want. I’ve worked with other ministry leaders, including staff, boards and donors, to get things done to advance departments and reach objectives. This cross-aisle collaboration is literally what I’ve been doing my entire adult life.

This is, granted, a different level with new rules, but building relationships, telling the truth and keeping your word are things

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2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Devin Kroner and his kids. Photo provided | Devin Kroner

2024 Covington Commission primary incumbent candidate Tim Downing. Photo provided | Tim Downing

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Maria “Cari” C. Garriga. Photo provided | Maria C. Garriga

Continued from page 5

around addressing the budget shortfall, which many cities are facing due to unprecedented circumstances deriving from the pandemic. To do this we must plan for activities and development of our youth as well as our seniors, ensure the Covington Central Riverfront project at the former IRS site continues to be developed in the best interest of all our city, work on improving communication and inclusion across all neighborhoods both north and south of 12th Street, and address concerns about infrastructure and affordable housing.

I am fortunate to have great relationships and open lines of communication with many dedicated entities and incredible individuals. Even in a budget shortfall, we can collaborate to address the issues above and ultimately the shortfall itself.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

I am fortunate to have great working relationships with various leaders across counties, states and parties. My ability to reach across the aisle, effectively communicate and work for the greater good is what landed me the privilege to sit on the regional tourism board at MeetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, which collaborates with Cincinnati’s. I was appointed by the Kenton County Fiscal Court. As a result of the work of the incredible staff and board at MeetNKY, our region landed on Conde Nast’s “Best Places to Travel” in 2023 with several Covington businesses being highlighted.

Aside from my time on the regional tourism board, a couple of my personal highlights were working with leaders in both Kentucky and Ohio to bring a free minipitch sponsored by FC Cincinnati to Austinburg Park and free Wi-Fi to many households in Covington.

I believe in working for what’s best for the people of Covington over what’s best for a particular party. I worked in the United States Senate, the Canadian Parliament and the Covington Commission with all walks of life and all parties, and I always found common ground and excellent results. We need leaders that see the similarities before the differences and always work toward what is best for the greater good.

James Toebbe

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

I want to be able to represent the average Covington resident because that is what I am. I am not a business owner, and I don’t come from wealth.

I just work a normal 9-to-5 job every day.

Many residents sometimes feel forgotten south of downtown, and I want to ensure that every neighborhood knows that they have a voice within our city. I hear a lot of the concerns that many residents have within our city around public safety, activities for our youth and economic development outside of the riverfront area. I feel that our city leaders need to be out in the community more to understand the dayto-day issues that residents are facing and collaboratively work on ways to address those concerns.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

Advocating on behalf of Covington across jurisdictions will require strategic collaboration and effective communication. If elected, I will leverage already established connections at the city, state and federal levels from my time advocating for veterans and prioritize building new ones at all levels. I will ensure that Covington’s interests are consistently represented in my discussions as well as decision-making processes.

The challenges that I expect will mostly be with conflicting priorities, but I am confident in our ability as a commission to navigate those. By emphasizing the positive impact of Covington’s initiatives, we can find common ground and gain support from leaders at all levels of government.

Bill Wells

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

I advocate for the reintroduction of OpenGov in our city to provide transparency in how tax dollars are utilized, benefiting citizens, developers and city leaders. OpenGov allows for unbiased insights, fostering a multidimensional understanding of expenditures.

Further, I propose increased city engagement in neighborhoods beyond grant allocation. Attending neighborhood meetings demonstrates genuine support. Collaborating with the Covington Neighborhood Collaborative to establish a neighborhood summit would further strengthen community bonds.

As a former commissioner, I recognize the vital role of budget approval. Access to departmental expenditure data, as facilitated by OpenGov, streamlines decision-making. This essential information should be readily available to inform our decisions effectively.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

Through my tenure, I’ve forged strong relationships with county and state leaders. Recognizing the pressing need for the Hands Pike “hill” replacement and realignment in South Covington, I spearheaded efforts to advance this critical project. As a member of Covington’s transportation task force, I prioritized action, resulting in the project’s inclusion in the state’s six-year plan within months. Through consistent engagement, including trips to Frankfort, attendance at Transportation Cabinet meetings and numerous emails to state leaders, I advocated tirelessly for this initiative.

In 2015, the city commission unanimously supported this project as Covington’s top state priority, a testament to its significance. Credit is due to Sen. Chris McDaniel and Rep. Kim Moser for their responsiveness and efforts in moving the project forward.

Having retired recently, I now have the capacity to serve as a full-time commissioner. Regular attendance at neighborhood, fiscal court and SD1 meetings reflects my commitment to remaining actively engaged. As a wise individual once noted, “You’re either at the table, or you’re on the table.” With the time and connections at my disposal, I am positioned to represent the interests of Covington’s residents and businesses effectively at the decision-making table.

Aaron Wolpert

What specific issues will your campaign focus on, and what issues would you like the city to give more attention to?

I’m listening to what matters to Covington residents – they set the agenda for this campaign. So far I’ve heard a lot about affordable housing and friendly, walkable neighborhoods.

Covington housing is in high demand, and overheated real estate drives up costs.

There’s no ready mechanism to depress rents, so we need more quality housing. As commissioner I’ll work with the tools we have to open up more affordable housing, like incentives for developers to build infill homes on vacant lots and targeted code enforcement to push non-occupant owners to renovate dilapidated homes and sell abandoned properties. More housing lowers rents and yields property tax revenue that the city can push back into subsidies.

On transportation, we can’t separate pedestrian safety from speed bumps, parking from bike lanes, or cracked sidewalks from code enforcement. I propose that the city form a transportation commission to absorb the Parking Authority and develop a comprehensive approach to all modes of transport. We can have better pedestrian and bicycle connections to South Covington, safer sidewalks in Mainstrasse, better bus stop streetscapes, improved balance between residential and commercial parking, and safer traffic everywhere in between. But this demands a coordinated approach.

Many developments in Covington have entailed work with state, county and even federal leaders. How will you advocate for Covington across jurisdictions? Do you foresee any challenges in this regard?

Covington shoulders the load for Northern Kentucky in some respects, offering the social services and affordable housing assistance that neighboring cities don’t provide, for example. State and federal funds are crucial to sustaining these programs and other major projects, but the reality is that there are limits to the influence we have in securing and managing this support. For example, 2022 redistricting left Covington split among three representatives and two senators in the Kentucky Statehouse, which complicates efforts to promote the city’s agenda.

As commissioner, I’ll fight for Covington residents wherever I can, understanding that we have to take strategic action. We can’t expend political capital arguing the details of state-route roadwork, for example, when on balance it’s more important to monitor the Brent Spence companion bridge project. We’re not going to secure all the concessions we want, so we have to prioritize realistic requests. In 2025, we’ll have another mayor who can sustain a long run of successful advocacy in Frankfort, and we can amplify our voice by continuing to work cooperatively with the other Northern Kentucky river cities.

It’s important to remind our commonwealth representatives that Covington is the economic engine of Northern Kentucky – the success we’ve shown in job creation and property values benefits the whole region. Continued state support for the Central Covington Riverfront, to name just one project, can only contribute to the region’s economic growth, as long as it’s clear that we control zoning and historical preservation standards for the city.

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate James Toebbe. Photo provided | James Toebbe

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Bill Wells. Photo provided | Bill Wells

2024 Covington Commission primary candidate Aaron Wolpert. Photo provided | Aaron Wolpert

What do Kentucky’s House and Senate do,

and how does that affect me?

By Rebecca Hanchett

Voters will have a chance May 21 to choose their party’s finalists for this fall’s Kentucky Senate and House races.

But what does a state senator or state representative really do, anyway?

It’s a good question. Both are state lawmakers that introduce and vote on legislation whenever the state legislature is in session. Both are elected to represent Kentuckians based on equal representation under the law.

State senators and state representatives also have different jobs that come with their respective offices.

Gubernatorial appointments to state boards and commissions in Kentucky many times require Senate confirmation. The state education commissioner must be confirmed by the Senate, for example. Appointments to the state board of education, public college and university boards of regents, public service commission, parole board and dozens more groups also require confirmation.

The Kentucky House, on the other hand, is where “all bills for raising revenue shall originate,’’ according to the state constitution. That means any bill raising taxes or other revenue must start the legislative process in the House.

Another difference between the state Senate and House is how their members are elected.

This November, Kentucky will hold statewide elections for all 100 seats in the state House of Representatives, but only about half of the 38-member Senate. That means the membership of the entire House (although not likely) could turn over while half the Senate will stay put.

Why? Section 30 of the Kentucky constitution calls for state representatives – like their 435 federal counterparts in Washing-

ton, D.C. – to be elected to two-year terms. State senators, however, are elected to four-year terms. The constitution spells out that those elections are to be staggered, with half the chamber facing voters each two-year cycle. (The U.S. Senate operates similarly, with one-third of its six-year seats up for election every two years.)

Also like Congress, the Kentucky House has more members than the state Senate. Each member of the state House represents fewer people than senators elected from counties back home. The smaller ratio of voters to state representative is intended to make House members more responsive – more representative – than the smaller Senate.

There are differences in qualifications for state senator and state representative in Kentucky, too. Senators must be at least 30 years of age and have lived in the state for at least six years (and in their district at least one year) prior to their election. State representatives must be at least 24 years of age and need to have lived in Kentucky for at least two years (and in their district at least one year) prior to their election.

Separate sets of “rules” for the Kentucky Senate and House also exist. These rules, adopted at the start of each legislative session, govern how each body conducts business inside its respective chamber. Committee hearings and floor debate are among the types of procedure governed by chamber rules.

Not everything about the Senate and House is different. There are plenty of similarities when it comes to the legislative branch’s top priority – passing bills into law. Any bill, except for a bill raising revenue, can be introduced in either the Senate or the House. From there, the process to become law is generally the same for both chambers:

• Bills are assigned a number, read on the Senate or House floor, and usually assigned to a committee in the chamber where it originated.

• A committee may vote on the bill, which will either allow it to advance or keep it from moving forward.

• Three readings of a bill (usually by title only) are required for a bill to come to a vote in either chamber.

• On the third reading, the bill can be voted on in the chamber where it is pending.

• If it passes, the bill must go through the same procedure in the other chamber.

• Any gubernatorial veto can be overridden by a constitutional majority (one more than half the members – 51 members of the House and 20 members of the Senate).

Both the Senate and House also are constitutionally required to pass a biennial state budget. State lawmakers finished that job before the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly ended in April. The budget covers state operations and related obligations for the next two fiscal years. (The state’s fiscal years run July 1-June 30.)

In 2026, lawmakers will return to Frankfort to pass a whole new state budget for the commonwealth.

Sen. Johnnie Turner (R-Harlan) confers with Sen. Gex Williams (R-Verona), right, in the Kentucky Senate during the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. Photo provided | LRC Public Information

Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) confers with Rep. Josh Branscum (R-Russell Springs) on the floor of the Kentucky House during the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. Photo provided | LRC Public Information

Senate District 11: Steve Rawlings and Duane Froelicher

By Rebecca Hanchett

Afreshman state representative and former Florence city council member are competing to replace longtime Sen. John Schickel in the Kentucky General Assembly.

Rep. Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington) and Republican Duane Froelicher of Florence will face off on May 21 for their party’s nomination in the 11th Senate District race. The winner is slated to run unopposed in November to replace Schickel, who announced last November that he will not run for another term.

The 11th Senate District covers the upper half of Boone County, including the cities of Florence, Burlington and Union.

Rep. Steve Rawlings

Rawlings is an attorney and businessman who was elected in 2022 to represent the 66th House District. He replaced former Rep. Ed Massey (R-Hebron), an attorney who is running against fellow Republican and attorney TJ Roberts of Burlington to regain the seat this year.

He is married and the father of two children.

The state lawmaker’s campaign website describes Rawlings as a constitutional conservative who believes in religious liberty, a return to paper election ballots, gun rights and “medical freedom” and who opposes “racially divisive concepts” in public education.

LINK nky asked Rawlings to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 11th District Senate seat. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“My plans for Northern Kentucky include the priorities of infrastructure, roads and the budget. A primary focus is responding to the concerns of citizens, and never to overlook their needs and desires. Our region is an engine of growth in the state, so we need to direct our efforts to continued, but responsible, growth to its fullest potential. Underlying this, at all times I seek a respect of the rule of law, with an emphasis on safety, and to uphold and promote constitutional principles.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“To make certain that NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort, it takes steady and determined advocacy of the interests of the people of the district and the state. I have been working on priorities through committee work, building relationships and collaboration with colleagues, and thoughtful and informed voting on bills. I have filed 14 bills on behalf of the citizens, most of those bills being constituent driven.”

Duane Froelicher

Froelicher is an invest-

ment adviser and owner of Walden Advisors. The former three-term Florence city council member currently serves as president of the Florence Rotary Club.

He and his wife, Kathy, have two grown sons.

The local business owner and civic leader has a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a mathematics minor from Northern Kentucky University. His campaign website says he also received an executive certificate in financial planning from Xavier University.

Froelicher “uses the skills developed over the years to assist his clients in his small business as well as Boone County residents in need,” his website says. He is also an active volunteer for the Honor Run half marathon and serves as a guardian for Honor Flight, an organization that enables veterans to visit national memorials in Washington, D.C.

LINK nky asked Froelicher to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 11th District Senate seat. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“Elimination of the state income tax: Our neighboring states Tennessee, Florida and Texas have eliminated income taxes. Their economy has been thriving. This will help middle-class families with rising cost of living and inflation.

“Road projects: The completion of Ky. 536 will give NKY a needed east and west corridor.

“Workforce: Currently, NKY has more jobs and not enough employees to fill the jobs. Our biggest issue is how to attract new employees and retain families in the region.

“Voting and elections: We have way too many elections. We need to eliminate one of three elections within the four cycles. This will save the state an estimated $23 million.

“Education: We currently have a teacher shortage. We need to address how to get

more teachers!

“Veterans: We have a forever debt to our veterans. We lose 23 veterans a day to suicide; this is unacceptable.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“The key is to develop trust within the leadership team in Frankfort. I will prove that I have the leadership skills to be a committee chair.”

State Rep. Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington). Photo provided | Steve Rawlings campaign website

Duane Froelicher of Florence. Photo provided | Duane Froelicher

By Rebecca Hanchett

JSenate District 17: Julia Jaddock and Matt Nunn

ulia Jaddock and Matt Nunn are putting their business acumen front and center in their Republican primary race for Kentucky’s 17th Senate district.

Both candidates live in Scott County. They hope to succeed Sen. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) a five-term incumbent who is retiring this year, citing his desire to pursue other interests.

Next month’s primary winner will run against Georgetown Democrat Kiana Fields in the Nov. 5 general election.

Kentucky’s 17th Senate District extends through Grant, Scott and parts of Kenton and Fayette counties, running from Taylor Mill to Georgetown.

Julia Jaddock

Jaddock has 25 years’ experience in business ownership and consulting. Her campaign website says she’s “committed to helping small businesses and families keep more of their paychecks, ending government mandates that encroach on our freedoms and stopping policies that are driving up the costs of groceries, gas and everyday goods.”

The mother of four is currently the children’s director at Central Church in Georgetown and an active local volunteer who “considers the needs of Kentucky business-

es, small and large alike,” the website says. She lives in Georgetown.

Doing away with what her website calls “burdensome government regulations” –including certificates of need – is on her to-do list if she wins this month and in November.

“Government is standing in the way of economic freedom,” the website says. “Kentucky is limiting itself by requiring certificates of need for medical services in the commonwealth while states such as Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee are open for business. Kentuckians (and their health care dollars) are heading across the river to obtain services that could easily be provided within the commonwealth. We must provide Kentuckians with choice in their health care, lower health care costs through competition and increase access to quality care.”

LINK nky asked Jaddock to respond to two questions about her plans if she is elected to the 17th District Senate seat in November. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“Repeal certificate of need to ensure quality health care. Competition breeds excellence!”

“Support more educational opportunities for our K-12 students.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I will be effective in building relationships in the state Senate and the House so that we can move important NKY issues to the forefront.”

Matt Nunn

Nunn is vice president of enterprise risk management at Toyota Tsusho America, Toyota Group’s sole general trading company. His work with the company has involved forming new departments plus leading departments to improve operations. He lives in Sadieville with his wife and two children.

Nunn and his wife own and operate Slainte Public House in Georgetown. The pub is

a local gathering spot that has sponsored several charitable events including Kaden’s Cause, Scott County Youth Baseball, the Gathering Place MIssion and the Amen House.

“Running a local business has made [me] more understanding of the challenges facing our small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Nunn told LINK nky. The candidate also credits his service on the Georgetown-Scott County Chamber of Commerce and Scott County United with broadening his knowledge of the local economy.

A military career with the Kentucky Army National Guard, coaching youth sports, vol-

PUBLIC

unteering with Habitat for Humanity and working with his church are also on Nunn’s resume.

LINK nky asked Nunn to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 17th District Senate seat in November. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I will work to meet OUR needs. That means (1) business-friendly policies that bring better jobs to our region, (2) eliminating the Kentucky income tax to stimulate economic growth and keep more money in your pocket so you control your earnings, and (3) limit government influence on your dayto-day life. It’ll take better collaboration in Frankfort to tackle our local issues. I’m eager to develop relationships to address these persistent challenges head on.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I will need to engage our residents in their communities. Just like I’ve been active in the Georgetown community, I’ll actively listen to concerns within Senate District 17. I’ve proven my knack for forming relationships with local groups. I’d be honored to build consensus with state groups and support solutions that truly address our burdens.”

NOTICE

Primary Election Day is Tuesday May 21, 2024

How to Vote in Boone County

Mail in Absentee Ballot (EXCUSE ONLY pursuant to KRS 117.085(1)):

Voters may request their absentee ballot at www.govote.ky.gov The absentee portal will open April 6, 2024 and will close on May 7, 2024 at 11:59 pm. Voters may mail that ballot back to the County Clerk’s office in the envelope provided (Voter must pay postage) or drop their ballot in a secure drop box which are located at:

BOONE COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE (Voter Registration Department) - 2950 Washington Street, Burlington, KY.

FLORENCE GOVERNMENT CENTER – (Main Lobby area) 8100 Ewing Blvd, Florence, KY.

UNION LIBRARY SCHEBEN BRANCH – (Near Help Desk) 8899 US 42 Hwy, Union, KY.

In Person Absentee Voting (EXCUSE ONLY pursuant to KRS 117.076(2))

Voters may cast their ballot in person at 2950 Washington Street, Burlington KY on the 1st floor in the Fiscal Court Room beginning Wednesday May 8, 2024 thru Wednesday May 15, 2024 during normal business hours.

In Person Early Voting (NO EXCUSE necessary pursuant to KRS 117.076 (1))

Voters may vote early in person at Boone County Enrichment Center- Lower Level 1824 Patrick Dr. Burlington, KY 41005 OR Northern Kentucky Area Development District Building – 22 Spiral Dr. Florence, KY 41042

Hours of operation: Thursday May 16, 2024, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Friday May 17, 2024, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday May 18, 2024, 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Election Day Voting

Voters may cast their ballot on Tuesday May 21, 2024, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm at the precinct location associated with their address. Please contact the Voter Registration Department at 859-334-2130 for precinct information or visit the County Clerk’s Website at www.boone.countyclerk.us.

It is best to call the office prior to Election Day with questions you may hav e.

Julia Jaddock of Georgetown. Photo provided | Julia Jaddock

Matt Nunn of Sadieville. Photo provided | Matt Nunn

PURSUANT TO KRS 424.290, “MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED,” THE FOLLOWING RACES WILL APPEAR ON THE VOTING MACHINES AND PAPER BALLOTS IN THE PRECINCTS LISTED IN BOONE COUNTY FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION, MAY 21, 2024.

ALL PRECINCTS

BELLEVIEW, BULLITTSVILLE, BURLINGTON 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, CARLTON, CONSTANCE, HEBRON 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, PETERSBURG, LIMABURG, CAMP ERNST, GLENVIEW, LINKVIEW, PLEASANT VALLEY, UNION 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, SUMMITVIEW, HEARTHSTONE, FLORENCE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, DEVON 1 and 3, GREENVIEW, HOPEFUL, OAKBROOK, SHAMROCK, and AIRPORT

HAMILTON, GLENVIEW, PLEASANT VALLEY, UNION 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, SUMMITVIEW, FLORENCE 10, 11, 13, 14, and 15, DEVON 1, 2 and 3, HOPEFUL, and SHAMROCK

BEAVER, RICHWOOD, UNION 3 and 8, and VERONA

BELLEVIEW, BULLITTSVILLE, BURLINGTON 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, CARLTON, HEBRON 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, PETERSBURG, CAMP ERNST, and HEARTHSTONE

FLORENCE 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12

House District 60: Marianne Proctor and Christopher Pavese

By Rebecca Hanchett

Business and education are two priorities of Republican candidates running for Kentucky’s 60th House district seat this year.

The incumbent is Rep. Marianne Proctor of Union, a Texas transplant seeking a second term to the seat she has held since January 2023. Proctor has over 20 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist specializing in neurorehabilitation. She and her husband, Gregg, share their home with their rescue dog, Reagan.

Christopher Pavese is competing against Proctor. Recently retired from the utilities industry, Pavese is a licensed professional engineer who “aims to bring his extensive experience to public service,” according to his campaign website. Pavese and his wife, Erica, live in Union and have three daughters.

The winner of the primary will face Democrat Deborah Ison Flowers of Union in the Nov. 5 general election. Flowers is a nurse, licensed medical massage therapist and business owner.

The 60th House district represents voters in Glenview, Hamilton, Pleasant Valley and parts of Florence and Union, all in Boone County.

Marianne Proctor

Proctor considers herself a constitutional conservative that advocates for individual property rights and fewer government reg-

ulations. She has been involved in a twoyear push to overhaul the state’s certificate of need law as a member of the Kentucky House.

Her education focus is on what Proctor told LINK nky is “a return to core academic skills.” On school choice, Proctor voted in support of a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters this fall, would give lawmakers authority to fund K-12 education outside the state’s public school system.

The Boone County lawmaker is also active in her church plus local charities and events in NKY.

LINK asked Proctor to respond to two questions about her plans if she is reelected in November. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“In my vision for NKY, I aim to tackle workforce shortages by implementing a comprehensive approach that involves a reduction in regulations and the elimination of disincentives hindering individuals from rejoining the workforce. By streamlining bureaucratic processes and creating a more business-friendly environment, we can encourage job creation and empower our residents to actively participate in the labor market.

“Additionally, I believe in enhancing our education system by placing a strong emphasis on academic proficiency and fostering a return to core academic skills. This not only prepares our students for the demands of a rapidly evolving job market but also ensures a well-rounded education that equips them with the tools necessary for success.

“Furthermore, my commitment to responsible strategic growth in our county involves a careful consideration of the unique needs of our communities and the protection of individual property rights. Balancing development with the preservation of our local character is crucial for sustaining a thriving and harmonious community.

Lastly, I advocate for the reform of the certificate of need, enabling a more diverse

range of health care providers to enter the market. This reform promotes competition, improves access to health care services and empowers individuals to make informed choices about their health care options. Together, these initiatives contribute to a more resilient, prosperous and dynamic NKY.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“As a legislator, my guiding principle is that all the legislation I file or co-sponsor is constituent-driven. I firmly believe that the voices and needs of the people I represent must be at the forefront of every decision made in the legislative process. When it comes to voting on various issues, I rely heavily on input from my constituents as well as local elected officials. Their perspectives and concerns shape my understanding of the broader implications of the policies under consideration, ensuring that my actions in office truly reflect the interests of those I serve. By prioritizing constituent feedback and collaborating with local leaders, I strive to enact laws and policies that best serve the needs and aspirations of my community. This is how I am the voice for the people’s values in Frankfort.”

Christopher Pavese

Pavese moved to NKY after studying engineering at Gonzaga University in Washington State to be near his future wife, Erica. He attended school on the GI Bill after serving in the Navy. He retired recently after a 33-year career in the electric utility industry.

Pavese continues to work as a licensed professional engineer in private practice. He also is a licensed pilot and volunteer. He’s active in his local parish at St. Timothy Catholic Church and is a board member for St. Timothy Catholic School.

Pavese did not respond to multiple requests for answers to LINK nky’s two-question survey. The following statements were pulled from his campaign website:

“I am committed to nurturing a thriving environment where every resident can succeed. This means fostering better educational and economic opportunities and ensuring a high quality of life for our district. Our local businesses are the backbone of our district. I’ll support policies that promote growth and sustainability, ensuring our entrepreneurs have the resources they need to flourish.

“Kentucky faces challenges that require tough, well-considered decisions. You can trust me to make choices that are in the best interests of our local communities, with an eye towards a brighter future. Collaboration is key to our success. I will work tirelessly to foster partnerships across the state, securing necessary infrastructure funding and building lasting relationships for the benefit of our district.”

House District 60 map. Map provided | Legislative Research Commission

State Rep. Marianne Proctor (R-Union). Photo provided | LRC Public information

Christopher Pavese of Union. Photo provided | Pavese campaign website

David Fessler

Timothy Schneider

House District 61: Savannah Maddox and Jarrod Lykins

By Rebecca Hanchett

An incumbent state lawmaker and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran are once again facing off at the polls to represent the 61st House District in Frankfort.

Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) and Jarrod Lykins of Walton are seeking the Republican nomination to the district, which covers all of Grant and Gallatin counties and parts of southern Boone and Kenton counties (including Richwood, Verona and parts of Union).

Maddox is a three-term state representative and vice chair of the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus. She is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and lives on a farm in Grant County with her husband, Eldon, and their two children.

Lykins, who unsuccessfully ran against Maddox in 2022, is giving it another go. Lykins is a Marine Corps veteran with three combat deployments to Afghanistan. He lives in Walton with his wife and children.

The winner of the primary election is slated to run unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.

Savannah Maddox

Maddox has established a conservative voting record in the Kentucky House.

She was named Legislative Champion for Kentucky by Americans for Prosperity, according to her campaign website. That group is a super PAC linked to Koch Industries, which has massive holdings in oil, glass, paper and other products.

Maddox has also been recognized by the American Conservative Union and the National Association of Gun Rights for her votes on certain issues, the website says.

LINK nky asked Maddox to respond to two questions about her plans if she is reelected to the 61th District House seat. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I remain committed to cutting wasteful spending, lowering taxes and getting government out of the way of Kentucky’s businesses so that the economy can flourish and create well-paying jobs. I intend to

bring your taxpayer dollars home to Northern Kentucky in the form of infrastructure and transportation projects, so that our region can continue to be an economic driver for the Commonwealth.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“As vice-chair of the Northern Kentucky caucus, I will continue working alongside other like-minded Northern Kentucky representatives to ensure that your voice is heard loud and clear in Frankfort! We will NOT back down in our opposition to tolls, and we will fight to reform the certificate of need law so that citizens across the region will have more health care options.”

Jarrod Lykins

Lykins spent several years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he worked as a combat engineer and served multiple deployments to the Middle East. Lykins’ Facebook page says he studied diplomacy and international relations at Seton Hall and international relations at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio.

LINK nky asked Lyikins to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 61th District House seat. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I plan on focusing on two main issues that address huge needs in Northern Kentucky:

“Mental health and substance abuse services, especially veterans’ mental health and substance abuse, and looking for solutions that address the key needs of the veteran population. Resources in Northern Kentucky are limited especially for veterans. This hits close to the heart as I have fellow brothers who have a service related mental illness, and I know several that have taken their own lives.

“My second key concern is education. I understand that there is a large selection of private schools in Northern Kentucky but no private schools in the 61st District. There are either independent school districts (Walton Verona or Williamstown) and public schools. I am a huge proponent of voca-

tional education; it is one of the key drivers to continued economic success, especially when we tailor that to the businesses in our communities as well as develop programs that bring in new higher paying jobs. Having those skill sets readily available will only strengthen our communities. College isn’t for everyone, and we need to support those that desire and choose a career path that doesn’t involve college.

“It is important to continue to educate our next generation. I want to ensure that we can continue to depend on our public education system, while allowing the state more control in the education process. Additionally, we need to ensure we are protecting our most valuable assets: our future generations. According to U.S News and World Report, Kentucky ranks 39th nationally. Politics need to be removed from the classroom, allowing our teachers to teach the way they best see fit to educate our children. Additionally, standardized testing needs to be eliminated so we can dedicate more of our time to teaching rather than practicing for a test. Standardized testing is an ineffective way of measuring student development, and we need to move on to another system. I’d like to see us move toward a performance-based assessment system that promotes critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and the application of what students have learned to real-world situations. All of which are fundamental skills needed to be successful throughout one’s life.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“Growing up in rural Kentucky, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the state that has given so much to my family and me. Although I do not have all the answers, I would vigilantly defend our constitutional rights, while upholding and furthering our freedoms. I want to give people a reason to believe in our government again, and, more important, I want to hopefully provide the opportunity for each and every one of us to achieve their American dream.

“I am a United States Marine Corps veteran with three combat deployments to Afghanistan. Among the many valuable lessons I learned during my service, a key takeaway was the importance of electing someone who puts their constituents first.”

Rep. Savannah Maddox talks with the House Clerk on the floor of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Photo provided | Maddox campaign

Jarrod Lykins. Photo provided | Lykins campaign Facebook page

House District 64: Kimberly Poore Moser and Karen Campbell

By Rebecca Hanchett

Partnership is a common theme in the May 21 Republican primary race for Kenton County’s 64th House district seat.

Both incumbent Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill) and opponent Karen Campbell say building relationships is important to bringing about change in their district, covering central and east-central Kenton County, and across Northern Kentucky.

Affordable housing and health care are two issues bridging both campaigns.

Moser, a four-term state representative, chairs the House Health Services committee. She retired from a career as both a neonatal ICU nurse and flight nurse. She also is a former director of the NKY Office of Drug Control Policy. Moser and her husband, Neal, have five sons and three grandchildren.

Campbell is a real estate agent with over 25 years of experience. She manages a local real estate office. She and her husband, Randy, live with their granddaughter in Independence.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Heather Crabbe on Nov. 5. Crabbe is an Independence-based attorney who served as assistant dean of NKU’s Chase College of Law after serving several years as a public defender.

The 64th House district includes Ryland Heights, Taylor Mill and parts of Covington, Edgewood, Erlanger and Independence.

Kimberly Poore Moser

LINK asked Moser to respond to two questions about her plans if she is reelected to the 60th House seat in November. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I would like to preface these comments by saying what an honor it is to build relationships with and create partnerships across our region to find solutions to problems and make improvements to everyday life for residents. In addition to my time working as a NICU and flight nurse and serving as president of the American Medical Association Alliance working on health care issues across the state and nation, I served as the director of NKY Office of Drug Control Policy We worked to find solutions and resources for individuals suffering from a substance use disorder and families desperate for help. I worked locally with judges, jailers, families, treatment providers and more. This is the foundation of my work ethic in this community.

“Jobs and economic development: Continue to work on growth and development projects, funding of roads, infrastructure and bringing jobs to NKY; I will continue to work toward lowering the state personal income tax to allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money. I enjoy working with our mayors and county fiscal court on matters closest to the people I represent

“Affordable housing: I would like to inves-

tigate and work toward more affordable housing in NKY by participating in the Affordable Housing Task Force to address the problem systematically during the interim.

“Child care and benefits: Work with employers to address benefit cliff to ensure that individuals can fully participate and advance in their employment while working toward independence.

“Improve Health Care: Continue to improve health care options, finding efficiencies and addressing barriers to patient care. I have worked tirelessly to pass legislation to improve care for cancer patients, mental health initiatives, tobacco cessation, lung health, and system changes such as Department of Public Health transformation, standards of care for the treatment of substance use disorders and, most recently, health care to address Kentucky’s high maternal mortality.

“Substance use disorders or mental health care: I will continue to fight for individuals with a substance use disorder to increase and improve treatment resources, reentry supports and eliminating barriers to second chance employment and educational opportunities. We must continue to fight stigma to ensure treatment for [these] conditions.

“Education and parental rights: Support efforts to improve educational options for families; empower families to participate fully in their children’s education.

“Public safety: Ensure that our law enforcement are adequately funded and supported to keep our neighborhoods safe; support stricter laws for violent offenders.

“Transportation: Because I sit on the Transportation Committee, I will have a front row seat to the needs of our state and region, ensuring that NKY receives the funding that we need for roads and infrastructure.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“It is important to me to understand the needs of my community. To that end, I will continue to meet with my neighbors and constituents to understand their concerns. Issues around public safety, health care and barriers to care, educational opportunities, jobs and the economy and transportation continue to rise to the top of the concerns I hear.

“As chairman of Health Services [Committee], addressing the health care delivery system, Medicaid and insurance costs,

and barriers and access to care are critical pieces of how I am improving Kentucky’s poor health metrics. Access to treatment for substance use disorder treatment and mental health care across the commonwealth remain a priority for me. I am also the vice-chair of Health and Human Services for the National Legislative Exchange Council, a leadership position and forum on national health care trends and problem-solving across the nation.

“Serving on the Transportation Committee will better ensure funding for safer roads and infrastructure. Northern Kentucky has become a national distribution hub, and all forms of transportation, from our international airport to our roads, rail and waterways, must be prioritized to grow our economy and jobs.

“I serve on the Judiciary Committee, and also chair the Criminal Justice Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council, another national post working to reform criminal and juvenile justice systems. My priority is to make certain that offenders are held accountable but get counseling and support that will keep them out of the criminal justice system long-term. Addressing the safety of our community is imperative, which will always include my working with and supporting our law enforcement. Finding approaches to prevent criminal activity, addressing poverty, abuse and neglect, substance use and mental health early in a person’s life and reducing recidivism in all populations are areas of great concern to me.

“Serving on Elections and Constitutional Amendments affords me the opportunity to ensure election integrity, making it safe and easy to vote, guard our constitution and understand the importance of these guiding principles. It is our civic duty to participate in elections to determine how our government supports and enhances our community.

“These are some of the many ways that I will make sure that NKY remains an economic driver for the commonwealth and a safe and prosperous place to live

and raise a family.”

Karen Campbell

LINK asked Campbell to respond to two questions about her plans if she is reelected to the 60th House seat in November. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“A major concern that has been voiced to me is the lack of medical options in Northern Kentucky.

“NKY residents know that Cincinnati is equipped with said options. However, the commute, especially during rush hours, sports events and traffic due to accidents becomes even more cumbersome. Elderly residents, afraid of driving the routes to these facilities, are deprived of expanded options, or must arrange special transportation for expanded treatment options. Repealing the certificate of need will open up avenues of medical choice for NKY residents and families.

“Having worked in the housing industry for over 25 years, I am aware of the skyrocketing costs and lack of inventory in the housing market – both purchases and rentals. Implementing a team of experienced professionals in NKY as well as citizens could provide answers to ease our housing crisis. This broken chain in our communities is bigger than a one-person cure. Linking arms with city and county officials, professionals and citizens, I believe, can pave the way to a reprieve in NKY.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I would like to implement regular public meetings such as town halls or meet-’n’greets with the constituents of District 64. Much can be done by not only networking the people of Northern Kentucky with Frankfort, but among the community itself. Face-to-face communication, I believe, will be a powerful instrument to engage and connect NKY with Frankfort.”

Karen Campbell of Independence. Photo provided | Campbell campaign website

House District 64 map. Map provided | Legislative Research Commission

State. Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill). Photo provided | LRC Public Information

By Rebecca Hanchett

THouse District 66: Ed Massey and TJ Roberts

wo Northern Kentucky Republicans from different points on their party’s political spectrum are competing in Kentucky’s 66th House district primary race.

Ed Massey held the seat for four years and wants to return in 2025. The Hebron attorney and partner of Blankenship, Massey & Associates was one of three NKY committee chairs routed by Liberty Republicans in the 2022 primary election. He is running to replace the lawmaker who beat him – Rep. Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington), who is now running for the seat of retiring state Sen. John Schickel (R-Union).

TJ Roberts is running against Massey. The Burlington attorney aligns politically with Rawlings, joining the lawmaker when Rawlings filed his Senate candidacy with the Kentucky secretary of state in December.

The winner of the 66th House District primary will face Democrat Peggy Houston-Nienaber of Union on Nov. 5.

The 66th House District represents parts of Burlington and Hebron as well as Belleview and Petersburg in Boone County.

Ed Massey

Ed Massey told LINK nky pointedly in December that, while he doesn’t identify with the Liberty Republican caucus, he is definitely Republican.

“I’ve not changed. I’ve been a Republican since I started. I’m a conservative,” Massey told LINK.

His endorsements include Boone County Attorney Bob Neace and former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, a 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial candidate that was appointed U.N. ambassador by President Trump in 2019 after serving as U.S. ambas-

sador to Canada early in the Trump administration.

Massey is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and NKU’s Chase College of Law. He and his wife, Anita, have three daughters and two grandchildren.

LINK nky asked Massey to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 66th District House seat. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“1. To ensure that one of the most productive economic regions of the state is well represented. (In 2022, NKY had five chairs of committees in Frankfort. After the election we have one chair. Chairs are the air traffic controllers for bills processing through the system and therefore NKY took a huge hit as to representation.)

“2. To promote business and development in the region which is the heart of the nation.

“3. To ensure a strong educational environment through public, private and/or school choice options. The key is that all children should have the opportunity to be college, career, or life ready after graduation.

“4. Establish child care options for workers to fill the vacancies that currently exist in the workforce.

“5. To ensure that our local police, fire and EMS providers are adequately staffed, and resources are available to recruit and retain the workforce needed.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“1. By returning to a leadership role, I will provide Northern Kentucky with the leadership and representation that we are lacking. (The current members

who replaced the committee chairs have not had any significant impact in the General Assembly.)

“2. Based on years of experience in the region, I am well positioned to address several issues including education, small business growth, infrastructure, transportation, and economic development.

“3. As a small business owner and employer, I have been exposed to operational strategies.

“4. I will use my 28 years of public service as a backdrop to my continued efforts.

“5. I will use my 31 years as an attorney to advocate for the Northern Kentucky region.”

TJ Roberts

TJ Roberts is considered a protégé of U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, and Massie in March endorsed the Boone County candidate. He also has received endorsements from Northern Kentucky Right To Life, a political action committee, and Boone County Republican Party Chairman Chet Hand.

The Boone County Republican Party endorsement was announced by Roberts on April 3, more than two months after the or-

ganization passed a resolution censuring Massey as a candidate in the 66th district race.

Roberts is a graduate of NKU’s Chase College of Law. He lives on a farm in Burlington.

LINK nky asked Roberts to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 66th District House seat. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I intend to work with the Northern Kentucky caucus to ensure that the interests of Northern Kentucky, especially Boone County, are represented in the legislature. I intend to do this by doing everything in my power to cut taxes, make it easier for small businesses to thrive, and to bring home our tax dollars in a way that ensures our roads, bridges and key infrastructure projects receive the attention they need and deserve.

“I further intend to fight for Northern Kentucky’s interests by advocating for the true role of government, which is to fight for life, liberty and property, so that Northern Kentucky families can thrive. Strong families, led by strong faith, are the keys to prosperity.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I will make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort by fighting for rules reforms to ensure that every member of the legislature, including the 18 members of the Northern Kentucky caucus, have the power to push for legislation that truly empowers their districts. I am fully supportive of the rules reform package that was proposed in the House in January of the 2024 session (with the support of several Northern Kentucky conservatives) that would have given the individual members of the legislature the ability to move their legislation. I believe that, so long as Northern Kentucky puts up a united front, we will be able to lead by example in the legislature and ensure the interests of Northern Kentucky are represented in Frankfort.”

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T.J. Roberts of Burlington. Photo provided | Roberts campaign

House District 66 map. Map

Ed Massey of Hebron. Photo provided | Massey campaign

Boone County sample ballot

Campbell County sample ballot

PURSUANT TO KRS 424.290, “MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED,” THE FOLLOWING RACES WILL APPEAR ON THE VOTING MACHINES AND PAPER BALLOTS IN THE PRECINCTS LISTED IN CAMPBELL COUNTY FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION, MAY 21, 2024.

Kenton County sample ballot

PRIMARY ELECTION HELD FOR KENTON COUNTY, KY TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024

PRESIDENToftheUNITEDSTATES VoteforOne

RyanL. BINKLEY

STATEREPRESENTATIVE 61stRepresentativeDistrict VoteforOne

Savannah MADDOX

JarrodM. LYKINS

STATEREPRESENTATIVE 64thRepresentativeDistrict VoteforOne

Chris CHRISTIE NikkiR. HALEY "UNCOMMITTED"

UNITEDSTATESREPRESENTATIVE

STATESENATOR 17thSenatorialDistrict VoteforOne

Julia JADDOCK

Matt NUNN

BRACHT 2 (B202), DEC 1.5 (B207), IND 1 (B208), IND 2 (B209), IND 4 (B211), IND 5 (B212), IND 6 (B213), IND 7 (B215), IND 8 (B216), IND 9 (B217), MGVW (B218), NICH 2 (B220), PINER (B222),

KimberlyPoore MOSER

Karen CAMPBELL

COV 5 (A106), COV 7 (A108), COV 8 (A109), COV 12 (A113), COV 14 (A115), COV 17 (B205), DEC (B206), DEC 1.5 (B207), IND 1 (B208), IND 2 (B209), IND 4 (B211), IND 6 (B213), IND 6.5 (B214), IND 7 (B215), IND 8 (B216), TM1 (B223), TM2 (B224), TM 3 (B225), EDG 4 (C308), ERL 6 (C317)

STATEREPRESENTATIVE 69thRepresentativeDistrict VoteforOne

Steven DOAN

Diane BROWN BRACHT 1 (B201), BRACHT 2 (B202)

IND 3 (B210), IND 5 (B212), CRH 1 (C302), EDG 1.5 (C305), ELS 1 (C309), ELS 2 (C310), ELS 3 (C311), ERL 1 (C312), ERL 2 (C313), ERL 4 (C315), ERL 5 (C316)

Dean PHILLIPS "UNCOMMITTED"

By Rebecca Hanchett

THouse District 67: Terry Hatton and Brian Ormes

he battle of the ball coaches is coming to Campbell County’s 67th House district, as local business owners Terry Hatton and Brian Ormes prepare to face off in the May 21 primary.

Hatton owns VSP Management Co., a private security and consulting firm for clients including DHL, Duke Energy, the Kentucky Horse Park and more. He lives in Bellevue with his wife, Kathy, and has four children and seven grandchildren.

Ormes owns Boss Mechanical Construction in Southgate, where he lives with his wife, Bonnie, and family. Ormes has seven children.

Both Republicans have coached youth sports in Northern Kentucky over the decades.

Whoever wins the primary will compete in November against Democrat Matt Lehman, a health industry executive who lives with his family in Newport. Lehman is running unopposed in the primary to succeed Rep. Rachel Roberts, who is not seeking reelection.

Kentucky’s 67th House District includes Newport, Southgate, Bellevue, Dayton, Highland Heights, Wilder, Woodlawn, and parts of Fort Thomas and Cold Spring.

Update: Brian Ormes was arrested April 8 at a Fort Wright Walmart on charges of strangulation, assault and menacing involving a juvenile. He is scheduled to appear in Kenton District Court on April 16.

Jerry Gearding withdrew from the 67th House race on Feb. 27, according to the office of the Kentucky Secretary of State. Gearding’s name will still appear on the ballot because he withdrew after ballot certification.

Terry Hatton

Hatton is a U.S. veteran who spent years coaching knothole baseball and has been involved for over 25 years with the Bellevue Vets youth leagues. He has served in different leadership roles with the Bellevue Veterans Club, is a member of Knights of Co-

lumbus and Divine Mercy Catholic Church, and serves on the board of CHN-Cincinnati Health Network homeless clinic.

In February, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams publicly supported Hatton’s campaign by speaking at his kickoff event at the Bellevue Vets Club.

LINK nky asked Hatton to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 67th House seat in November. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“As your state representative, my focus will be on revitalizing our region through robust economic development initiatives. I will work tirelessly to attract new businesses and investments that will create jobs and opportunities for our residents.

“Additionally, I am committed to improving our education system by advocating for school choice and ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. It is time to give parents a say again in their child’s education.

“Safety is paramount, and I will work with law enforcement and community leaders to ensure our neighborhoods are a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.

“Finally, I will fight to lower taxes and combat record-high inflation, putting more money back into the pockets of hardwork-

ing Kentuckians. Together, we can build a stronger, more prosperous Northern Kentucky for all.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I am committed to ensuring that our community’s voice is heard loud and clear in Frankfort. I will work tirelessly to represent the interests of all citizens, regardless of background or political affiliation. My goal is to represent each and every person in our district with integrity and transparency. By working together, we can make sure that District 67 is a place where everyone’s concerns are addressed and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Brian Ormes

Brian Ormes is a local business owner who has coached several sports teams in Camp-

bell County. He spent years coaching youth football in Newport and Dayton and has coached both youth and high school football in Bellevue. Girls basketball in Southgate and knothole baseball in Campbell County are on his resume, too.

After a hiatus, Ormes returned to the bench last season to coach with the Fort Thomas junior football league alongside some of his former players. “I coached with guys I coached as kids, and had six kids on the team whose parents I coached,” said Ormes.

LINK nky asked Ormes to respond to the same two questions concerning his plans if he is elected to the 67th House seat in November. These are his responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“My vision for my district and NKY is for its people to live in freedom and prosperity. Freedom from government regulations and restrictions. And prosperity from no new or increase in taxes or fees. I’d like to see a resolution to the traffic situation in Bellevue and Dayton without costing taxpayers a fortune, a resolution ironed out before more development happens.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“As far as being a voice for NKY, I vow to do my best to be in Frankfort when I need to be and with the abilities my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given me, I’ll stand up for my district’s voices.”

Brian Ormes of Southgate. Photo provided | Brian Ormes’ Facebook

House District 67 map. Map provided | Legislative Research Commission

Terry Hatton of Bellevue. Photo provided | Terry Hatton

House District 69: Steven Doan and Diane Brown

By Rebecca Hanchett

An incumbent state lawmaker and attorney-turned-homeschool mom are the choices in the May 21 Republican primary for the 69th House District.

Incumbent Rep. Steven Doan is an attorney and former Bevin administration official who was elected to the House in 2022. His opponent is Diane Brown, who told LINK nky she “took a step back from law to be a full-time mom.”

Both candidates live in Erlanger.

The primary winner will face Democrat Wilanne Stangel of Erlanger, a Boone County Library system employee, on Nov. 5.

The 69th House District covers parts of both Boone and Kenton counties, including Florence and parts of Crestview Hills, Edgewood, Elsmere, Erlanger and Independence.

Diane Brown

Diane Brown is a graduate of Thomas More College (now University) and NKU’s Chase College of Law. She was admitted to practice in Kentucky and Ohio before taking time away to be a full-time mom and, eventually, a homeschool mom.

Brown has served on the Kenton County Planning Commission. She is active in her church, her son’s Scout troop and the food pantry for the Grow Network. She and her husband, Jim, have a teenage son.

LINK nky asked Brown to respond to two questions about her plans if she is elected to the 67th House seat in November. These are her responses:

What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?

“I am a strong advocate for local control, believing that decisions affecting the community should be made closest to the community, and therefore plan to oppose legislation that would remove that control. I believe NKY’s economic engine will be boosted by reducing the income tax. I will continue to support legislation that helps reduce that tax, and that streamlines or reduces the bureaucracy for businesses, small and large. I am committed to having tax dollars which we send to Frankfort returned for infrastructure, such as Stephenson Road, which helps keep our families safe by ensuring first responders and public works can travel the roads safely.”

How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?

“I feel it is very important that the voice of NKY be heard in Frankfort, as it represents a large population center and a large amount of tax revenue. I have experience speaking my mind and speaking up when it’s important. I also know how to advocate my position well, a skill I plan to take to Frankfort and use for the people of NKY, just as I did as a litigation attorney and as

a representative to the Kenton County Planning Commission. The skills I used as a mediator will be very important to work with other NKY representatives, as well as the remainder of the legislature, to bring forward the issues and values that are important to NKY. I plan to dig in and work hard, to show up for votes – not let my personal interest interfere with the work that needs to be done for the people of the 69th District, and NKY as a whole.”

Steven Doan

Steven Doan is a practicing attorney who ran against, and beat, former longtime state Rep. Adam Koenig for the 69th House district seat in 2022. His campaign website says Doan “has been unwavering in advocating for conservative public policies” in the Kentucky General Assembly during his first term in office.

“Throughout the 2022 session, he notably served on pivotal committees such as education, judiciary and local government. He takes pride in his consistent voting record, which includes advocating for tax reduction, safeguarding the welfare of children and championing support for small businesses,” the site says.

Before Doan was elected to the Kentucky House, he served on Erlanger City Council. Before that, he was general counsel for the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy under Gov. Matt Bevin. His campaign website says Doan is also active in “various Northern Kentucky nonprofit associations as a board member.”

According to Doan’s website, he earned both his undergraduate and his law degree at NKU. He is married and has two children.

LINK nky asked Doan to respond to two questions about his plans if he is reelected to the 67th House seat in November.

Doan did not respond to the request.

State Rep. Steven Doan (R-Erlanger). Photo provided | LRC Public Information

Diane Brown of Erlanger. Photo provided | Diane Brown

How to help students keep up skills during summer break

By Noah Jones

Each summer, students can expect to find the Kenton County Public Library set up at Erlanger parks, eager to check their books out to day camp attendees.

The library system partners with most of the county’s school districts to create reading programs that help keep students reading while they’re out of school during the summer.

Maintaining academic skills such as math or reading requires students to continue to practice them when away from the classroom. A 2020 study from Brown University found that 34% of students in first grade through seventh grade lose 17% to 34% of the prior year’s learning over summer break.

This loss, referred to as summer learning loss or “the summer slide,” is preventable, said Lise Tewes, school services coordinator for the Kenton County Public Library system. “What will cure summer learning loss is to read,” she said. “And it’s free at the library.”

Heather Bushelman, a Boone County School District multitiered systems of support coach for the adults in the building, compared the summer slide to adults coming back from vacation. When an adult

comes back to work from a vacation, she said, they too can find work overwhelming and hard to keep up with because they are out of practice.

“Eating habits and sleeping habits are different,” she said. “It does take adults and kids time to get acclimated (from breaks).”

Bushelman added that students need about four to five weeks to readjust to a school day and the schools’ expectations and standards.

Students lose about a month’s worth of learning on average over the summer, according to a study from the American Education Research Association about the effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores. Further evidence shows students in third grade to fifth grade lose about 20% of their school year gains in reading and 27% of their gains in math, according to data from Scholastic.

According to Kappan research, in the summer between fifth grade and sixth grade, when most districts teach multiplication and division, 84% of students experience a summer slide in math.

“This is something educators have known about for decades,” Tewes said, adding that summer reading programs at libraries aimed to combat the summer slide have been around for more than a century.

Tony Miglio, founder of NKY Tutoring, a service that helps students prepare for ACT and SAT math tests, agreed with Lowe that learning is a skill that needs to be practiced.

“Just like with any skill set, if you don’t practice it, it’s going to drop,” Miglio said.

“The more you practice and the more recently that you practice the body will recognize it. It’s muscle memory. If you don’t do it for months at a time, you’ll tend to for-

get those things.”

Caroline Dearie, founder of Dearie Difference, a tutoring services for those with learning difficulties, suggested parents could help lessen academic loss by having conversations beyond asking “How was your day?” when they see children after school.

VOTE MASSEY

Participants in the Kenton County Public Library’s summer reading program. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

“Have a conversation about the book they are reading, rather than checking if they answered the question right,” Dearie said. “We want to give students a chance to understand the material and then expand on it – make it their own. Parents weren’t taught how to facilitate this. But a child needs to experience the material multiple times to fully grasp it.”

Students living in low-income homes tend to lose more of their education over the summer breaks compared to those living in higher-income homes, Tewes said.

“There is a slight slide (in high-income

homes), but it’s not nearly as pronounced and it’s overcome as soon as school gets back in session,” she said. “Yes, the kids in well-off and high-income neighborhoods are not reading as much in the summer, but they have so many enriching things happening constantly around them.”

High-income families spend nearly $8,000 more per year on education and enrichment than low-income families, according to a study by the Russell Sage Foundation. That’s a spending gap of more than $100,000 from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Tewes said the summer slide for lower-in-

come families grows each year. Bushelman said that, if students don’t reach the thirdgrade reading level by the end of third grade, on average, the student won’t get better at reading.

“So that’s where you see such a big gap, and it gets bigger every summer,” Tewes said. “And so, by the time a low-income child is in the fourth grade, they may be two full school years behind their (classmates) who live in high-income neighborhoods.”

Bushelman said Boone County Schools wants equity for its students across the board, though that is hard to monitor during the summer.

The Kenton County Library is not unique in offering summer programs for schoolaged children. Tewes said nearly every public library has free programs to help students keep their reading skills up during summer vacation.

Tewes shared another story from another Kenton County librarian over email including a grandmother and her granddaughter using the summer reading program.

The grandmother was bringing her preschool-aged granddaughter to one of the local library branches for summer preschool storytime programs. The granddaughter had suffered emotional trauma, Tewes said, and didn’t speak much except to her grandmother.

The grandmother told Tewes she thought that being around other children and doing

- William, Taylor Mill,

fun things would help motivate the little girl to engage verbally. At the start of summer, the grandmother read with the girl to earn the summer reading prizes.

The grandmother and her granddaughter quickly read and logged the required 10 books to win a free book and special T-shirt, Tewes said. The girl was so happy she earned prizes that she wanted to continue to read to earn the raffle tickets that were given as a prize for every additional 10 books read.

The grandma and her granddaughter were daily figures in the Kenton County library that summer – reading books, checking them out, earning raffle tickets, and attending every preschool program offered. By the end of the summer, the granddaughter was talking to other children excitedly in storytime, Tewes said, and she had read 500 books.

“There are years and years of countrywide statistics to prove that kids who are involved in their school summer learning activities do better when they come back to school,” Tewes said. “I would feel that any child who spent an entire summer without doing any reading practice is not going to be performing at the same level in the spring when they return to school, as they had when they left school in the fall.

“It’s just not going to happen because that’s not the way human brains work,” she said. “You have to keep practicing your skills.”

Participants in the Kenton County Public Library’s summer reading program show off craft projects they made. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

bathing houses to what we think of today as a public swimming pool.

“They’re (public pools) an important fabric of the community,” Covington Communication Manager Dan Hassert said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’ve remained so committed to them despite the high costs and challenges. Not only are they an important part of the activities in park and rec that our families enjoy, but they’re just part of the social fabric.”

In the 1930s, northern Kenton County housed a popular natural swimming hole that was later named Pleasure Isle. According to LINK nky partner WCPO, Pleasure Isle was located at the intersection of 3L Highway and Hands Pike. The pool was formed by runoff from Banklick Creek.

According to the 2017 WCPO article on Pleasure Isle, it was referred to as a swim club. It featured tennis courts, horseshoe pits, badminton, shuffleboard and a minigolf course. A sand-bottom pit served as a pool until a concrete one was constructed in 1951.

Anyone who paid the daily admission fee could swim, and in the evenings, the club had live music and entertainment.

In 1976, the site caught fire, destroying the pool clubhouse, bar and on-site barber shop; however, the swim club’s success continued until 1997, when it was forced to close due to the widening of 3L Highway.

Today, Covington’s Goebel Park Pool faces the same fate after being on the path of the Brent Spence Corridor construction.

On April 9, the Covington Commission voted not to service Goebel Park Pool for the 2024 season due to cost burdens associated with repairs and operations—not seeing the estimated $500,000 worth of repairs necessary with the park’s impending closing in 2025 due to the bridge construction.

Although Covington is losing one of its public swimming options, the city is in agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for reimbursement to the city for the loss of the pool and land. The cabinet agreed to give $1.3 million to the city to fund a replacement pool and $100,000 to update the city’s master parks plan.

“When we do it, where we do it and how we do it is not yet known,” Hassert said. “We are going to go to the public; we’re going to do a formal community engagement process to see exactly what they want.”

This is not the first time Covington has seen one of its pools close and, therefore, complete a replacement project.

The Latonia Splash Pad was built after the closing of Covington’s Rosedale Pool. The pool was forced to close in the late 90s after a flood destroyed it.

“The (Licking) river was so dang high it cracked the pool in half,” Hassert said. “This was long before our times, but the commissioners at the time, for whatever reason, decided that it was too expensive to replace, but in return, we got the splash pad, which, you know, caters to a whole different element.”

Years before Hassert worked for Covington in his current role, his first job was working for the city’s parks and recreation depart-

ment at the pools. He served as a lifeguard at the now closed Rosedale Pool.

“The contribution of a city pool to the community—I mean, working at the pool, at least in my day—was sort of a rite of passage if you’re a teenager in Covington,” Hassert said. “You start out in the basket room, then the concession stand, and then you get to be a lifeguard and whatnot. Hundreds if not thousands of Covington teenagers did that progression.”

He said he saw that rite of passage culture through the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Hassert said he doesn’t expect the city to start building a replacement for Goebel Pool immediately but doesn’t expect to have to wait for the completion of the bridge corridor either.

Despite the closing of Goebel Pool, Covington remains the only city in Northern Kentucky with a public pool and splash pad option for its residents. It will still operate Randolph Park’s pool located on the Eastside at East 8th and Greenup Streets.

The Latonia Splash Pad is in the Bill Cappel Youth Sports Complex, 4305 Decoursey Ave., Covington. The park offers hoses, sprinklers, slides, and play equipment.

Annual pool passes are free to Covington residents.

“The commission made that commitment years ago and works that into their budget priority every year because we think it’s important that the residents can swim,” Hassert said. “Not everybody is rich, you know, and can get a pass to a private pool.”

There were 1,600 newly created memberships in 2023 and 7,689 active memberships for the pool season.

“That’s the number one call we get every day during the summer; there’s probably 20 calls a day,” said Covington Park Project Coordinator Greg Stacy. “When can I get in the pool? When does the pool open?”

Another past destination that was popular for staying cool in Northern Kentucky was the Manhattan Bathing Beaches.

Six different beaches were popular in Dayton and Bellevue in 1891.

According to the city of Dayton website, the construction of a series of dams on the river by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to raise the river levels caused commercial traffic and water pollution, which impacted the popularity of the beaches.

As a result of the decline, Dayton’s website said the owner of Tacoma Beach, one of the beaches located in the city, constructed a 130-by-150-foot in-ground swimming pool filled with water from an artesian well that runs under Dayton as part of a larger amusement park.

Like the situation with Rosedale Pool, a flood destroyed Tacoma Park. The 1937 Ohio River flood destroyed most of the park, and it could not recover.

Today, the site operates as Manhattan Harbour Yacht Club and Marina.

With public pools around the Greater Cincinnati Area closing over the years, splash pads have become popular and even replaced former pools, as Covington saw with

Lewis Browning, 15, at Rosedale Pool on June 29, 1978. Photo provided | Kenton County Library Faces and Places

Sharon Ball (13) of Latonia, at Pleasure Isle Pool. Photo provided | Kenton County Library Faces and Places

Manhattan Bathing Beach. Also known as the Dayton Bathing Beach. Photo provided | Kenton County Library Faces and Places

Rosedale. Still, only two public splash pads currently operate in Northern Kentucky, and some cities have struck down the idea due to costs.

Wilder operates a splash pad that is free to everyone, not just its residents, making for an attractive summer activity to Northern Kentuckians.

The city’s park, located behind the city building on Licking Pike, added the splash pad to the existing playground in June 2021.

Wilder City Manager Terry Vance said that when they were building the fire station and remodeling the park, they were trying to find an option that wasn’t as widespread at the time. Initially, they considered doing a water feature but not an entire splash pad.

“We looked at designers, catalogs, and other things, and we realized that the price wasn’t really that exorbitant compared to what we were spending on the firehouse and the park renovation,” Vance said. “We just decided it would be a nice feature to have here.”

There is a lot of infrastructure that goes into the ground, Vance said. There are pumps, a pit where water goes in and a chlorination system. As for maintenance, he said the main task is testing the water, which they do about five times daily.

“It’s like a pool; the pool water stays in the pool,” Vance said. “It goes to a pump room, it gets chlorinated, tested, treated, and it stays in the system. Occasionally, because of evaporation and kids that run away with a lot of water on them, kids take water in water bottles. We have to add water to it every once in a while, and we just fill the tank with water that we get from the water district.”

The public works department is responsible for maintaining the splash pad in addition to performing other duties. Vance said that is why the city needed a splash pad season, which runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

He said the city’s highest costs for maintaining the splash pad are chlorine and staff time.

Vance said a city might not want a splash pad because of the liability, space and cost.

“It’s a pretty big expense,” Vance said. “You can build a dry playground for the cost of a wet playground. The problem is what do

they want more? It’s seasonal. A lot of times, you can use the playground, and you can’t use the splash pad because they’re closed. In the summertime, we shut it down because of lightning and thunderstorms.”

In the beginning, the city also experienced a few headaches due to people littering and bringing things into the splash pad that were not permitted.

“Rules are another thing,” Vance said. “We thought that first, you know, 10 rules and we had a rule sign out there. We’ve got to the point now where we’ve got a scrolling set of rules above the concession stand because every time somebody does something different that we didn’t think about, it’s like, oh, that should probably be a rule too.”

Why does Wilder keep the splash pad free?

Vance said one of the difficulties if the splash pad charges an entry fee is deciding who would get in free. He said residents and people who work in the city pay city taxes, whether property or payroll. Further, the city would have to pay for a fence around the splash pad and hire an attendant to check passes.

“I think the thing that people don’t realize is that the people who come here go to United Dairy Farmers or Ameristop,” Vance said. “They fill up their gas tanks here, they get snacks, they look at Wilder and say, you know, maybe I want to live in a city that does this kind of thing. I don’t think it hurts anybody to let people come for free.”

Vance said he thinks a city might consider a splash pad over a pool because of the liability and that you must hire lifeguards.

Stacey said Covington’s contract with Swimsafe Pool Management, Inc., is $166,000 yearly to maintain the facilities.

“During the summer, they take care of all the chemicals and staffing,” Stacey said. “The only additional costs are through our public works team. They handle the, I guess you’d say, jumpstart of the pools at the beginning of the year.”

Periodically, he said they also endure improvement costs, such as recently when a new roof was put on the splash pad. The city used an ARPA grant for that project, which cost $78,000.

Both splash pads and pools also require liability insurance, another cost to the cities.

The cost to build a pool versus a splash pad is also higher.

Conversations with contractors who specialize in pool construction suggest the $1.3 million from the transportation cabinet would likely not be enough.

An Olympic-sized swimming pool with a depth of two meters, or about 7 feet, holds about 660,000 gallons of water, according to World Aquatics, the international sports regulatory federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee. This is larger than Goebel Park’s rough 450,000 gallons, but it serves as good go-to for measuring costs.

A representative from Brandstetter Carroll, a design and engineering firm that designed Ziegler Park Pool in Cincinnati as well as the Florence Aquatic Center, put the cost range for the design and construction of a public pool with rough Olympic-sized dimensions between $3 million and $20 million, depending on its amenities. He said one would be “hard pressed” not to find a project for a full-sized pool that didn’t cost at least $4.5 million. Brandstetter Carroll is currently designing a pool in Lexington with a price tag of $5.5 million.

Similarly to Wilder, Fort Thomas considered implementing a splash pad while looking to redo Tower Park; however, the city did not opt to include the splash pad in its final plans.

In September 2023 the Fort Thomas city council approved a plan to spend $3.6 million on a playground upgrade and other improvements in Tower Park. Council member Adam Blau spoke in favor of adding the splash pad at the meeting, saying

it was a top priority in the comprehensive plan and that he had heard from many residents who wanted it.

The council ultimately voted to accept the project without the proposed splash pad which would have cost $315,000.

Back in Wilder, Vance said he believes the splash pad has become a good thing for the city.

“There are a lot of grandparents who bring their grandkids here. There are a lot of parents who bring their kids here,” he said. “So, it’s really been a good thing for the city overall. I think we had some growing pains the first couple of years. But we’ve gotten better at how to maintain it and how to do things.”

Other public pools in Northern Kentucky are:

• Vets Pool: The pool is located at 26 Caroline Ave. in Newport.

Vets Pool is a 25-meter swimming pool with a diving well located in Veterans Memorial Park. The park also offers two ballfields with players’ benches and bleachers, showers, lockers, restroom facilities, a concession stand and vending machines and a shelter with picnic tables.

• Florence Family Aquatic Center: The aquatic center is located at 8200 Ewing Blvd. in Florence.

The center features a lazy river, competition pool, zero-depth pool, two spray grounds, spiral and speed slides, sunbathing areas, shelters, umbrellas, a bathhouse and concessions area.

(L to R) Albert Bishop, Tracy Moore, Brian Moore, Carla Moore, Christine Havigas, Michelle King, Billy Moore, Anna Moore fishing at Pleasure Isle on June 26, 1973. Photo provided | Kenton County Library Faces and Places

Summer meal programs keep region’s kids fed

By Robin Gee

Food insecurity remains a challenge facing many Kentucky families with children. We hear about it a lot, especially now that pandemic-era programs have been rolled back.

About 625,000 children will qualify for the USDA free breakfast and lunch program next school year, according to the Food Research and Action Center, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. While the program is vital, it’s not a full solu-

tion. What happens on the weekends and breaks when kids are not in school? What about that long summer break?

A community approach

Ninety percent of students in Dayton Independent Schools are eligible for the USDA free breakfast and lunch program all year. The district’s Family Resource Center helps students and their families with food on weekends and longer breaks through its food pantry, too.

In the summer, most of the district’s elementary school children are on site anyway for the 21st Century Program, an academic program funded through a YMCA grant. Meals are provided during the day. This year, the meals are available in the high school cafeteria.

Older students on campus for athletics or other activities also come for meals. Any child under 18, whether they are students or not, are invited to come for the summer meals, said Tracy Gentrup-Ruebusch, Dayton’s district director for the Community

Schools Initiative.

“We are also blessed to have St. Bernard church in our district,” Gentrup-Ruebusch said. “They have a food pantry that families can get into once a month. They’re open on Mondays and Thursdays.… Cornerstone Christian Church provides meals for children on Saturdays. They get meals donated, whether it be pizza, subs, anything like that.”

The district also tries to have at least four “Party in the Park” events on Fridays during

STRONGER TOGETHER

Volunteers pack Go Boxes at the Go Pantry warehouse in Florence. Photo provided | Go Pantry

Volunteers pack boxes at the Go Pantry warehouse. Photo provided | Go Pantry

the summer, where they provide hot dogs and chips, she added.

Coming together to provide

The USDA program is a hot meal program. Children must come to a school building, community center, library or other designated place to eat the food on site. This can be difficult for kids who don’t live within walking distance.

Many people and organizations across Northern Kentucky have stepped up to ensure children don’t go hungry this summer. Florence-based Go Pantry started 12 years ago as a way to provide food over weekends for kids in need. Children receive a “Go Bag” to take home, each packed with enough nonperishable foods for several weekend meals.

Go Pantry Executive Director Laura Dumancic said she and her friends learned from their kids that some of their children’s classmates, who got meals at school, went hungry over weekends. They decided to do something about it. As their effort grew, they decided to start a nonprofit, and to use a food drive model to get the resources they would need.

“Go forward now 12 years,” Dumancic said. “Now it’s not one school, it’s over 80 schools across six counties. And we’re doing two things. The weekend Go Bags are getting home to 1,200 kids a week. We do big boxes to help the kids and their families through the extended breaks from school.”

The summer Go Boxes each contain a week’s worth of meals. Each box weighs 45 pounds and costs about $55. Last summer the program served about 1,600 kids, and Dumancic expects the need to be even greater this summer.

They distribute over June and July and up to the start of school.

Making Go Pantry go

With help from Go Pantry, volunteers can run their own food drives for nonperishable foods or for cash donations. In summer, it’s a big operation, requiring trucking and logistics, delivery and operational support. Many organizations and local companies run food drives at work and send groups of volunteers to the Go Pantry warehouse to help pack and load the boxes.

St. Elizabeth Physicians and St. Elizabeth Healthcare employees have embraced the program. “Champions” from different departments help organize a two-week food drive. At the end of the drive, St. Elizabeth volunteers help at the warehouse as well.

Dr. Chanti Flanagan, a physician administrator and hospitalist, helped start the program at St. Elizabeth.

“This is our 10-year anniversary,” Flanagan said. “It really became a passion project for multiple different departments and divisions and areas. So you take 11,000 associates, staff and physicians and providers, and you’ve got a pretty good result.”

Last year, St. Elizabeth provided 4,200 Go Boxes, and is has set a goal of 5,000 boxes for this year.

WAY MORE ENTERTAINING

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Hitting home

Angela Purcell is an EKG technician at St. Elizabeth. She has seen the program firsthand.

“My sister passed away about three years ago,” Purcell said. “She was a single mom of four. Every summer, [Go Pantry] would send box after box home for each one of her kids. And that really helped her.”

Purcell had been a single mom as well, and said she wished Go Pantry had been available when her kids were little. She worked, but, like many, she made just enough not to qualify for government assistance – but not always enough to make ends meet. Some days, she said, she just had crackers and water for a few days.

“Go Pantry is a way for kids to know that they have food coming to them, that they will not go hungry for the summer,” Purcell said. “The parents don’t have to try to figure out how they’re going to feed their kids if they can’t qualify for the programs through the government.”

Where to find summer meals

The USDA food program is administered through the Kentucky Department of Education. For a list of meal sites, starting in May go to the Summer Meals Finder at fns.usda.gov/meals4kids. For more on the USDA program, see nokidhungry.org.

To volunteer or find out where you can get food through Go Pantry, go to gopantry.org.

Date checking food donations at the Go Pantry warehouse. The organization predicts it will serve more than 1,600 children this summer. Photo provided | Go Pantry

A staycationer’s guide to discovering Northern Kentucky

By Kenton Hornbeck

With summer quickly approaching, Northern Kentucky is home to a bevy of options for hopeful staycationers.

What’s a staycation? Simply put, it’s a vacation one spends at home, or at least close to where one lives. Popular staycation activities typically include visiting local pools, parks, museums and festivals.

While Northern Kentucky’s most popular tourist attractions include the Ark Encounter, Newport Aquarium, and its vast array of breweries and distilleries, the region also boasts several off-the-beaten-path attractions.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic waned, tourism in Greater Cincinnati has surged, with millions of people visiting the region each year. As such, Julie Kirkpatrick, CEO of meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s tourism bureau, told LINK nky that the area is full of diverse attractions for visitors who want a variety of experiences.

“As the millions of visitors to our region discover each year, Northern Kentucky is a great escape,” Kirkpatrick said. “A staycation to enjoy all that Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati have to offer is a super way to recharge.”

Northern Kentucky is home to several parks, each with its own amenities. Staycationers can see roaming bison at Big Bone Lick State Park or golf 18 holes at Devou Park, which overlooks the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati skyline.

Parks such as A.J. Jolly south of Alexandria and England-Idlewild outside Burlington give staycationers access to one of the region’s most under-the-radar attractions: disc golf.

Idlewild Park is ranked as one of the best disc golf courses in the world and is home to the LWS Open – an annual stop on the Disc Golf Pro Tour. The 24-hole course was ranked as one of the 25 best in the world as recently as this year, according to UDisc.

David Whitehouse, director of Boone

County Parks, told LINK nky that Idlewild is a countrywide destination for disc golf enthusiasts, drawing professionals and hobbyists to Boone County annually.

“It’s a huge draw for Boone County Parks,” Whitehouse said. “You know, a couple of the professionals call it the O.G. course. It really is one of the original courses. It’s been there for many, many years, and people love to play it. It’s a destination for many people – like it’s on their bucket list.”

In addition to Idlewild, the 1,000-acre A.J. Jolly features a lakeside 18-hole disc golf

course. Of course, disc golf isn’t the only activity at A.J. Jolly. The southern Campbell County park is also popular for fishing, kayaking, golfing, camping and live music.

Want a more urban experience? Staycationers can enjoy a night out in one of the region’s historic river cities, such as Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue or Dayton.

One of the most unusual hotels in Covington is the Pickle Factory, a boutique hotel tucked away at the corner of Tobacco and Electric alleys. The over 150-year-old

“The Pickle Factory is a perfect place for staycations because of the rich culture intertwined into every room,” said Jeremiah Hines, co-owner of Neat Suites, the firm behind listings and bookings at the hotel. “When you’re doing a staycation, the goal is to experience your city in a way that you have never seen it before. The Pickle Factory opens the doors to a new perspective of

building was once a pickle factory – hence the name – but also served as a warehouse, soda maker and Odd Fellows Hall. The hotel offers guests a rustic charm with access to modern amenities.

The Rabbit Hash General Store is one of the best-preserved country stores in Kentucky. Photo provided | Rabbit Hash General Store website

Next door to the Pickle Factory is Wenzel Whiskey, a distillery that touts itself as the “resurrection of Kentucky’s rich bourbon history.” At Wenzel, customers can collaborate with whiskey-blending experts to create their own custom-blended bourbon.

Venture a few blocks south from Tobacco Alley to Revival Vintage Bottle Shop, at 5 E. Eighth Street. Revival offers an eclectic array of vintage whiskeys that customers can sip at their tasting bar.

“What they are doing with Revival, they are curating this space where people can come in and learn about the history of bourbon, but also taste it – and not just bourbon, but all spirits,” Kirkpatrick said in a press release.

Revival is part of the B-Line, the region’s self-guided bourbon tour. The B-Line includes seven different local craft distilleries, nine bourbon-centric bars and nine restaurants – all in Northern Kentucky.

If the city isn’t your scene, maybe a trip to Rabbit Hash in the Boone County community of Petersburg could suffice. Rabbit Hash is home to one of the best-preserved country stores in the United States, the Rabbit Hash General Store, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Of course, you may also need to check in with Wilbur Beast, the community’s French bulldog mayor.

Interested in history? The Behring-

er-Crawford Museum in Covington is a center for the collection and preservation of the natural, cultural and performing arts heritage of not only Northern Kentucky but the broader Ohio Valley. Historian John Boh wrote for the museum’s website that the museum features permanent exhibits on natural history, archeology, paleontology, mineralogy, rivers and steamboats, industry, folk art, politics, frontier home life, the Civil War and slavery.

Another popular tourist destination for the historically curious is the Newport Gangster Tour. Participants have the opportunity to relive a time in Newport’s history when mobsters ran the streets. Beginning outside an illicit casino, tourists will learn about how the small river town helped foster the modern gambling industry.

Staycationers even have the option to take a cruise in Northern Kentucky. Instead of traveling to the East Coast, staycationers can hop aboard Newport’s BB Riverboats to experience the Cincinnati region from a different perspective. BB Riverboats’ daily cruises offer customers historical sightseeing, live entertainment, and lunch and dinner.

Whether participating in outdoor adventures, enjoying classic spirits or delving into the area’s rich history, Northern Kentucky offers staycationers the option to rediscover the hidden gems in their own backyard. With its off-the-beaten-path attractions, a staycation in Northern Kentucky can not only be relaxing but also create new memories.

RESORT

Ovation is an urban mixed-use development that sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers in Northern Kentucky. It is a vibrant riverfront destination that bridges the cities in the region, connects residents and the community directly to the rivers, and enables everyone to be transformed by the incredible river views combined with a boardwalk that transcends time and activates all your senses.

The Pickle Factory Hotel is tucked at the corner of Tobacco and Electric alleys in Covington. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

One of 18 disc golf baskets at A.J. Jolly Park in Campbell County. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

Break from summer boredom: Free activities for kids in NKY

By Maggy McDonel

Summer break for kids usually means fun and relaxation. Sometimes, though, it can mean lots and lots of boredom.

While there are plenty of things to do over the summer, the cost can add up, which is when you can look toward local libraries and to community, agriculture and arts centers to provide a break from boredom without the price tag.

Read on to find a few places in Northern Kentucky to take your kids this summer when they’re finally driving you crazy.

Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour

This free event lets families learn more about local agriculture in their own backyard. Participants can travel to 11 different participating locations in Campbell County that range from a typical farm to wineries to equestrian centers, horticultural operations and more.

“It’s really about bringing some education and awareness,” said Patti Dischar, district

manager of the Campbell County Conservation District.

The event, Dischar said, works to show participants the importance of preserving the county’s farmland with the added benefit of letting people see cute cows. “We’re trying to provide education about sustainability.”

Another thing Dischar said she hopes participants learn from the tour is that they can do sustainable things in their own backyards, like planting native pollinator plants. “That pollinator will provide a habitat for many animals and butterflies and bees that can carry that pollen on to the next place,” she said.

Stops range from Camp Springs all the way down to near Pendelton County. Most will have items for sale, like produce, crafts, wine and more, so make sure to bring a cooler and cash.

Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 20, rain or shine. Find more information at campbellkyconservation.org.

Symphony

Looking for a little music in your life this summer? Look no further than the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra’s 30th annual Summer Park Series.

On three weekends through the summer, the KSO performs eclectic, accessible programs at Devou Park in Covington and Tower Park in Fort Thomas.

This series furthers the orchestra’s mission to make orchestral music “attractive, accessible and affordable.” Angela Williamson, the orchestra’s general manager, said “cost shouldn’t be a barrier for people to enjoy programs.”

Williamson also said she loves that the concerts in the park are “multigenerational.” The audience runs the gamut from grandkids to grandparents. “I love the fact that we’ve given not just families, but all kinds of groups of people, a reason to gather,” she said.

She also said she can get lost in the data from surveys of concert attendees. She’s excited by responses like “98% of the people say they feel more connected to their community when they attend the concert. That makes me feel good. 99% of them say that they are proud of our region when they attend concerts.”

The summer season is focused on being a little more fun than the traditional orchestra experience, with programming incorporating music ranging from pop to hiphop.

This year’s programs, all at 7:30 p.m., are:

• “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again” (six decades of pop hits): July 6 in Devou Park, July 7 in Tower Park.

• “Get Movin’” (1990s swing revival meets 2020s electro-swing): Aug. 3 in Devou Park, Aug. 4 in Tower Park.

• “POPS, Inc.” (favorites of Anderson,

Hayman & Mancini): Aug. 31 in Devou Park, Sept. 1 in Tower Park.

Find out more at kyso.org or by calling 859431-6216.

Indoor education, fun at Kenton County Library

If it’s too hot or you just have more of an indoor kid, there is plenty of stuff to do at your local library. The Kenton County Library offers everything from scavenger hunts to summer reading programs to getting to meet live animals.

“We have programs almost every single day,” said Shay Spisak, programmer at the Erlanger branch.

Events like animal and superhero meetand-greets bring in people who aren’t regular patrons, which Spisak said is great because “we can kind of convert them to being library people. And we can really then show them how cool our buildings and spaces are to come anytime.”

The library, Spisak said, is a place where anyone can hang out and is an especially good place for kids when they’re out of school in the summer and may not have anywhere else to go. “We just want to give them a fun place to do fun things and hang out with their friends.”

in the summer reading program, Spisak said, they don’t care if the kids are reading stuff that their teachers want them to read; they just want them to be reading and enjoying it. “We really just want to foster that love of reading overall.”

All three Kenton County library branches also offer play spaces. Kids can slide down slides, play dress-up, or even enjoy sensory bins.

Find more information on the three branches and the events schedule at kentonlibrary.org.

Kentucky

Orchestra park concerts

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra playing at Tower Park in Fort Thomas. Photo provided | Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

The B-Line: A little Kentucky and a lot of NKY

By Maeve Hamlet

Second Sights Spirits founders Rick Couch and Carus Waggoner grew up in Northern Kentucky, discovering their love for bourbon from a proclivity for making things.

Couch, previously a mechanical engineer, and Waggoner, an industrial designer, together built their first bourbon still from scratch.

So it’s fitting that Second Sights is now part of the B-Line, a self-guided tour of bourbon distilleries in Northern Kentucky. It’s part of the larger Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which stretches through Lexington, Louisville and Bardstown.

The Ludlow distillery has a circus theme, making it a unique stop along the trail.

If you’re thinking of checking out the B-Line, Waggoner has some tips. First, do some research.

Bourbon is strictly regulated with set-instone laws for what can be considered a bourbon, rather than just a whiskey. (All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.)

“If whiskey is a tree, then bourbon is a branch on the whiskey tree,” Waggoner said.

Beside Second Sights, the B-Line includes six other distillers: Augusta Distillery, Boone County Distilling Co., Neeley Family Distillery, New Riff Distilling, Old Pogue Distillery and Pensive Distilling Co. Along with the distillers, the B-Line highlights nine bourbon bars and nine bourbon-centric restaurants. All 25 stops are in Covington, Newport, Independence, Burlington, Sparta, Augusta or Maysville.

These local distilleries and bourbon-focused stops offer a unique experience, with a mix of Northern Kentucky culture and their own.

The main difference between bourbon and whiskey is that bourbon most consist of at least 51% corn. At Second Sight Spirits, they use 72% corn, so their bourbon tends to be sweeter.

Bourbon is also required to be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Charred barrels caramelize the wood’s natural sugar and give

liquids in them a distinct flavor that drinkers around the world love.

Another legal requirement states that bourbon cannot contain any additives, flavorings or colorings. The beverage’s flavor profile must come entirely from the grains used to make it and the aging process. At Second Sight, they use small barrels to distill their bourbon, which can make the flavor profile a little bit more spicy in comparison to bourbon distilled in a larger barrel.

Bourbon is distilled at no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume). To be legally labeled as a straight bourbon, the spirit must be barrel-aged for at least two years.

Last, bourbon must be made in the United States. Of that, 95% is made in Kentucky. Many say Kentucky’s rich soil, plentiful corn and water flowing through limestone reserves make it the perfect place for making bourbon.

“The limestone in our water helps jumpstart the fermentation process for the bourbon,” said Sammi Biddle, general manager of Pensive Distilling Co. and Kitchen. Biddle said Kentucky put bourbon on the map, and few could argue with those high statistics.

While anyone can take a self-guided tour of the distilleries most anytime, many Northern Kentucky offer special events and tours for fans to delve deeper into the world of distilling. Pensive, for example, offers tours that take participants back in time to Prohibition and Newport’s history of bootlegging. They also have a patio space where guests can sip on their bourbon and enjoy one of their daily food specials.

Second Sights also offers weekly tours, which customer Reilly Stasienko loved.

“You can’t find two bourbons that taste the same on this trail. That’s what makes it so exciting: You have to taste them all to see for yourself,” Stasienko said. “Also, it’s a fun way to get out in the community and support local businesses.”

For all the stops along the B-Line, one of the key benefits is supporting local business and culture. “It’s kind of fun to know that every drop of bourbon you taste has been made at this site,” Waggoner said.

Go to thebline.com/the-linep for a full list of distilleries and bars on the B-Line.

Shelf of bourbons from the B-Line bourbon trail at Second Sight Spirits Distillery in Ludlow. Shelf of bourbon made at the Pensive Distilling Co. in Newport.

Outside view of Second Sight Spirits Distillery in Ludlow.

Outside view of Pensive Distilling Co. in Newport.

Streetscapes tastes tradition on Newport’s Washington Avenue

By Maria Hehman

This week, Streetscapes takes a look at some longstanding businesses on Washington Avenue in Newport. We’ll sample Italian and American cuisines and finish with a Kentucky classic – bourbon. Join us as we visit O’Bryon’s, Pompilios and Newberry’s Prohibition Bar.

O’Bryon’s Bar and Grill

O’Bryon’s is a classic sports bar. Beer, wings and TVs showing the latest games may not set it apart from other sports bars, but the environment and food are some of the best around. The interior is smaller and honors the historic foundation of the older building – the perfect recipe for a hometown hangout.

O’Bryon’s menu is a mix of American and Irish specialties that covers all the basics one would want from a sports bar and Irish pub. The tater tots and fries baskets are some of the best in NKY, and they pair great with wings or as a starter for a group. Although wings and fries are some of the

most popular options, O’Bryon’s burgers and sandwich options are close behind. Among the delicious full entree options are blackened Boursin chicken, hand battered cod and a smoked out turkey reuben.

O’Bryon’s spacious patio is tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Washington Avenue, creating a more secluded and relaxing environment. It’s the perfect spot for a few cocktails to catch up with friends. There’s also a private event space on the top floor available to rent for celebrations.

Pompilios

As one of the most historic culinary spots in NKY, few locals have yet to experience Pompilios’ famous Italian cuisine. Pompilios pairs history with authentic Italian cuisine that has kept guests returning since 1933. Stained glass windows and Tuscan wallpaper transport guests to the Old Country the moment they set foot inside.

The menu’s largest selection comes in their pasta offerings. Many traditional dishes can be ordered as is, or diners can pick

their pasta and sauce from a customizable pasta menu. The wine and cocktail menu are seemingly endless, with options for novices and connoisseurs alike.

This historic restaurant has drawn customers from all over the country both for its food as well as the atmosphere.

Newberry Bros. Coffee and Prohibition Bourbon Bar

Being in Kentucky – the Bourbon capital of the world – comes with its perks, and Newberry’s is one of the gems that makes it great. Newberry’s (and Pompilios, too) are stops on the B-Line, NKY’s own branch of the Bourbon trail.

Newberry’s floor-to-ceiling bourbon display behind the bar is enticing even to non-bourbon drinkers (like the author). With Prohibition in its name, it only makes sense that the rest of the Newberry’s interior has a 1920s aesthetic.

Although bourbon is the main draw, it offers countless other cocktails and spirits and, surprisingly, coffee. For a weekend nights-only establishment, it’s a rarity to find a place that offers options besides alcohol. The coffee offerings range from drip to espresso choices and cover the gamut of any traditional coffee shop.

As a self proclaimed coffee expert, I appreciate a coffee shop’s being open at night when so many others are closed. They’re a great stop before or after dinner, and their front patio, adorned with twinkle lights, is a

relaxing way to spend an evening.

The hybrid coffee and bourbon bar encourages the camaraderie of a traditional bar with the laid back vibe of a coffee shop. The folks behind Newberry’s have beautifully blended two concepts to create a unique space for all gatherings.

Since the space is on the smaller side, reservations are recommended to ensure seating.

What to Know If You Go:

O’Bryon’s Bar and Grill

Location: 736 Washington Ave., Newport.

Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; FridaySaturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Website: obryonsirishpub.com Phone: 859-291-7600

Pompilios

Location: 600 Washington Ave., Newport.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-9 p.m. Website: pompilios.com Phone: 859-581-3065

Newberry Bros Coffee and Prohibition Bourbon Bar

Location: 530 Washington Ave., Newport.

Hours: Friday-Saturday, 6-11 p.m. Website: newberrybroscoffee.com Phone: 859-261-9463

O’Bryon’s Bar and Grill on Washington Avenue in Newport. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor

O’Bryon’s outdoor patio is the perfect spot to spend summer nights. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor