Paducah Life Magazine - August/September 2021

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contents 72 Making a MARK in a Bourbon Legacy

6

august/september 2021 ★ from the editor page 5 ★ last word

16

Jay Page Pilots the Future of a New Terminal

18

Taking Us Back, Transporting Us Forward

27

Richard Roof Leaves a Leadership Legacy

30

New Barkley Regional Manager Sees a New Horizon

32

Organizing the Blue Sky Alliance

35

Where Does the Airport Go from Here

37

Made by Megg Goes Viral

40

Opening Doors of Opportunity

42

Paducah’s Bourbon History

45

Amy Clevidence Builds Brands, Tells Stories

48

Students Look Back on LIFE in Kindergarten

58

Through the Windows of Time

66

Paducah’s Bourbon Baron

77

At Home with Our Secretary of State

82

Kentucky Reads Crystal Wilkinson

page 84

The History of Barkley Regional Airport

52

the Spectacular Collections of Russel Bash

Visit us at paducahlife.com ★

2 • PADUCAH LIFE

SEE AND HEAR MORE OF THE FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE ON

VOLUME 31, EDITION 4 executive editor/ P U B L I S H E R Darlene M. Mazzone

� associate E D I TO R / editorial P H OTO G R A P H Y J.T. Crawford

� art D I R E C TO R Scott McWilliams

� associate art D I R E C TO R Allison Wicker

� cover P H OTO G R A P H Y Brad Rankin

� on the C OV E R A big thanks to the LeNeave family for posing as our fifties family! From left are Elijah, Kelly, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Vincent.

� Paducah Life is published six times a year for the Paducah area. All contents copyright 2021 by Mazzone Communications. Reproduction or use of the contents without written

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T HAS BEEN SAID THAT VISION IS THE ART OF BEING ABLE TO SEE what is invisible to others. And while we laud vision realized, it is sometimes difficult for visionaries to find support and acceptance for their ideas even after much toil at illustrating their concept. After all, it is invisible.

As I researched the history of flight in Paducah, I was struck by those who had foresight for what could be. Even when flying was nothing more than an engine, a wood frame, and some canvas, there were those in Paducah who looked beyond the novelty and saw what could be. Dreamers rose above the clouds of that day and toward the horizon of tomorrow.

The past, the present, and the future of those who’ve championed aviation in Paducah inspired me to rethink what it means to have vision. We want it to be a clear path with an obvious end result and benefits. But those are often absent at the genesis of an idea. And they may remain elusive for a while.

This can be a deterrent for both the visionary and those whom they need to convince. From this, I find two takeaways. If I do not nurture aspiration due to fear, I do a disservice to myself and my community. And if I immediately discount another’s vision, I play a role in squelching a possible, incredible future.

Immediately after shooting the cover for this edition, 41 passengers boarded the SkyWest flight and took to the sky.

Then, within a matter of half an hour, two private planes took off, and a corporate jet landed. This is what someone saw in their mind’s eye over a hundred years ago. May we be inspired by not only the potential of our airport, but may we see what the possibilities are for the future of our city. May we develop our own visions and not be quick to discount the concepts of others.

With a few dreams, some productive time, and our heads in the clouds, we may just touchdown into a future beyond anything we can imagine.

J. T. Crawford jt@paducahlife.com

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 5

O T N I F OF E K A T S ’ H A C PADU

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w to the ne in h a c u d bring Pa o t a s” of any e n id w n o a d s d 1941 a “ups an enters a le n l i b a a n n it io v a g e g e d the in rkley R ort be The airp n. It has experience ow, the future of Ba n a history filled with o y. N viatio ok back ipal entit lo age of a ic e covery. n w is u , d t m s ic n ir if f e t t n u r-driv tential. B ating scie r o a p consume il l h u x f e e p n full of ho ghts of a li a r e e d e w h e t n tion, and a ic d e d , daring

HROUGHOUT MOST OF HUMAN HISTORY, MANKIND has been shackled by gravity. Our ancestors looked to the skies, transfixed by birds on the wing, dreaming of what it felt like to cut the bonds that tie us to the ground and soar into the clouds.

Inventive imaginations took to the wild blue yonder, and by the early 1900s, we were well on our way to rising above the trees, reaching new heights—and destinations—in record time.

First commercial passenger flight out of Barkley Regional Airport

8 • PADUCAH LIFE

PADUCAH’S FIRST FLIGHT The technology of airplanes evolved quickly, and by 1910, aviators were looking to go farther faster. In January of 1910, Louis Paulhan jumped a hurdle, flying 46 miles in one hour in Los Angeles. The following year, Paducah’s News-Democrat announced that they’d arranged for an “aviation meeting” with pilot H.A. Robinson who would give the city its first view of one of the new machines of marvel. Robinson had been instructing army and navy officers before touring the

country with a Curtiss aircraft. The paper reported that the only other airplane flight in Kentucky had been made in Louisville.

For two days in May, Hugh Robinson performed “feats which were beyond the expectations of thousands” with “hair-raising dips and glides.” Four men held the plane until the engine came up to speed. Upon the signal of Robinson, the men let go, the bi-plane racing forward until gaining enough momentum to lift off the ground. Spectators were amazed at the speed of the propeller, which went so fast that it was invisible. The paper reported that such flight was the “last word in the conquest of the air for which men have striven for centuries.” The airfield was west of Paducah, described as being near Gregory Heights not far from the current location of the Coke Plant.

AN ESTABLISHED AIRFIELD The potential of airplanes as useful vehicles blossomed after World War I. In July of 1927, contractor and lumber dealer Charles Iseman announced he’d open Paducah’s first airfield. Iseman purchased two Travelair planes to carry passengers and provide flight lessons.

In August, Iseman Air Field opened just east of

Paducah near the Southside (probably just southwest of Harned’s BBQ’s current location). Iseman recruited pilot C.W. Roderick of Wichita, Kansas, a veteran army pilot, to give flights and teach. On its first day open, the airfield welcomed two airplanes that stopped while on a cross-country trip, and Roderick flew the first airfieldowned aircraft in from Witchita, a flight that took seven hours, ten minutes.

Iseman advertised passenger service to Louisville, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, and more. Will J. Gilbert, a druggist, was the sole passenger of Paducah’s first commercial flight on March 27, 1928, when he enlisted one of Iseman’s flying machines to take him to St. Louis for a business trip. The flight, which took about an hour and a half was enjoyable according to Mr. Gilbert.

Mr. Gilbert, who was supposed to return the following day, had to postpone his return due to strong winds. The delay was much to the dismay of a gathered crowd and the Elks Gazook Band who’d prepared to greet him. The paper reported that he was the first Paducah druggist to ever cross the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in an airplane.

Iseman Field became a popular stopping point for pilots on their way to and from other destinations.

Paducahans occasionally got views of visitors doing stunts in the skies above the city. The public had the

opportunity to take flight by paying just a few dollars for local rides. In 1928, 15 teachers from Paducah Public Schools took turns riding in one of the planes, some of them doing “loop the loops, barrel rolls, hammer stalls, and the wing-over.” For a while, you could take an airplane ride by simply paying one cent per pound. Iseman even advertised trips to the

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 9

AUGUS T / S E P T E M BER 2021 • 9

Kentucky Derby for $60. And in December, city commissioners took to the skies at the encouragement of Mayor Ernest Lackey.

Iseman Field was a good start for Paducah, but it was quickly evident that it was not sufficient for the rapid growth of aviation. The city didn’t know whether to support and expand Iseman’s vision or to start anew.

Investors from Indiana took interest, buying the field and establishing Paducah Airways with plans to expand.

Aviation became a part of Paducah’s vernacular with a regular aviation column in the paper, a roster of students at the flight school, charter flights, and an Aviation Queen contest. The connectivity to the world was on display in 1933 when Santa Claus, in his own aircraft, made a stop in Paducah. Thousands welcomed Santa before joining him for a parade from the airfield to the county courthouse and through downtown.

By then, the city had established a committee to explore opening a municipal airport. They looked at purchasing Paducah Airways/Iseman Field or establishing a new field. For a time, a spot near Noble Park was considered. In 1934, funding through the Civil Works Administration allowed Paducah to start on its first

municipal airport. Workers broke ground on Coleman Road and built the airfield in the current location of Dippin’ Dots. In May, the Junior Chamber of Commerce hosted the “Century of Thrills” air circus to raise funds to build a hanger. Private planes put on shows including parachute jumps, stunt flying, and wing walking. Nonaviation acts including the driving of an automobile through a burning building. At the end of June, the city dedicated the new airport with speeches and an airshow.

Airmail became a reality in 1938.

As the city approached 1940, leaders sought regular passenger service to and from Paducah. The municipal airport, however, was too small at 50 acres. Plus, newer aircraft needed the luxury of hard-surface runways. In

10 • PADUCAH LIFE

1940, the Civil Aeronautics Authority visited several sites considered for a new airport by the newly formed Greater Paducah Association aviation committee. In 1941, the Paducah and McCracken County governments jointly agreed to purchase 486 acres west of Paducah for a new airport.

BARKLEY REGIONAL Edwin J. Paxton, Jr., chairman of the Greater Paducah Association airport-airlines committee and a director of the Paducah Airport corporation, was an aviation fan.

He’d championed the idea of an airport for years. And when the city and county came together to purchase the land, he took off for D.C. to talk to the Civil Aeronautics Authority about their agreement. The CAA had already inspected the grounds, the National Defense Airport Act had been passed by the federal government to provide funding, and plans were moving forward. Once fully approved, the ball rolled quickly on construction, and in no time, Paducah was to be home to a truly modern airfield with concrete runways.

Instead of a great celebration when work began, however, there was an air of solemn resolve. Between the time of conception to reality, there was one major development—the United States’ entrance into World War II. Mr. Paxton opined, “On Monday, work was at last begun. There was no fanfare, no ceremony; workmen simply started the job as something good and necessary to the prosecution of the war. It will surely prove useful in the war, which will please every McCracken Countian.

This airport will also prove, later on, to be one of the most beneficial long-range developments in the community’s history.” In 1942, Lt. C.C. Park, Metropolis native and Army pilot, made the first official landing in a military plane. He was coming home to visit his mother.

The city and county planned a formal dedication for later that year, and it was to be a celebration. Guests

Construction of the first hangar at Barkley

included Governor Keen Johnson, military pilots with their planes, military heroes from the region, the head of the aviation department of the Shell Oil Company, Senator Alben Barkley, and city and county commissioners who were to drive to Memphis and fly back to Paducah aboard a Chicago & Southern Airlines passenger plane accompanied by airline executives.

But bad weather called for all flights to be canceled.

Instead, a large crowd gathered at the Irvin Cobb Hotel for dinner and speakers, the keynote being Alben Barkley.

A Paducah Sun-Democrat writer thought positively, stating that there would be plenty of time for flight in the future and that the new airport was not exactly a thing of beauty anyway. At the time, the grass had yet to grow back around the property, and no buildings had been erected. Students started using the airport for training.

Just a week later, 18-year-old Martha Ann Howell became the first student pilot to solo from the new airport.

For a time, the potential of the airport remained dormant. Then in 1943, the U.S Army took command and used it for the training of pilots. Ground crews arrived and erected tents, and the McCracken County Red Cross took supplies of food to the arriving support

crews. The government arranged for 25 buildings used in the construction of Kentucky Ordnance Works to be moved to the airport to provide for temporary barracks and offices. At the airport on Coleman Road, the Kentucky Civil Air Patrol ran drills, dropping “bombs,” which were sacks of flour. Eventually, life at the old municipal airport came to a standstill as the Army purchased almost every plane that had been housed there.

During the war, commercial airlines eyed the new Paducah municipal airport as a possibility to extend their services. American Airlines officials made several visits.

But ultimately, Chicago & Southern Airlines was granted permission first to extend their service from Memphis to Detroit by way of Paducah. Henry Ward, a Sun writer, urged the city and county to properly develop the airport before the first commercial flights. In 1943, he said, “Right now the airport consists of little more than concrete runways and a lighting system. It needs administration buildings, hangars, and other equipment. Incidentally, what the airport needs most of all right now is a telephone.

Pilots have to walk a mile to reach a telephone so they can call into Paducah.”

The city and county formed a board to operate the airport, and they appointed Richard LeRoy as the first manager. 1944 and ’45 were years of great activity.

Plans emerged to build an “inexpensive but adequate” administration building. Additional trees were removed, parking expanded, and a hangar was built. In 1945, the young airport welcomed the biggest guest to date— President Harry Truman in his C-54 Skymaster known as the “Sacred Cow.” He was in town to drop off passenger Alben Barkley.

Then, on April 1, 1946, the first

I am indeed happy to learn that you are going to rededicate your local airport to Vice President Barkley. No man is better entitled to honors than this distinguished son of Kentucky. Alben Barkley has been a true progressive through all the years of his fine public service. It seems to me, therefore, that it is peculiarly appropriate that an airport—symbol of progress—should be named for him.

I wish I could be with you, for I know that another visit to Paducah would add to my already large store of pleasant memories of that city.

With my best wishes for a successful and inspiring celebration, and my warm greetings to my good friend Alben Barkley and all of you, I am very sincerely yours, —HARRY S TRUMAN

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 11

Chicago & Southern DC-3 passenger plane, the “City of Fort Worth,” made a smooth landing at the airport. 20 passengers exited the plane to the fanfare of those gathered. Additionally, a Chicago & Southern cargo plane landed shortly thereafter. Gene Peak of WPAD broadcast interviews live, and an official welcoming ceremony commenced. The day ushered in the age of regular passenger flights for Paducah.

The name, Paducah-McCracken County Airport, had been considered by many to always be temporary. In 1948, shortly after Paducah native Alben Barkley won the Vice Presidency of the United States, the city and county approved a new name: Barkley Airport.

The name change not only recognized his ascendence to a high office but also recognized Barkley’s love for aviation and his championing of the project in the early 1940s.

In August 1949, the Barkley Air Show welcomed home the Vice President.

Vice President Alben Barkley speaks at the Barkley Air Show

Barkley Regional is fortunate to be a community airport with a control tower. The FAA only operates control towers at airports that have enough flight operations (one landing or departing airplane = one flight operation) to warrant the need for a staffed control tower. Barkley has historically been on the lower end of the scale of what’s necessary to have this amenity.

Having a control tower provides an extra layer of safety and security to air traffic as it provides coordination to landing and departing traffic, as well as weather reports on the airfield and coordination with the enroute air traffic control center in Memphis. It also enhances Barkley’s flight training environment.

Having a control tower means Barkley Regional is a “controlled airfield,” versus an airport without a tower (“uncontrolled”) where pilots have to make position reports on the radio to one another and manage traffic alone.

The FAA recently completed a multi-year, multi-million dollar refurbishment of the Barkley control tower. The FAA hires a contract tower operator like Midwest ATC Services, Inc. to operate the tower.

The FAA also has a technician on site to maintain electronic systems at the airport. The National Weather Service maintains an automated weather system called ASOS. The controllers utilize the ASOS weather information, and they transmit that information to pilots.

12 • PADUCAH LIFE

Barkley arrived in his Vice Presidential plane, and the next day, an estimated 20,000 people came to the airport to hear him speak and see the airshow.

As part of the ceremony, Barkley crowned seven queens with the Queen of Queens being Dorothy Anne Barkley, Alben’s 6-year-old granddaughter. About 375 private, military, and commercial planes were on the field, many of which were part of shows later in the day.

The climax of the day was a 40-man parachute jump by the 11th Airborne Division from Fort Campbell. At one point, the line of traffic to get to the airport extended to the intersection of 13th and Park Ave. Passenger service continued to grow, and, in 1950, the board applied for federal aid to construct a proper terminal. The building would include better parking, baggage handling areas, a spacious lobby, ticket counters, and a restaurant. Just like today, federal and state funds only covered bare essentials, so a campaign to raise donations from businesses and individuals helped with furnishing the building and purchasing additional items to make the terminal a first-rate facility.

In subsequent years, the airport acquired additional property, extended runways, upgraded technology as needed, and made some modifications to the 1953 terminal, which is still being used today.

From 1941 until now, Barkley Regional Airport’s footprint has more than doubled in size, going from about 500 acres to over 1,000. And just as in its earliest days, the business of aviation continues to shift and develop, never remaining static. Staying at the forefront of those changes is as challenging now as it ever has been. From cow pasture fields to regular jet flights, Paducah still has its eyes on the skies, anticipating how the future of aviation will benefit our citizens, our city, and our region.

Essential Air Service (EAS) is a federal government program, enacted in 1978, designed to guarantee that small communities, which had been served by commercial airlines prior to deregulation, maintained their commercial services. Its aim was to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these communities that otherwise would not be profitable.

Barkley Regional has long been an EAS airport. As of 2015, 159 communities across the country received EAS subsidies. The decision as to what degree of subsidized service a community requires is made based on identifying a specific hub for the community and from there determining the number of trips, seats, and type of aircraft that are necessary to serve that hub. A requirement of the program is that the passenger subsidy remains less than $200 per person. In 2019, Barkley Regional logged nearly 40,000 passengers with the SkyWest service. That resulted in $2.7 million in EAS subsidies to SkyWest for service to Paducah.

“Our subsidy is one of the lowest on the national report for 2019,” said Jay Page. “This is why we say that Barkley is a ‘good user’ of the program. The airport hopes to be able to increase passenger traffic enough to no longer need EAS funding at some point in the future. I believe that the visibility of the new terminal project will help to achieve that. But since EAS is a ‘legacy’ program, once an airport is removed from the list, there is no option to return. So the airport would need to be firmly secure in its ability to sustain its usage.”

Jay also explained that there are certain restrictions within the EAS program that do not allow the airport to offer more than one connecting national flight.

“Without our reliance on that program, we could provide service on two different major carriers, such as Delta and United at the same time.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 13

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PILOTING THE TERMINAL PROJECT Jay Page’s Solo Passion for Aviation Fueled the Engine of a Campaign for a New Terminal at Barkley Regional Airport | by DARLENE M AZZONE HEN HIS MOM USED TO ASK JAY PAGE WHAT he’d like to do during the idle days of summers out of school, his consistent reply was, “Let’s go out to the airport and watch the planes take off.” And that’s what they did.

What Jay did, some thirty years later, was to serve as a catalyst in the quest for a new terminal at Barkley Regional Airport.

“I’ve been flying since I was 12,” said Jay Page, President of 4 Rivers Restaurants, Inc., current director of Barkley Blue Skies Alliance, and former member of the Barkley Regional board of directors. “So I’ve long

had a love for aviation as well as a personal and professional interest in the success of our community’s regional airport. That’s where I learned to fly and where I’ve spent so many hours of my flying life.”

So after years of crafting his flight cred, Jay came home after college, assumed a leading role in

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his family’s business of restaurant franchises, and renewed his commitment to the place where his life took to the skies.

“Mayor Kaler appointed me to the airport board, and that began my conversations with the board members about the improvement needs of the airport,” Jay remembered. “I’m in the hospitality business. In my opinion it was long overdue for the airport to be more appropriately aligned with Paducah’s urban culture and its reputation as a desirable destination.”

So literally at his first committee meeting, Jay suggested that the group look for ways to improve the terminal and its surroundings to achieve that end.

“We took some small incremental steps to try and shape the facility into what we wanted it to be, but obstacles like the age of the building and its mechanical network, the restricted space we had to deal with to meet TSA standards, and the inability to get FAA funding for rehabilitation costs kept us from reaching our goal. So my next suggestion was to build a new terminal.”

Yeah, so THAT raised some eyebrows. It also begged the question from the board’s finance committee members: How are we going to pay for that?

Jay’s answer was: We’ll go to Washington and ask for the money.

So key the credits for Barkley Regional’s movie version of Mr. Page Goes To Washington. “The board had initiated a study in 2008 to research the possibility of a new terminal,” said Jay, “but the plans never got off the ground {pun intended.} So when George Bray joined the board, we decided to get the data down off the shelf and really engage in a serious discussion about the potential of an airport terminal project.”

During a carefully orchestrated visit to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) on one of the Chamber’s DC Fly-In forays, Jay and members of the airport board, along with selected Chamber representatives, met with the DOT leadership at the time. Jay presented a proposal that was well received. “I can vividly remember how nervous I was before that meeting,” Jay recalled. “We got in late that night, and I don’t think I slept at all considering the gravity of the next day’s meeting with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. But Sandra Wilson meticulously planned our approach, and with the support of several people from the business community, we made our case. I was truly surprised at how comfortable the DOT people made us feel. The meeting was far less stressful than I had imagined. And with that collaboration, our plans began to take shape.”

Provided with the pledge of funds from the federal government, Jay and the board met with city and county leadership, engaged the assistance of the aviation engineering firm of CHA Consulting in Evansville, sought the financial aid of the Kentucky Department of Aviation, and took the necessary steps to start the process of building a new Barkley Regional Airport terminal. “We also got a 100-page document from the DOT on how to build a terminal. I’m not kidding. It’s like an instructional manual on how you go about building an airport terminal. And it’s exactly what we needed,” Jay said with a chuckle.

“Airport management is a very complicated scenario,” Jay explained.

“There are a vast number of regulations in terms of the FAA as well as stipulations when it comes to the federal funding. The $19 million we have been granted from the government only provides for the terminal construction, and within that funding there are guidelines for what the

monies can be used for. For example, funds cannot be used for any square-footage that provides income, like a rental car office or a food service area. Costs of parking and development of the grounds must be paid for by the airport.

Most of the federal funds are only applicable to the basic terminal structure. That leaves a great deal to be covered by the airport itself.”

Jay no longer has to sit and watch planes take off and land at Barkley Regional. These days he’s in the cockpit. He’s looking at the airport from 10,000 feet. Though his head is often in the clouds, his efforts to build a new regional airport terminal have been grounded in a passionate persistence that’s now paying off . . . and taking off.

Raven & Moth

L O C A L .

S U S T A I N A B L E .

H A N D C R A F T E D .

The quality of Barkley Regional as a community airport probably has a lot to do with the history of the airport as a military training airfield. “It’s anecdotal, but the Paducah area probably has a much larger and more capable airport than other communities our size; particularly in terms of the overall size of the airport and the excellence of the runways,” added Jay. The 6,500-foot runway can accommodate up to a Boeing 757. The second runway, known as a “crosswind runway” is 5,500 feet.

“This means that aircraft can land at Barkley even in challenging weather,” Jay commented. “At smaller airports this would sometimes cause a flight to be cancelled or diverted due to high winds or poor weather. Between the great airfield and having a control tower, Barkley is a popular refueling stop for private airplanes on cross country trips.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 17

by J.T. C RAWFORD

Taking us back. Transporting us

Barkley Regional Airport Celebrates 80 Years of Existence and Presents a Picture of the Future that Expands the Airport’s Transportation and Economic Opportunities

18 • PADUCAH LIFE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 19

HE 1953 NEWSPAPER HEADLINE read “Terminal Rounds Out Airport Picture Here For The First Time.” Even though Barkley Airport had been in existence for over a decade, the completion of a terminal building that spring was the final piece of the puzzle, completing an image of modern air travel and all the possibilities therein.

The new building was contemporary, colorful, and roomy. It was the culmination of a vision that had been in place for many years. Paducah beamed with pride.

Nearly 70 years later, the terminal, while having served its purpose well, is ready to retire. The building, which has been added on to more than once, is landlocked and unable to accommodate any additional expansions. Space has become a premium. The once-roomy passageway from lobby to the departure gate is now nearly full with

20 • PADUCAH LIFE 20 • PAD U CAH L I FE

security screening equipment. Incoming passengers have but a narrow aisle through which to exit.

Administration offices have been inefficiently cobbled onto the original building. And aging HVAC systems, including an oil-fired boiler system for heat, are in need of repair or replacement. The time has come for a new terminal building.

An initial study in 2008 resulted in subsequent

Barkley Regional

From the air, it’s hard to tell that the dashes on the runway centerline are 3 feet wide and 120 feet long.

There are 400+ acres of property that have to be mowed.

There are 85 paved acres at the airport. Including aircraft aprons, taxiways, and runways. There is enough pavement inside the fence to build a two-lane road from the airport to Grand Rivers.

There are over 1,000 different light fixtures on the airfield which are in the process of being converted to LED. The airport’s three-letter designator used to be PUK. In 1970, it was officially changed to PAH. PAD was taken by an airport in Padilla, Italy.

In addition to commercial, corporate, private, and military aircraft, the occasional blimp will stop at the airport.

The main runway (5-23) follows the curvature of the earth so much so that if you were to park an aircraft at opposite ends of the runway, they could not see one another.

Though Barkley is small in size, it is classified as the same type of airport as O’Hare and has to follow all of the same rules and regulations set forth

by FAA. Michael Jordan’s private jet landed at Barkley in 2019 carrying the Charlotte Hornets’ General Manager and Assistant G.M. who came to watch Ja Morant play at Murray State.

On average, Barkley Regional Airport accommodates 30 to 40 flights a day.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 21

research, planning, and work to secure funding, which ultimately led to Barkley Regional breaking ground for a new terminal in November 2020. While the new building will be a focal point, the board and airport administration have set their sights to horizons beyond.

The new terminal building is part of a broad vision to build an airport for the future.

Funding for the $42 million project comes from multiple sources. The FAA will provide $20 million for the terminal building. Additionally, there is additional FAA money through multiple programs for things like dirt work and apron construction. Discretionary funding such as this is applied for annually. Close connections with local elected representatives are invaluable as they act as liaisons and champions for such projects at the federal and state levels when discretionary funding is applied for.

22 • PADUCAH LIFE 22 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Additional grants came through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security) Act, CRRSAA (Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act) and the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act). The state of Kentucky has also provided support.

Any portion not covered by grants will be supplied by the city, county, and planned community donations.

That portion is estimated to be $5 to $6 million when the terminal opens in early 2023.

Federal funds come with strings attached. The FAA is limited, by law, in terms of what can and can’t be funded by grants. Administrtive offices, parking lots, some furnishings, and items like the jet bridge to connect aircraft to the terminal are some of the items not covered.

Additionally, any portions of the terminal project that generate revenue are not funded.

The overall economic impact is divided into three parts. The direct impact is the measure of the jobs and spending at the airport. The indirect impact is the ripple effect of economic activity beyond the airport, but resulting from airport jobs and spending. Induced impact measures economic activity generated by people and businesses benefiting from the indirect amounts.

BARKLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT AIRLINE TRAFFIC HISTORY: 2012-2018 DOT Reported Passenger Traffic Domestic International Total Change

Year

Carries

2012

SkyWest/United Express

37,186

3,245

40,431

0

2013

SkyWest/United Express

35,827

3,050

38,877

-3.8%

2014

SkyWest/United Express

37,461

3,529

40,990

5.4%

2015

SkyWest/United Express

38,967

3,247

42,214

3.0%

2016

SkyWest/United Express

37,861

3,177

41,038

-2.8%

2017

SkyWest/United Express

39,361

2,517

41,878

2.0%

2018

SkyWest/United Express

39,366

2,670

42,036

0.4%

SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND IMPACTS McCracken County Employment

Barkley Regional Airport; CY 2020 Direct Indirect Induced 45.6

43.6

Total Labor Income

$6,032,710

$1,651,556

$1,150,354

$8,834,620

Value Added

$10,398,280

$2,424,062

$1,995,719

$14,818,061

Output

$17,936,212

$5,234,435

$3,594,555

$26,765,202

State & Federal Taxes

Airport Executive Director Dennis Roleau keeps a complex spread sheet that itemizes components of each phase of the project, what is covered by federal dollars, what’s accounted for, and what need remains.

Package One, the first phase of the project, is site development.

One challenge of preparing the site is that the new terminal building will be located on an area of the airport that has had no previous development. Utilities must be run to the site and road access must be constructed, both

Total

200.9

11 Surrounding Counties

290.1

$3,004,783 Direct

Indirect

Induced

Total

Employment

0

2.59

2.33

4.92

Total Labor Income

$0

$127,090

$74,252

$201,342

Value Added

$0

$194,010

$160,105

$354,115

Output

$0

$439,819

$294,900

$734,719

State & Federal Taxes

$105,822

Region Total

Direct

Indirect

Induced

Total

Employment

200.9

48.19

45.93

295.02

Total Labor Income

$6,032,710

$1,778,646

$1,224,606

$9,035,962

Value Added

$10,398,280

$2,618,072

$2,155,824

$15,172,176

Output

$17,936,212

$5,674,254

$3,889,45

$27,499,921

State & Federal Taxes Region Total All Impacts

$3,110,605 $34,367,202

$10,070,972

$7,269,885

$54,818,664

of which are not fully covered by FAA funds. Additionally, the airport seeks to build an infrastructure on that portion of the property that will support expansion. “We’re building a terminal and airport for the future of this region,” says Dennis. “We are making room to encourage future commercial and idustrial development on and around the airport.”

Subsequent packages (two through four) focus on building up the infrastructure for the airside of the project and then the public side of the terminal as well as the construction of the terminal itself. Finally, the

24 • PADUCAH LIFE

project is wrapped up with things like furnishings, security, landscaping, etc. The new terminal will have all the amenities travelers have come to expect while reflecting the unique aspects of the city and region.

“The terminal building is just the first step of the airport working to support regional growth,” adds Dennis. “The ultimate goal is to be an economic multiplier and help us all realize our full potential.”

Future plans include continued work with Greater Paducah Economic Development to ensure the airport is an asset to growth.

Paducah Mayor “Stting te wk n te new ipt teminl pjet is pt f  lng-tem em tt te Bkle reginl B begn sme es g. I ws ftnte t jin tes t tt time s ci f te B t begin tis pess tt we’e nw seeing me t fitin. It is extemel gtifing t me, nw s P’s m, t see te pjet begin t tke spe. It is ve exiting f  mmnit t envisin te mn psitive effets tt tis new teminl will elp t initite, nt nl in tems f te ipt’s bsi pvisin f i sevies, bt ls t te lge pptnities f enmi evelpment.”

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THE LONG HAUL Richard Roof Reflects on 45 Years of Leading Barkley Regional Airport into the Jet Age

by J.T. C RAWFORD

N AN EARLY FALL DAY IN 2019, Richard Roof walked out of the terminal at Barkley Regional Airport. It was part of the same routine he’d had day in and day out for 45 years. But for the first time in all those decades, he was no longer airport manager. Even though the role had partly defined who he was to the community, and he’d spent a considerable amount of his life dedicated to Barkley’s success, it didn’t define his relationship to the airport.

That begins and ends with a love for aviation.

“It all started in ’57,” says Richard, “so it’s more like 64 years. My father, who was a dentist here in town, was always interested in aviation. We would occasionally go out to the airport and take a plane

Photo courtesy PADUCAH SUN

ride. I was all of five years old when he took me to the Barkley dedication. And I was there for the John F. Kennedy stop in ’60. When I was coming up on age 13, he thought it would be educational if I learned more about airplanes. My first flying lesson was June 6, 1957.”

Richard continued to take lessons, progressing quickly through the phases. He achieved his private pilot’s license at the age of 17 and his commercial license at 18. Richard worked as a charter and small aircraft pilot while a student at the University of Kentucky. “The operator I worked for had a mail contract,” says Richard, “so like Lindbergh, I got to fly mail at night. Those were interesting times.” After graduating from UK, Richard came back to Paducah and took the role of Chief Pilot and Director of Operations at Ohio Valley Aviation until 1974 when he took the manager position at Barkley.

At that time, there were Delta flights to hubs in Chicago and New Orleans. There was also a list of regional stops, ten flights a day via Ozark. “They were a local service carrier,” says Richard. “They couldn’t do nonstop service hub to hub. They were serving small communities.”

The thought of that many flights a day in and out of Paducah is now a distant memory. Richard had only been with Barkley a few years before one of the biggest changes in U.S. aviation came along. “It was

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 27

Richard Roof’s legacy and leadership will forever be associated with the history of Barkley Regional Airport. The entrance road to the airport terminal bears his name in honor of his long-standing dedication to the community’s municipal airport.

RichardROOF the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978,” he says. “The Civil Aeronautics Board disappeared, and there was no control over fares or route structures. It was kind of the wild west for a while.”

Some local service continued for a while, but it gradually waned. The interstate system was continuing to develop, making local routes more feasible by vehicle.

Additionally, aircraft continued to change, and airlines experimented, figuring out what planes best served different purposes. The changes in business and loss of flights were offset by the government’s Essential Air Service program, which subsidized small airports, allowing them to maintain commercial air service.

Barkley Regional Airport remains a part of the program.

Richard put his intuition and vast knowledge to work, responding to the industry changes and working to maintain quality passenger service to the people of Paducah. “It is absolutely critical for our city,” he says.

“All you need to do is be out there for QuiltWeek. You see people coming in from China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. And most of them can reach Paducah with one connection. So then the same is true for anyone who wants to fly out of Paducah. You can get anywhere. Then there’s the economic impact. Supplemental services and businesses are complimenting the air service. The last numbers I

“

airline industry, growing Barkley Regional Airport into the future. “I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible,” he says. “And I was able to get a police department started for the airport. I always saw it as a little city out there. I built the operations of the airport in terms of maintenance and snow.” And Richard was never afraid to jump in wherever he was needed. He was fire department qualified, worked with the police department, and could often be found in the wintertime working what he calls the snowplow tours. “I could do 24 hours without even blinking,” he laughs. “36 hours hurt. 48 hurt a lot.”

He’s even been spotted on a lawn mower.

In addition to managing daily operations, Richard witnessed some big moments throughout his career. “The Bill Clinton stop was something else,” he says. “That was election eve, and the Secret Service was beat into the ground. It was an inside-the-fence arrangement. A lady had a heart attack and didn’t even hit the ground. There was no room to even fall. When Clinton left the stage, the crowd surged along. Rosalynn Carter came through as did Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.”

One of the biggest moments was the visit of thenPresident George W. Bush in Air Force One. “It went smooth, but it was a lot of work. There was the coordination of Secret Service with multiple law enforcement agencies. And things could change fast. I always preferred it when events happened in town. The airplane stops, the

It is absolutely critical for our city.

Most anyone can f ly in or out to Paducah with just one connection.” saw showed an economic impact of nearly $30 million.

And we haven’t even talked about the things like flight instruction and corporate operations. That’s substantial.

It’s all about access. Think about being a company here and not having air service. Your customers would have to fly in somewhere and then drive a good way to get to you.

That’s a problem for economic development.”

Richard guided the airport through the changes in the

28 • PADUCAH LIFE

limousine pulls up, takes the person off into town, and we wait until they come back and wave goodbye.

That’s how it was with Rosalynn and Hillary. When Bush was here, that was a showstopper.”

Richard reflects on a career that was both reactive and proactive.

“Looking back, there were so many improvements on the airfield,” he says. “We were able to lengthen the crosswind runway, and now even SkyWest can use it. We put in instrument landing systems, and the control tower was totally redone.

We kept up with the terminal building and made changes and did the best we could with that.

There was an expansion of the fire station airport facilities and the addition of the police department, which you never see at an airport our size. I consider myself really lucky. Barkley was a sweet spot job.

We had everything a large airport has, but it was small enough that I could be hands-on with all of it.”

And Richard never forgot where his love of flying came from. “Dad never really had the time to really do it,” says Richard. “And he knew everything about it. I remember grabbing him one afternoon, and we jumped into a two-seater. I told him we were just going to do some circuits—take-offs and landings, take-offs and landings. I told him just to follow me through to see what I do and when I do it. On about the fifth circuit, I told him it was his airplane. And he did it.

Talk about being a happy guy.”

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NEW AIRPORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEES A LOT ON THE HORIZON

by J.T. C RAWFORD

Barkley Regional Executive Director

DENNIS ROULEAU

CCASIONALLY, BARKLEY REGIONAL Airport Executive Director Dennis Rouleau likes to get out of the office and head up to the catwalk on the airport’s control tower. There, he takes a moment, leans on the railing, and looks out over the southwest quadrant of the property. It’s the best vantage point for watching the progress of the new terminal’s construction. Laid out before him is a panoramic view of the unfolding project. “I wish I could come out here more often to see it,” he says.

30 • PADUCAH LIFE

Dennis has been working in aviation for the majority of his career, and these are the moments of history that energize him.

His love for aviation began unconventionally—with a fear of heights. “I had a phobia,” he says, remembering his childhood days in New Hampshire. “Early on, I wanted to break that and do things to try and get over it. One day when I was a kid, a sea plane was coming around, and you could take rides. I asked my dad to take me. That was a pivotal moment in my life.”

That ride fueled a lifelong fascination with aviation. “I then wanted to be a pilot,” says Dennis. “In high school, I was the first to get an internship with the Air National Guard. They would put me in a uniform, and I would do things like flight planning, flight simulators, and pack a parachute. I got my pilot’s license at 18 and then went to

“

Daniel Webster College to study Aviation Management.

It wasn’t feasible to pursue flying lessons and an education at the same time, so I decided to get my degree.”

After an internship and jobs as a flight dispatcher in Vermont and Assistant Airport Manager in Florida, Dennis took a job as an Assistant Airport Manager at a private airport in Chicago. “They were becoming public,” says Dennis, “and I was to start a new maintenance and operations department. Right off, I was given a million dollars to get that going to buy my own equipment and hire people.” The result was the major transformation of the facility from Palwaukee Airport into Chicago Executive Airport where Dennis would become manager and spend 24 years.

From there, he spent some time in the private sector, helping a startup drone company and an electronics

aerospace company. Then came the opportunity at Barkley Regional Airport. “This attracted me because I see a lot of potential,” says Dennis. “This is what I do.

I make things happen, and I enjoy a challenge. I don’t want to go into an airport where everything is great and running like clockwork. I want to take an airport to that place, however. I want that challenge of transformation.”

His work at Chicago Executive Airport has proven to be a lasting legacy, and Dennis says he is ready to do something like that again.

“Kentucky is a logistics state,” adds Dennis. “We have the rivers, rail, and the interstate. So I see a lot of cargo opportunities here. And then of course there’s the new terminal.

That doesn’t happen often. This is a pivotal moment. When corporations are looking for locations, they are looking at transportation, and an airport is important. With it, you have access to the world. And this is the first impression for people coming in.”

When it comes to commercial passenger flights, Dennis believes in being proactive when working to meet the needs of the community and region. “I have engaged with a new engineering company who, as part of their portfolio, has an air service development group. We’re now looking at what is possible when it comes to where the market needs to be served. I want to look at the data and see where everyone is going. How can we add or modify service instead of just being content? I need the data to support what we are doing or what we need to do.

Then we can come up with a game plan that works and sustains itself.”

Dennis says what’s in the works now is only just the beginning and that the potential is limitless. “You have to have a vision and a place to go to,” he says. “My vision is for this to be much more than it is today. The airport can be an economic multiplier and help bring jobs to the area and be part of the West Kentucky triangle. There’s so much potential here that is untapped, and we are dealing with so many opportunities. It’s exciting. It is possible to see big things happening here. We need more people to see the vision of what it can be. I see us playing a big role in this region.”

My vision is for this to be much more than it is today.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 31

BARKLEY BLUE SKY ALLIANCE

by DARLENE M AZZONE

Airport’s non-profit organization will support funding of terminal project as well as on-going operations NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, BARKLEY REGIONAL RECEIVED A ONE-TIME INFUSION of funds to be used for marketing of the facility. The Barkley Regional Airport Advocates was established, and local business owner Mike Stone became part of the board that created the 501(c)3. The group supervised the allocation of funds until the money was depleted. “I stayed on to make sure we didn’t lose the non-profit charter,” said Mike, who is now the chairman of the new Barkley Blue Sky Alliance (BBSA) board. “I knew there might come a time when the airport would need such an entity, and I remained the only board member until about six months ago when we reorganized.”

Now the organization has a new name, a new mission, and a full slate of new board members. “We are utilizing a number of people from the actual airport board at present,” Mike added, “but we hope to find several other interested citizens to join the board as we move forward.”

Barkley Regional provided approximately $70,000 for the BBSA to begin its work of support for the airport’s terminal project and for future financial support of Barkley Regional. “We used a good portion of the funds to employ CCS,” Mike explains. CCS is a national fundraising company that’s just recently completed a feasibility study for BBSA to gauge the ability to raise the group’s goal of $5.5 million.

“We were pleased that 42% of those polled were positive and enthusiastic about the project and 39% believed that there was a good chance that we could reach our campaign goal,” Mike commented. The consultant determined that $3.5 million was a realistic goal at the present time.

Federal and state monies will fund the terminal facility, according to Mike. “But those funds will not support things like parking lots, landscaping, and other subsidiary elements of the overall project. That’s where the community campaign can be of assistance.” The funds raised would also be earmarked for future operational support of the airport. “We are well aware that in order to get another carrier or new flight options at Barkley Regional for example, the airport will need incentives to achieve these goals. The campaign funds will also help to provide that much needed future support.”

The group hopes in the next several months to determine how to best utilize the services of the consultant and to work towards securing a campaign chair to take on the fundraising process. “I fully expect us to make those decisions very soon,” Mike added.

“I am very excited about the potential of the terminal project,” Mike commented. “This is a bold new step for our community in terms of our ability to provide high quality air services as well as a beautiful point of entry to our region.”

32 • PADUCAH LIFE

The federal Airport Improvement Program provides grants to public agencies for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. For airports like Barkley Regional with over 10,000 passengers or more, this program provides a minimum of $1 million per year for projects or equipment that are FAA-eligible like pavement repairs, wildlife control, fire equipment, etc.

For small airports like Barkley Regional, this program often covers a range of 90-95 percent of eligible improvement costs, based on statutory requirements.

There is a small match required for the projects, which comes from the airport’s general funds. Typical improvements at Barkley Regional have included such things as drainage, fencing, runway maintenance, lighting upgrades to directional signage, etc.

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34 • PAD U CAH L I FE

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

by DARLENE M AZZONE

Board Chair Jay Matheny Seeks Quantifiable Data from a New Study to Inform the “Direction” of Barkley Regional Airport’s Future Development

“

HERE IS A LINEAR EQUATION WHEN IT COMES TO AIRPORT SUCCESS,” SAYS Jay Matheny, Chair of the Barkley Regional Airport Board. “The more flights you have, the larger aircraft you can secure, the more passengers you can serve, the more you can do for the community at large—and the more impact you can have on the many economic facets that are connected to the airport as a hub of activity. ” Jay believes this is an exciting time for the airport and the community. “With construction underway for a new terminal,” explained Jay, “this is an opportune time for us to evaluate the primary commodity that we offer, which, of course, is air service. While we are grateful for our current air service offerings (which provide connectivity to any number of destinations worldwide), we have received significant feedback from our customers who have expressed a desire for the expansion of air service at Barkley Regional. Travelers from our region have consistently voiced a desire for expanded air service that is reliable, affordable, and multidirectional. These aspirations are well-founded and are duly noted. However, for an airport like ours, expansion of air service is a complicated and multi-faceted issue. This is precisely why we have tasked our consultants with trying to formulate what air service expansion could look like for Barkley Regional Airport and, most importantly, how it could be implemented in a financially feasible manner. In short, we are excited to see what the future holds for air service development at Barkley Regional, and we believe that our new terminal project can serve as a catalyst for not only air service development but also economic development for our entire region.”

Assessing those possibilities is the job of Harrison Earl, a project manager with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly, a consultant seeking to study the prospects of adding flight services to the Barkley Regional menu.

“We’re on the cusp of trying to figure out what that puzzle looks like,” said Jay, of the forecast for future flight plans for Barkley Regional.. “We know that prospective flyers would like to see additional options. That’s why we’re looking at the data to see where people are going, where they want to go, and how we can perhaps make the changes our customers desire.”

That formula is complicated and involves contract arrangements with potential carriers as well as funding restrictions and FAA rules— all of which can dictate how airports effectively operate. And Jay is honest in his assessment of the difficulties.

“This isn’t an easy industry,” he commented. “There are so many factors that come into play in any airport’s operations. It’s truly a puzzle whereby we have to fit all the pieces into their appropriate place.”

The Barkley Regional board expects to have the results from the data study in the next few months. “That information should be extremely helpful for us to see more clearly where we stand in terms of our current usage. That will certainly inform what we can do and where we can literally go in the future.”

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MEGG Megg Riley turned her need to stay busy and her comfy Rothy’s shoes into a viral on-line sensation H by Amy Sullivan

M

EGG RILEY CAN’T SIT STILL. WHETHER AT WORK full-time as the Director of Project Management at CSI, at home being a wife and mother to her ten-year-old son, or running her one-woman-shoe-embellishment-business, Megg, her head, her feet, but mostly, her fingers, are constantly on the move. She’s creative and crafty and has crocheted and created all sorts of fiber art throughout most of her life.

But she never dreamed that sewing and shoes would become a part of her livelihood.

It was in 2017 that Megg discovered something that changed her life and ultimately led to the formation of MeggMade designs. At that time, she was traveling internationally for her job, facilitating trainings and on her feet for countless hours at a time. She needed good shoes. The CFO of her company suggested the Rothy’s brand. They looked interesting but seemed pretty pricey.

Megg eventually decided it was important to invest in her feet and purchased her first pair of Rothy’s. “They were soft, comfortable, and they never got smelly or dirty,” she stated.

“They were worth the price. I quickly became addicted. Wearability was huge for me, and some of my oldest pairs of Rothy’s are now four years old and still like new.”

Megg started joining online Rothy’s groups on Facebook and quickly discovered they were more than just forums to talk about shoes. She formed a sisterhood through those connections, and she considers those online connections some of her closest friends, even though she has never met them in person. “We feed each other’s addictions, and every time a new pair of shoes comes out, we must buy them!” Megg admits. “My collection is embarrassing.”

Not long after joining groups like Rothy’s Addicts, she noticed that people were starting to customize their footwear–not a new concept, but one that she felt should employ more

AUGUS T / S E P T E MBER 2021 • 37

Made by MEGG artistic materials than the permanent markers often used to customize $150 pairs of Vans or Converse sneakers.

MeggMade designs are handstitched designs customized onto Rothy’s shoes with threads typically made of polyester, cotton, or a blend.

“I wondered if I could stitch some gold thread into a pair of my yellow shoes to make a goldenrod-type effect, since sparkle is all the rage. So, I sat down with a needle and sewing machine thread and started weaving the thread through the shoe. After a month of doing my pair of shoes, experiencing poked fingers, blood, tears, and lots of frustration, I did it!

I thought it was cool, and I shared my shoes in my Facebook groups.

Everyone loved the metallic shoes.”

One woman asked Megg if she would add some sparkle to her loafers if she sent them to her, and Megg agreed.

Afterwards, the satisfied customer shared that pair on Facebook as well, and it snowballed from there.

Now, Megg’s work is so popular, her queue is full through the end of 2021 with over 250 pairs of shoes waiting to be designed!

38 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Since she’s a one-woman shoe show, it can take up to seven days to complete one customized pair of shoes. A heel-to-toe design usually takes about five days, if Megg works on them for about 20 hours a week.

She also does captoe designs on just the front part of the toe, which take only about four hours.

Although Megg has created a few designs using beads, sequins, and charms, she has learned she’s best suited for thread. “I tried embroidery with hearts and flowers, but I’m not very good at that. Thread design has become very meditative for me; it helps me relax and calm my brain after working all day. If I do it too long, I’ll even fall asleep. Adding components or accessories makes it more stressful.”

Even with the wait, people keep coming for more. “My favorite part

is the customers’ excitement when they get their shoes and post photos in Facebook groups,” she said.

“They’re so happy and sometimes ask for two more pairs.”

Here’s how it works: customers provide the shoes, and Megg works with them to customize their shoes to their liking. Sometimes the shoes are pre-owned, but most often they are purchased new and shipped directly to Megg from Rothy’s.

Clients can place orders of up to four pairs of shoes to be designed.

For the most part, they are unique creations. Someone might provide a black shoe, ask for a plaid stitching using certain colors, and Megg comes up with the design. Once, a customer asked for a Celtic design that led to Megg’s new “S” weave stitch with a beautiful lace-looking ribbon across the toe. Someone even sent her a pair of earrings with a geometric design that Megg

mimicked.

Megg never considered herself a designer nor an artist.

“I just weave thread through the shoe in basically straight lines and somehow it turns out awesome patterns and visual effects.

It almost changes the color of the shoe, depending on what thread I choose. Metallic thread gives a different look altogether from standard thread.”

Megg admits she would love to teach others how to design the footwear locally so they could help her. She has thought about opening a shop or a franchise and employing others to help her do the work. Although she doesn’t see demand going away anytime soon, she doesn’t know that she can generate a full-time business. To help with backorders, she has created an online tutorial on how to design Rothy’s, which she started during the pandemic in June 2020. To date, more than 300 people have signed up for that class. At only $90, it’s a bargain compared to the price of purchasing, shipping, and designing the shoes. Plus, you don’t have to wait!

Megg is excited about the future of MeggMade. “I was just doing something to keep my fingers busy, and the next thing I know, I have people begging for them. It’s a lot of fun.”

See more about MeggMade at MeggMade.com.

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Opening Doors of Ines Rivas-Hutchins has BUILT a thriving construction company in a world normally built by men

I

NES RIVAS-HUTCHINS ARRIVED IN PADUCAH WITH A strong desire, a strong construction background, and a strong accent!

“In those first days when I arrived in western Kentucky from Florida bearing my Venezuelan accent, I wasn’t sure I could make it work,” said Ines. But make it work she most certainly has.

40 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Ines came to the United States with a background in architecture. She intended that to be her career path. But her interest in buildings morphed into an interest in building, and construction became her American passion.

Paducah became her home.

Ines Rivas-Hutchins is president and owner of INTEC Group, LLC. “I began working for a home builder in South Florida. He built about 30 homes a year, providing me with a great base for understanding the construction business,” Ines explained. From there a ladder emerged, offering Ines a better opportunity with each rung. She climbed from residential to commercial to high-end homes.

Then came the Great Recession of 2008. “Finding a job in Florida was tough at that time,” added Ines. While seeking different opportunities, a headhunter sent Ines a job posted in Paducah. She had been looking at the Nashville area already, so she decided to go for it.

Hospitals, schools, and government were still getting funding and doing okay despite the

housing recession. Ines was particularly interested in govlike him and that team of mentors who created opportuniernment construction. She applied for a job at Vanguard ties for me to succeed.”

Contractors, Inc., in Paducah, and soon was on her way Most importantly, Ines learned early on that she didn’t from Jupiter, Florida to the rolling hills of West Kentucky. need to know everything if she had the right people workThen a single mother, Ines packed up her three-year-old son ing for her and with her. “I realized that my colleagues reand dog and headed north to her new life. spected me for my strengths; the things I did well. As long In 2014, Ines left Vanguard to establish INTEC Group, as you know what you’re good at and don’t pretend you LLC, a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), and SBA know everything, and you have the right people to ask the 8(a) certified Hubzone firm in the State of Kentucky. INright questions–that’s when people respect you in the busiTEC Group has a successful history of providing products ness,” Ines believes. and services Ines is a member to the federal and secretary of the government, board of directors “I consider myself very lucky to including the of the Women have had the opportunity to not U.S. DepartConstruction only start my own company, but ment of the Owners & Execto assemble a great group of Army and the utives (WCOE), fantastic people to start INTEC United States a national group Group with me.” -Ines Rivas-Hutchins Army Corps based out of Washof Engineers ington, DC, which exists among others. to create opportunities for, Ines manages the design and construction of government, influence legislation about, and support women-owned commercial, and residential projects. As President, Ines is construction companies. “WCOE really caught my attenresponsible for the overall operations of INTEC, as well as tion and made me want to be a part of it because you have directing the company’s strategy for growth and expansion. representation in Washington, and you can really be in the INTEC grew nearly $12 million in its first year and is set thick of things and make a difference,” said Ines. to hit $25 million in sales for 2021. The company has grown “Most of my mentors have been men, and that’s not a exponentially in the last three of its six-years’ existence. bad thing,” Ines reiterated. “But I think sometimes we “The first two years we were in line with our forecast, then would do a better service to women if we had women we had a big jump in 2018, and last year we had an even mentors in this industry. Women who already have started bigger jump. Just last week INTEC signed its biggest single businesses can call another businesswoman and say, ‘I need contract for the renovation of the Volar Barracks at Ft. help, what is your advice, and have you been through this Campbell, a $10 million project,” Ines said. situation?’

“I have great people on my team,” Ines commented. “I “In our community, I would love to create an environconsider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to ment of successful women helping other women succeed. not only start my own company, but to assemble a great I don’t see a lot of women getting into construction, group of fantastic people to start INTEC Group with me. and we’re currently in the midst of a workforce shortage Luck comes in many ways. For me it has been being at the throughout the industry. Women are empathetic, team right place at the right time with the right people and sayplayers, and problem solvers. There are reports that have ing yes to the opportunities that have come my way.” found construction companies with more executive women Ines credits mentors like Palm Beach developer Rob experienced above-average financial performance. I got into Miller, Vanguard’s Craig Guess, and her former GCCS boss, this through life, through opportunities. There is a possibilD. R. Sams, with her success. During an hour-long interity and a path here that’s really lucrative. I see a great future view that revealed her knowledge of the industry, Sams told ahead.” her she needed her own business. Ines later realized he had Ines is a member of the Sprocket Board of Directors, empowered her to consider ownership. Sams remains a dear the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Board, and friend and counsel. “We still go through financials together, the Tennessee Riverline Leadership Team for Paducahand he still teaches me. When I started, it was having people McCracken County.

AUGUS T / S E P T E MBER 2021 • 41

Take a Stroll (and a Drink) Through Paducah’s

Bourbon History

W

H by J.T. Crawford

Photo by Stephanie Watson

WHEN RICHARD AND EMILY PARKER LIVED IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY, THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE of their locale to learn more about the history of the area. That included exploration of the Bourbon Trail. The pair grabbed a couple of trail passports and endeavored to visit enough sites to get a completion stamp. “What struck me was the history,” says Richard. “There’s the bourbon, of course, but I enjoyed the story of the people who started distilling and the history of their buildings. It brings the story of early Kentuckians to life through our native spirit.”

While taking some of the tours, Richard began to see historical ties to Paducah. “I’d see a lot of the old whiskey jugs, and I saw one in Louisville that had Paducah on it,” says Richard. “That piqued my interest.”

Later, the couple moved back to the Paducah area, and while researching a story on Buckskin Bill’s Wild West Show, a west Kentucky traveling show from around the turn of the 20th Century, Richard discovered a definitive bourbon connection to the area. “One of the brothers who helped finance the show ran a distillery here,” adds Richard.

He wondered if Paducah had more ties to bourbon history and, in his research, discovered that in addition to that early distillery, there were rectifiers, wholesalers, and distillery owners based in Paducah. And they were connected to some pretty big brand names, some of which still exist. And, like his education on the Bourbon Trail, Richard uncovered the history of an area and its people through bourbon.

“Slowly, I started piecing the puzzle together,” says Richard, “and started to connect the dots to discover this quality, Kentucky history. And I thought about all the tours we’ve done before, from New Orleans to Ireland to London where we did a Jack the Ripper tour. I talked to Emily, and we thought others might be interested as well.”

The couple founded Atomic City Tours and now offers a guided walking tour in downtown Paducah highlighting Paducah’s contributions to bourbon. After the tour, a flight of bourbon featuring the brands mentioned on the tour can be purchased at Barrel & Bond. And thanks to downtown’s new Entertainment Destination Center designation, you can enjoy a bourbon drink while learning about this aspect of our city’s history from Richard and Emily.

For more information, to purchase tickets, and inquire about private tours, visit atomiccitytoursky.com.

42 • PAD U CAH L I FE

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44 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Jennifer Gough and Amy Clevidence

Building Brands, Telling Stories Amy Clevidence draws on her personal story of strength and resilience to bring those same strategies to the clients she serves at Socially Present

H by Amy Sullivan

O

N MARCH 30, 2020, JUST AS THE NATION WAS SHUTTING down and bracing itself for an emerging global pandemic, Amy Clevidence assumed her role as President of Socially Present, a local marketing firm. In the midst of a world turned upside town, Amy turned her own world around a bit by taking the reins of a formerly male-managed organization.

“I actually consider myself the least likely person to become president of a company,” Amy commented. But within two years of joining Socially Present in 2018 as the Director of Communications, Amy achieved quick milestones, being promoted to Partner and Vice President of Operations in 2019, then to President in 2020. Her journey has humble beginnings. She grew up in poverty, a first-generation college student in her family, with limited guidance except the expectation to get A’s in school. She was a quiet child who didn’t want to be noticed. When she graduated from high school, clinging to a way out of her circumstances, she started

college. But she was lonely and scared, quickly finding herself a single teenage mother at age 19. On top of that, her child was autistic.

“I was determined not to be a statistic,” Amy confided. She finished her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, working full-time along the way to support herself and her son.

Using her knack for math, she became a bookkeeper, learned taxes, and discovered the world of business and how it operates. This spurred her into finance

AUGUS T / S E P T E MBER 2021 • 45

AmyCLEVIDENCE management, and she went to work for a local architect.

Constantly seeking to absorb knowledge and learn from her experiences, she shifted swiftly to the field of information technology, and that’s where her true spark flamed. As she began learning how businesses are transformed with technology, she began to see a future for herself. Shortly thereafter, Amy’s passion for marketing was born.

While employed at a local company reselling software made in New Zealand, Amy became involved in global marketing for the company, earning a role as Global Marketing Operations Manager. As she became more aware of Socially Present’s philosophy in terms of their clients, she began to consider a more local environment for her experience.

“

Doors will open, and you have to have the gumption to keep walking through them. It’s ok to feel fear. If you’re not afraid, then you aren’t being challenged.” - Amy ClevidenCe “In late 2017, I was looking to make a career change. I had long looked up to Jonas as a talented marketer and business leader. I requested a meeting with him to chat. We met, and a week later, he called and said, ‘Why don’t you come here?’ I learned the business, all the while encouraged to put my talent to work, change processes, and streamline operations. It could not have been easy for Jonas to let loose of the reins of the business he’d spent so many years building. But as I built up my confidence, Jonas built his way on to opportunities.”

Jonas remains involved in the company as an owner and member of the executive leadership team. Amy assumed her role as President at the same time Socially Present Partner Jennifer Gough was promoted to Vice President of the company. Jennifer joined the group in 2015 as a Project Manager after relocating to Paducah from Dallas, Texas. She was promoted to Partner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 2019.

Jennifer oversees the sales side while Amy is over production and operations. Whereas Amy is very methodical and

46 • PAD U CAH L I FE

analytical, Jennifer is the polar opposite.“She’s extremely energetic, positive, and upbeat. When clients enter, she has instant passion for wanting to help them. She channels her collegiate cheerleading experience and never fails to find something exciting about each client she meets,” Amy added.

Building Brands,Telling Stories is Socially Present’s motto.

The marketing firm’s employees pride themselves on their roles as digital storytellers. The company offers marketing consulting, brand design, graphic and print design, web design, search engine optimization, and social media and digital marketing campaigns.

With approximately 400 clients, both locally and around the country, Socially Present looks for creative ways to tell each unique business’s story.“So many people struggle to tell their own stories,” Amy said.“Most people are humble and don’t want to brag. We help people build their brands and remain humble and effective as a communication tool.”

Amy stresses that no matter which client they are serving and for what purpose, the fundamentals of marketing don’t change. The way you connect with people, earn their trust, and sit down with them to hear their story and encourage communication and conversation is all the same.“Folks tend to get too caught up in the latest technology and forget the fundamentals,” Amy remarked.

“You can use innovative tools to help elevate what you are doing, but the strategy is always the same. Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. Know what you do and what the benefit is; know your market.”

Socially Present is primarily female-led, and that’s something Amy is happy to be a part of. To aspiring women professionals, Amy offers the following advice: “Work, work, work! Don’t let anyone tell you no. We’ve come a long way.

I’m 44 now, but I started my journey at 19 and made my way through business in my early 20s. It’s really easy to say, ‘I am woman, hear me roar.’ I believe a woman can do anything, but you have to be careful how you deploy your approach. We are still people dealing with people. You can really isolate yourself if you don’t adapt to the situations you find yourself in and resolve to work through it. Doors will open, and you have to have the gumption to keep walking through them. It’s ok to feel fear. If you’re not afraid, then you aren’t being challenged. You become complacent when you stop moving forward.”

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W W!

Four Students and One Teacher Look Back on a LIFE of Learning

I

★

by DARLENE M AZZONE

N 2008 PADUCAH BANK CELEBRATED the Teacher of the Year at Lone Oak Elementary.

On the cover of the bank’s WOW! Magazine, the bank featured Darlene Cook, a Walmart Teacher of the Year. She was photographed with four of her kindergarten students. From left were Shelby Puryear, Ben Higdon, Morgan Guess and Laura Walker.

Darlene Cook had no idea who nominated her for the award that year. She was told later that the nominator referred to constant activity in her classroom and noted that every day “seemed like a fun learning day.”

Perhaps it was Cook’s Word Wall Cheers used for spelling—such as the Mexican hat dance, where students alternated feet stomping and hand clapping while saying each letter of the word—that enticed the nominator to mention activity and fun in the same sentence.

Or perhaps it was cooking in the classroom, where students made things such as ladybug snacks with vanilla wafers, red icing, and brown M&Ms. Whatever the motivation, they were spot on. Darlene Cook continued her quest for academic excellence, while having fun, for another seven years after that photo was taken. But she’s been following the success of these four students, and scores of others, since that day in 2008 when four kindergarteners spent each school day learning at the hands of “Mrs. Cook.”

“I’ve tried to keep track of many of my students through the years,” said Darlene. “Facebook has helped with that. Parents and kids post what’s going on in their

48 • PADUCAH LIFE

lives, and I’ve been able to follow along in many instances and even be present for some of the things they’re doing.”

That has meant attending everything from baseball games and performances to honors events and high school celebrations. “So many of my students have had such amazing academic careers. And these four have certainly

Images by GLENN HALL PHOTOGRAPHY

achieved so much in their elementary and high school years,” she added. “It’s been a joy to watch them come into their own and now to head off to college in many directions.”

Darlene said that one of the most important goals for her kindergarten students was to garner a love of learning.

“I’d say these students learned that lesson well!”

The 2008 WOW! Magazine cover featured Lone Oak teacher Darlene Cook with kindergarten students, from left, Shelby Puryear, Ben Higdon, Morgan Guess, and Laura Walker.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 49

C’MON BACK!

We’ve missed you!

Morgan Guess “She was so gentle and kind,” said Morgan Guess of Mrs. Cook. “I remember feeling free to express myself and my creativity, which has truly helped me become the student and the person I am today. I think Mrs. Cook helped us to understand that how you treat people will open more possibilities than just mere intelligence. She just created an environment that sparked our curiosity for learning. That undoubtedly made me seek out more challenging courses as I made my way to high school and now beyond.”

Kindergarten is often the place where silly adults ask you what you want to be when you grow up. Such was the case for Morgan. “I think I wanted to be a doctor or maybe a dog walker,” she laughs. Yes, the options are endless when you’re five years old. Morgan found her passion a bit later when she encountered a bully in third grade and ultimately, over her elementary and high school career, changed the way Kentucky defines and treats bullying in state schools. Along the way she also earned a National Jefferson Award, the Prudential Spirit of Community Top Ten Youth Volunteer designation, and a Zonta Women in Public Affairs International Award.

Morgan will be attending Duke University and plans to major in public policy and Mandarin with the goal of going pre-law to become an international diplomat.

Ben Higdon It’s great to get together again! So let’s have some food and beer and fun this fall!

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Naturally Ben Higdon called from the baseball field to give us his comments. That’s where he has spent the most part of his young life. “I guess I’ve been playing baseball since I was about three,” Ben recalled. “I kind of got eaten up with it, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

One of the things Ben remembers best about his first school year on his way to his storied baseball career was the easy way Mrs. Cook softened the transition from home to school. “I remember she just seemed like our mom away from mom,” Ben commented. “She was really great. In our first year away from home she made it easy and smooth to move into that world.”

The world of high school proved to be a bit more challenging. “Playing baseball at MCHS taught me that hard work and dedication gets the job done,” Ben explained.

“MCHS isn’t an easy place to play sports. There are so many good players in front of you.” But Ben put in the work and is reaping the results.

Ben Higdon will be attending the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State) on a baseball scholarship. He was named the Region I Player of the Year in 2021 and was also named to the 2021 All State team. Ben plans to major in business. “My goal for the next four years is to soak up as much as I can from baseball and the classroom so I can better myself as an all around student athlete.”

W W! Shelby Puryear “I remember Mrs. Cook as being a very kind teacher,” said Shelby Puryear. “I loved the weekly science experiments we got to do. One of our parents would come in and show us something new and I think most of them were very colorful which I remember really liking!”

One of the things Shelby “really likes” right about now involves a tennis court and a commitment to a more just world. Shelby has been a part of two McCracken County High School tennis teams that took first place at the state tournament. She was the 2021 Regional Singles champion and she and her doubles partner, Danni Poat, were the runners up at the state tournament in 2017.

Shelby will attend Indiana Tech on a tennis and academic scholarship and plans to major in criminal justice and psychology. “I want to learn as much as I can about how people work so that I can hopefully help as many people as possible,” said the 2021 MCHS valedictorian. “I’d like to work with the FBI as a profiler.”

Back in kindergarten, Shelby worked with Ben Higdon to master the art of dance!

“One of the funniest memories of kindergarten was trying to learn an ‘elegant’ dance partnered with Ben. That was pretty interesting for a couple of five-year-olds!”

Laura Walker If you look at the 2008 cover photo and make the observation that Laura Walker was “playing to the audience,” you’d be right. “At that moment it was famous in my family that I wanted to be a ‘vetress,’” said Laura. That was a cross between an actress and a veterinarian.

Apparently, the performer got the starring role.

Laura will attend Belmont University this fall to pursue a degree in music theater. She’s been active in those pursuits throughout her young years and into high school. Laura was the captain of the MCHS Dance Team, a group that captured a third place win at a national competition. She was also a National Youth Correspondent at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in 2019.

“My life since kindergarten is very much what I thought it might be,” added Laura, “with the exception that I’ve encountered so many wonderful people along the way who have inspired me. Back in 2008, I don’t think I would have ever considered how many people would become important to me in those years that lay ahead.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 51

The Spectacular, Extrapolated, Kaleidoscopic Collections of Russel

BA SH ★

S

by S ARAH M AGGOS B LACK

OMETIMES, IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE something, you must change the way you look at it; shift your perspective; turn reality on its head. In Russel Bash’s case, he takes it apart and puts it back together in an unpredictable way.

“Taking a photograph and transforming it into something new and interesting is highly rewarding. I remember taking a picture of some weeds that became one of my favorite pieces after I ‘kaleidoscoped’ it in the computer. I was able to prove to myself that beauty is everywhere if you are willing to give it a chance,” Russel commented.

52 • PADUCAH LIFE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 53

RUSSEL

BASH

Russel began his professional life as an architectural intern but ultimately switched to fine art when he realized the field of architecture stifled his creativity.

Photography has been a part of his life since he was a child. “My parents have a photo of me from when I was about five or six holding a toy camera with a serious photographer’s expression on my face,” he laughs. “I think to some extent we all know what we want to do with our lives from an early age.

The trick is being stubborn enough to hold onto that passion as you go through life.”

Russel has been interested in manipulating his photographs from early on. While experimenting with photography in college he used non-traditional methods to alter the photograph—using a paintbrush to apply developing chemicals that resulted in a more painterly image. “When digital cameras and computer editing came along, a whole new world of possibilities opened up, and I began developing the techniques I use today.”

Russel is most inspired by hunting for points of interest. “Once you start noticing things around you

54 • PADUCAH LIFE

that you would normally gloss over, you become hyper aware of the interesting details all around you,” he says.

On a typical day Russel goes on “tree outings,” often with his wife April and daughter Elliot. They spend time driving around looking for the perfect tree. “The right photograph needs to have a linear element in it,” he explains. “This is what creates the geometric patterns I look for.

Trees work well for this reason which is a happy coincidence because I happen to love photographing trees.” More recently, Russel has been photographing iconic sites in Paducah as well as architectural details unique to the city.

After Russel takes enough photographs, he returns home to his studio where he uploads the images to his computer. There he manipulates them using Photoshop.

Attempting to mimic what one would see when looking through a kaleidoscope, he fractures the photograph and rearranges the pieces—transforming a classic photograph into a beautifully abstracted finished product.

“I hope my work conveys what I find valuable and meaningful in the world and expresses that in a way

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that is uniquely my own. Most importantly, I hope people can figure out what in the world they are looking at and that it makes them smile,” he adds.

“People often see faces and animals in my kaleidoscopes, which makes perfect sense. We are hard wired to see faces in inanimate objects like rock formations and clouds. I think there is a deep connection going on when we see something that reminds us of ourselves.”

Russel approaches his art thoughtfully and intentionally, and it is evident in his work. “My process starts with a lot of thinking. I find it hard to dive into creating without having a road map in my mind about where I want to go and how I plan to get there. I guess you could say I’m very methodical.

That is probably why photography appeals to me.”

The next step on his creative journey? “I try

56 • PADUCAH LIFE

out new ideas pretty regularly. Most of them never see the light of day. You have to do a lot of experimenting to land on something that is exciting,” says Russel, “but you can feel it in your bones when it happens.”

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★

Through the Dignified Windowsof Time

by J.T. C RAWFORD

59

The Wallace home is one of Paducah’s oldest houses.

And its story lives on due to the strong construction and new generations of owners who value its history.

T

known as Arcadia, the home’s glory days were brief. Just a few years later in 1869, Wallace family friend Quintus Quincy Quigley wrote in his diary that Phillip had “squandered his and much of her property.” Quigley described Phillip as an agreeable man at heart but blamed Phillip’s woes on his upbringing, an aversion to work, and whiskey. Phillip had served as County Clerk for a while, but Quigley portrayed a family falling apart. In one diary entry, Quigley told of a social engagement that ended with Phillip presumably drunk and incoherent and Frances crying. His diary, however, does detail later meetings with the Wallaces with no such incidents.

THE HOUSES OF OUR CITY ARE SILENT witnesses to history. We come, we go, and they stand— stoically watching the unfolding of time. In Paducah’s west end, there is a house on a hill that has seen as much of our city’s past as just about any other. The historic home at the corner of Cedar Lane and Forest Circle is noticeably distinct from its neighbors being at a minimum 75 years their senior. And it traces its lineage nearly all the way back to the first claimant of our city’s land, George Rogers Clark.

After serving in the Revolutionary War and securing the property on which Paducah would be established, Clark, in poor health and nearly destitute, returned to Kentucky after spending time living in Later, Phillip and Frances would both leave the house Indiana. On February 13, 1818, he died at the age of to live with their son George in town. George was an 65. Never married and childless, his land claims fell to up-and-coming businessman in Paducah. Around 1890, family. Louisvillian George Woolfolk, who was married just about 24 years after the house was built, the property to Clark’s niece Catherine, came to Paducah to help was sold to the company that would later be named The settle his estate. After spending time in the growing Paducah City Railway Co., of which George Wallace city, he decided to remain. probably had an interest. The company operated the Catherine and George’s daughter, Frances, was one of Paducah’s first natural-born citizens. In 1856, she married attorney Phillip Wallace who’d moved to the area at the age of twenty-three from Christian County.

According to a 1901 article in the News-Democrat, they built their home around 1866 after Phillip returned from serving in the Confederate army. Additionally, in the 1887 series Kentucky, History of the State, Phillip is mentioned as having come to his place on 100 acres after the war. There are later conflicting reports that the house was built before the war, however.

The land had been passed down from George Woolfolk’s original holdings from Clark, and it was there that Frances and Phillip built. Located west of the city in what was

60 • PADUCAH LIFE

Wal lace House city’s trolley system, and one of the lines ran to the edge of town, right to the Wallace property. It was the perfect location for an out-of-the-way yet accessible getaway for the city’s residents. The company developed LaBelle Park, so named because of the land’s beauty. George also had a daughter named Belle.

LaBelle became home to a lake and a 1000-seat theatre for opera, plays, concerts, minstrel shows, and vaudeville. Additionally, a dance hall, petting zoo (sometimes with exotic animals), race track, golf course, and more were developed. For 5 cents, you could ride the trolley out of town, and for 50 cents admission spend the day riding a few rides, eating popcorn and hot dogs, drinking soda, and playing games to win prizes.

The kids enjoyed playgrounds, and, near the rear of the park, couples enjoyed carriage rides and picnics. A main feature was League Park, Paducah’s premier baseball field and stadium located where Independence Bank is now on LaBelle Ave. A 1901 News-Democrat article described the park as very beautiful but the Wallace house was dilapidated.

Phillip died in 1901 followed by Frances in 1904. In 1903, the Paducah City Railway Co. signed a ten-year management lease for the park with George Wallace, Joseph Friedman, and J.E. English. They changed the name to Wallace Park. Even though the house had gotten in bad shape, it was ultimately saved by its usefulness.

Full-time caretakers used the home as a residence. and in 1924, the owners put it up for sale. Interest came from One of the most celebrated residents of that developers who sought to subdivide the land and turn it into a time was Pearl Grinnell who took the caretaker job neighborhood. The owners, wanting to keep it as a park, offered around 1912. He was a musician and conductor it to the city. In November of that year, a voter-approved bond of the I.O.F. orchestra. Pearl’s wife Ada was born option went on the ballot. It was defeated. Critics of the sale with dwarfism as were the couple’s two sons. The said that the issue was down on the ballot, and most voters left paper reported in 1917 that she stood about 40 it blank not voting either way. inches tall and would make traveling appearances The Wallace house then became one of many that would as the world’s smallest mother. And much like make up the developing Wallace Park neighborhood. Its first their father, the sons were entertainers. They sang renovation came in 1926 when Mrs. Henry Overby divided it regularly and performed comedy skits at various into two residences—one side for her and the other half for functions around Paducah. In 1920, the family Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brinkley. The house functioned in a duplex left Paducah to pursue entertainment full-time. style, and, in 1939, it was purchased by the Nichol family who Even though Wallace Park was generally passed it down through generations until 2001. known as a city park, it was still privately owned, By then, the home had sat vacant for a few years and was

62 • PADUCAH LIFE

BEHIND THE LINES Frances Wallace’s Wartime Diary

Frances Wallace was 26 years old when her husband Phillip left their Paducah home to serve in the Confederate Army. Three years into the war, she’d not seen him since his departure, and news of his wellbeing was rare. In 1864, Frances and her cousin Amanda, whose husband was also a Confederate soldier, along with Frances’s three-year-old son George, left Paducah seeking a southern route past the war front in north Alabama. Frances kept a journal along the way, and today, her diary stands as a lasting witness to daily life in the wartime south.

Pictured left are Urged not to go by family and friends, Frances and Amanda, whom she called Mally, boarded a boat at Frances Wallace Cairo and made their way to Vicksburg. Along the way, she learns of Forrest’s raid on Paducah and how and her son George, cannonballs smashed into her sister’s home. From then on, the diary is punctuated with worries about her who was raised in the house. He later mother back home. renamed the area Frances then detailed the trek on land from Vicksburg to south Alabama. The journey was arduous, and it Wallace Park. was oftentimes difficult to find food and a place to sleep. The trio of travelers was helped along the way, and she often made connections with extended family or others from the Paducah area. Frances described a landscape that was beautiful yet alternatively tragic. She writes, “Oh! What a glorious world, all that is necessary to make us happy and content, and yet this beautiful land is flowing with human blood, death, and suffering. It has become an accustomed sight. Oh! God! when will this sinful strife end?” And, repeatedly, she writes “Oh! Where is my husband?”

An accomplished musician, Frances entertained in the evenings at the various homes she stayed in, and she would often buy sheet music throughout her travels. She also made clothing to sell. Eventually, she found her husband in south Alabama, and he was able to take some time away to spend with her and their son.

Her descriptions of the people, clothing, food, and culture of the deep south are a priceless snapshot into a world long past. It is on the one hand beautiful, elegant, and charming. And on the other, it is decorated with fear, tragedy, and sickness. It also gives us insight into the life of a nearly fearless young lady who would let nothing stand between her and her husband. A typed copy of the diary has been passed down from owner to owner of the Wallace house, and it remains an important look at life for historians of the south and the Civil War. The text of the diary is available online at docsouth.unc.edu/imls/wallace/wallace.html

due for some major repairs. In stepped Rick and Ginny Coltharp. “We were both very aware of the house,” says Rick. “When I was just out of architecture school around ’74, I was driving around one day and really saw that house for the first time. I was intrigued and took a photo Preservationist Kelsie of it at that time. I wanted to Gray removes layers of paint from the front door remember it.” Rick filed it after the bottom layers away, and he and Ginny conshowed signs of failure. tinued with their lives, both engaged in preservation projects throughout the years. Then, in 2001, they saw the house was up for auction. “It was a leap of faith,” adds Rick. “We thought we would love the house and hoped we would survive the restoration.”

The original core of the house was four rooms with a central hallway. There had been an addition on the back

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 63

Wal lace House of two bedrooms and a bathroom, and the addition is nearly as old as the house itself. Rick estimates that it was added on around 1900. Then, around the 1930s, two smaller additions were added onto either side of the house. “We pretty much returned the floor plan to its original state,” says Rick. “We had to take out the floors from the ‘30s addition and replace about a third of the floor joists. We pretty much had to address every surface in the house.”

In the central hall, a loweredceiling had been installed. When removed, the Coltharp’s discovered original paint on the ceiling.

Instead of painting over it, they installed drywall in just that one area of the house to preserve the original ceiling and paint below. “We also discovered that the original doorway between the living room and dining room was a pocket door,” adds Rick. “In working on an electrical issue in the wall, we found the track. So we were able to take that back to a pocket door.”

The restoration took about eight months, and the Coltharps loved every moment of their time in the home.

“We just walked around with grins on our faces,” says Rick. “It felt comfortable to us right from the beginning.”

“We were just so happy that we’d done it,” adds Ginny, “and we’d preserved history.”

After the Coltharps, another architect took interest in

“

the house. “I remember when Rick and Ginny bought it and started the work,” says Randy Davis. “I went over and took a look and just loved that house. I had already said that if I could own any house anywhere, that would be the one I’d want.” Randy and his family had been living in a historic home in the county, and by 2016, they were looking for a house in the city. They’d just about given up on their search when he discovered that the Colotharps had put it up for sale. “I love history,” adds Randy, “and the house has deep roots to the founding of Paducah. I love the grandness of it and how well built it was. And even though it is grand, it isn’t huge in scale. So it was perfect for my family.”

Unlike most houses, the owners of the Wallace House get to know one another. Sellers pass down the history of the home, the land, and the succession of owners to new occupants. They are tied together by a shared experience that places them as guardians of one of Paducah’s storied houses.

“It’s a very simple, Greek Revival house,” says Rick.

“It was done without pomp. We didn’t even find evidence of crown molding. It’s classic with clean lines. That was very appealing to us. It was a simple house very simply done. Between the history and the house itself, you find a simple dignity about it.”

”

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by J.T. Crawford

West Kentucky May Not Be Well-Known When it Comes to Bourbon, But The Industry (And Our City) Owes a Lot to

Paducah’s Bourbon Baron

J

JOSEPH FRIEDMAN TOOK A LEISURELY STROLL through his front yard. It was a glowing spring afternoon.

The grass was lush and green, the garden awash in blossoms, and the breeze tinted with the warmth of renewal. He’d just opened his summer home, The Pines, for the season.

The lighted porch of the Greek Revival mansion situated about eight miles out of town had been transformed into an outdoor reception room for his coming guests. The punch table in the middle of the lawn was prepared and ready for a variety of ices and cakes. The veranda was swept for a dance.

And the chairs at the outdoor theater were aligned in perfect rows. In a time when motion picture exhibitions were a rarity, Mr. Friedman had a film reel of footage taken by a group of Paducahans while on an automobile tour to Hopkinsville. A string orchestra and vocal quartet provided musical accompaniment. As with all of Mr. Friedman’s social engagements, this one made the paper the next day. The May 24, 1912 edition of The Paducah Evening Sun described the scene as “fairy-like” after sundown due to the myriad of Japanese lanterns situated throughout the lawn.

Mr. Friedman entertained regularly and was accustomed to being in the newspaper. His name appeared on a near daily basis as almost everything he did affected Paducah in one way or another. He was involved in a myriad of business ventures that put Paducah on the map and helped grow the city. His charitable works fulfilled the needs of many who needed help.

And his great wealth made him a local celebrity, causing nearly every one of his actions to be newsworthy. And little did he know it was all about to come to an end.

Joseph Friedman, born in Louisville in 1857, moved to Paducah with his parents. He went to work clerking in local stores before becoming a salesman for Bernheim Brothers who operated a whiskey wholesale business. Though suc-

66 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Joseph L. Friedman

cessful, he wanted to be in business for himself. For a while, he was associated with his father at the Friedman Vinegar company. But his breakout success came when he partnered with his brother-in-law John W. Keiler to form Friedman, Keiler & Company. The duo set up as bourbon distributors, distillery owners, and rectifiers, creating bourbon blends and flavor profiles.

They never operated a distillery in Paducah, but rather had an interest in distilleries in bourbon country.

One of the first was an operation in Lancaster County in the late 1800s. In 1900, Wine and Spirit Bulletin reported that Friedman & Keiler bought the entire operation of the Jack Beam Early Times Distillery in Bardstown. There is evidence that Friedman, Keiler & Co. later rectified and created bourbon blends/brands at 10th and Jefferson Streets. So it is probable that they did the same in the early days of the business in the late 1800s/early 1900s at their location at 2nd and Jefferson Streets in a building that later became the International Shoe Company. It has also been passed down that some of the homes in Lower Town were built from wood that composed the giant rafts on which the bourbon was shipped down the Ohio River to Paducah.

The whiskey business was good.

Friedman & Keiler, while not trained distillers, proved to be master rectifiers and marketers. They were behind a long list of brands, their biggest being Brook Hill. They focused on logo design and premiums such as uniquely designed bottles and dispensers for saloons. In 1911, Alexander Pope painted the Brook Hill dog. Friedman & Keiler distributed lithographs to saloons. It is now one of the most sought-after whiskey advertisements. The name Brook Hill cropped up everywhere in Paducah, including on one of Friedman & Keiler’s Paducah buildings. Additionally, there was a Brook Hill baseball team and a Brook Hill yacht that could been seen often on the

Tennessee River.

Friedman’s wealth skyrocketed, and in the early 1900s, the News-Democrat reported that the firm averaged over $1,000,000 a year. And Mr. Friedman didn’t keep his wealth focused on bourbon. His investment in Paducah in the early 1900s helped shape and grow our city. He served as president of the Paducah Traction Company, which operated the city trolley system. He was also president of the Paducah Light and Power Company and director of City National Bank. He had interests in the Smith & Scott Tobacco Company and the Lax-Fos Company. He was a director on the Paducah Board of Trade, president of the Paducah Commercial Club, and he was on the board of park commissioners. In addition to his home in town and The Pines, he owned a considerable amount of real estate in the area. Friedman also built the Palmer Hotel.

Not only was his investment in Paducah’s business realm considerable, but he and John Keiler were also considered to be pioneers of Paducah philanthropy. Just as with their business dealings, it would be impossible to uncover every way they gave to the city and its residents. Friedman was first to donate to most every cause, and he helped support most organizations that assisted the city’s poor. One instance revealed his character. When the city flooded in 1884, not only did he purchase supplies for those displaced, he donned a pair of hip waders, going into the waters to

AUGUS T / S E P TEM BER 2021 • 67

JosephFRIEDMAN assist residents.

Friedman’s wife, Elizabeth, passed away in 1908. She’d experienced some health issues and went to New York City for treatment at Dr. Jackson’s Health Resort. She’d been improving until she died suddenly. The funeral was held at The Pines. Joseph Friedman lived on as a widower. In 1913, while traveling to Chicago, he fell ill and died in a hotel at the age of 56. The cause of death of was an undiagnosed kidney ailment. It was a devastating shock to the city of Paducah.

Upon his death, his wealth was estimated at $1 million which, adjusted for inflation, would be nearly $30 million today. Friedman’s influence on Paducah may never be fully understood, but it is no doubt that we feel it today. And it extends far beyond the accumulation of wealth. Much of our personality was formed in the city’s early days by Friedman. It was said that he advanced our city more than scores of other men.

One friend said, “I think Paducah has lost the best friend that she ever had.”

The grounds of The Pines glowed soft in the dark of the west Kentucky night as the party started to wind down. Joseph Friedman, surrounded by friends, smiled wide as the motion picture exhibition drew to a close. The finale was the image of his 75-year-old mother bidding everyone a good night.

He, along with his partner John Keiler, had just done what came naturally in life. They worked hard— and luck, natural talent, and ambition came together to propel them into new realms. They didn’t set out to define Paducah, but in the end, their paths shaped our city. And we still feel it today.

68 • PAD U CAH LIFE

THE PINES THE COUNTRY HOME WAS co-owned by Friedman and the Keiler family. The Keilers continued to use it as a summer home and a place to entertain after the death of Mr. Friedman. Later, as the city grew westward, it became a full-time home and then a rental property.

The McConnell family originally owned The Pines. Uncle Goodgie McConnell was credited with planting the pine trees at the front of the house that gave the house and the area their names. Then the Quarles family bought the property.

In 1968, Mr. Frank G. Wendt told about her grandfather James Monroe Quarles being born in the home in 1878. He was the youngest of 10 children, and the family referred to the property as Pine Cottage Farm.

Friedman & Keiler purchased the property and home near the turn of the century. By 1968, the house was empty and in bad shape.

Having been in disrepair for quite a while, it became home to transients and squatters who vandalized it.

That same year, the house burned to the ground.

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RIEDMAN-KEILER’S

heyday in the bourbon world was in the late 1800s/early 1900s, making it a little more difficult for collectors to find artifacts such as bottles and early advertising premiums.

When Donnie Keeling, collector of historic items from Paducah businesses, spots something from the barons of bourbon, he’s elated.

Collecting Paducah memorabilia stems from one of Donnie’s childhood memories. “It all started with Petter Supply,” he says.“When I was in school, we had a Petter clock in every classroom—from elementary, to middle, to high school. I would stare at one of those clocks every day, waiting for three o’clock to roll around. Later, my wife and I got into antiques, and I found a Petter clock. It brought back all that nostalgia.”

Donnie began to look for more antiques related to Paducah businesses, and when he discovered the city’s history in the bourbon world, he started to look for items from Friedman-Keiler brands like Brook Hill.

Donnie has found some items locally as well as in places across the country where the bourbon was distributed. His collection spans from hand-etched ceramic vinegar containers from Friedman’s early years to whiskey bottles to advertising tins, one of which is believed to be one of only two left in existence. Through his collection, Donnie helps bring history to life, giving a tangibility to Friedman-Keiler’s legacy.

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Making A MARK in Paducah’s Storied Part of

Bourbon Legacies

W

WHEN YOU THINK OF KENTUCKY BOURBON, YOUR MIND often jumps to the rich bourbon country in central Kentucky. A person probably wouldn’t immediately associate bourbon with the areas west of the Tennessee River—after all, we have no sites on the Bourbon Trail or major distilleries in the region. However, despite the lack of strong current ties to the bourbon industry, one of Kentucky’s royal families of bourbon, the Samuels of Maker’s Mark/T. W. Samuels fame has humble ties to the region. One of Paducah’s fairest young ladies at the turn of the century, Mary “May” Louisa Terrell, married Leslie B. Samuels, who was the owner of the T. W. Samuels Distillery. Together they had a son, Bill Samuels, who, with his wife Margie, would go on to become the founders of Maker’s Mark.

As the patriarch of the Samuels family, Taylor William (T. W.) Samuels created his commercial distillery in Deatsville, Kentucky, in 1844. T. W. first learned the distillation process from his father, who learned it from his father dating back to the 1780s. Samuels named his distillery the T. W. Samuels & Son Distillery and built it on the family farm. In the tradition of handing down skills to the next generation, T. W. enlisted the help of his son, William Isaac (W. I.) Samuels. W. I. would learn the process from his dad and eventually take over the business in the early 1880s. Misfortune struck the family in 1898 when both T. W. and W.I. passed away within a few months of each other. Fortunately, W. I.’s son, Leslie B. Samuels, took over the operations at the distillery. The distillery by this time featured two brands, “T. W. Samuels” and “Old Deatsville.”

72 • PAD U CAH L I FE

by Richard Parker

May Terrell, the daughter of Richard Gilliam and Mildred Pickett, was born on May 4, 1878, in Paducah. The family lived at 516 Kentucky Avenue, which is the current location of the McCracken County Public Library. Her father owned and operated a successful wholesale grocery business located on North Second Street. The Terrells were among the first families in Paducah and were considered one of the most prominent and most involved in the community.

Four of May’s uncles started the “Buckskin Bill’s Wild West Show” in 1900. May’s uncle, Fletcher Terrell, managed the wild west show and the Morton’s Opera House, and another uncle, Albert Sid Terrell, owned and operated the Terrell Distillery on 10th Street in Paducah.

Leslie and May first met on a trip of the Kentucky Press Association to Mackinac, Michigan, and were married about four years later.

The wedding took place at Grace Episcopal Church on December 11, 1901, with a reception at the bride’s house on Kentucky Avenue.

The marriage announcement was the first listed in the December 14, 1901, section of “Society of Kentucky” in the Louisville Courier-Journal. The announcement placement showcases the prominence of the marriage in the bourbon world.

The couple settled in Bardstown, where Leslie operated the T. W. Samuels Distillery. Their only son, Taylor William “Bill” Samuels, was born in 1910. The couple also cared for Leslie’s niece and nephew, William and Emily Carothers, after Leslie’s sister

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Bourbon Legacies and her husband passed. Emily attended Murray State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, but she would later become a part-owner in the distillery along with her cousin Bill.

The Samuels visited friends and family in Paducah several times each year throughout their marriage. Unlike the small, quiet town of Bardstown, in Paducah young Bill was exposed to the bustling and rambunctious downtown atmosphere–roustabouts, tobacco workers, theater performers, saloon keepers, hotel workers, and steamboat travelers. Paducah also had a substantial market for bourbon, boasting several saloons as people visited the city via the train or steamboat. No doubt a businessman like Leslie would have been aware of Paducah’s thriving thirst for whiskey.

In 1913, The Star Distilling Company of Cincinnati purchased a majority stake in the T.W. Samuels Distillery. Most of the other members of the Samuels family sold their interests, but Leslie and May kept a 30% share of the distillery, leaving Leslie in charge as the operations manager.

Prohibition hit the family hard, and the distillery was forced to close. In addition, tragedy struck the family when May died during a trip to Paducah on July 20, 1922, after becoming sick during her visit to her parents. Leslie and young Bill were summoned to her bedside to say their final goodbyes.

Leslie, heartbroken from the loss of his wife, never married again. He remained close with his friends and family in Paducah after May’s death, visiting several times with his son Bill. In remembrance of May’s life, the family purchased a stained-glass window and donated it to Grace Episcopal Church, where it is still on display today.

After Prohibition, Leslie built a new distillery and went back to business as usual—producing bourbon. Leslie continued his life’s work until he passed on February 17, 1936. Many say he lived an extraordinary life, including becoming mayor of Bardstown, Kentucky.

Despite the family’s success in the bourbon world, Leslie’s son, Bill, despised the family recipe for years and had encouraged his father to distill a smoother bourbon–a request his father never granted. After pleading with his dad to change the family’s bourbon recipe and him objecting, Bill famously set fire to the only copy of the Samuels family’s bourbon recipe, and in the process, singed his daughter’s hair.

The burning of the recipe symbolically paved the way for his brand of world-famous wheated bourbon that still fascinates whiskey connoisseurs worldwide. Bill went on to become a world-famous distiller in his own right, solidifying the Samuels lineage as Kentucky bourbon gods when he and his wife Margie created the Maker’s Mark bourbon brand in 1958.

TOP LEFT: The Terrell home was located at 516 Kentucky Avenue in Paducah • Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr. founded Maker’s Mark Distillery. Bill developed the legendary bourbon while Margie created the “brand,” including the famous red wax-dipped bottles.

74 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Bill and his family continued to visit family and friends in Paducah after his parents’ death. Bill’s son, Bill Jr. and daughter Leslie often spent their summers in Paducah, visiting their cousins Mildred and Margie Terrell. During these visits, Bill Jr. and Leslie stayed at the Terrell family home on Kentucky Avenue, where their grandmother May grew up. In 1956, Bill, Margie, Leslie (Bill’s daughter), and Bill Jr. attended Margie’s wedding at Grace Episcopal Church and a reception at the Hotel Irvin Cobb.

These visits exposed young Bill Jr., the seventh-generation Samuels family distiller, to the city of Paducah. Years later, Bill Jr. would take his father’s Maker’s Mark brand to new heights, making it the world-famous brand it is today.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The author, Richard Parker, interviewed May Samuels’ grandson and Maker’s Mark Chairman Emeritus Bill Samuels Jr., about his memories of Paducah and stories he heard growing up about his grandmother, May. Mr. Samuels also shared pictures of his grandparents from his personal collection. In response to Mr. Samuels’ help, Richard said,“It is a surreal experience when you get to interview someone who not only knows so much about the history of Kentucky bourbon but helped to make it the world-famous spirit it is today. I am so appreciative and honored that Mr. Samuels offered his family pictures and stories to my article.”

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AT HOME

With Kentucky Secretary of State

Michael Adams

by J.T. CRAWFORD

M

ICHAEL ADAMS LOVES TO CONNECT WITH KENTUCKIANS. WHEN HE WON THE office of Secretary of State, he envisioned bringing elections back to the forefront of the office and then crisscrossing the state to share with residents how he works for them. The Paducah native and Reidland High School graduate never envisioned that just a couple of months after taking office, a worldwide pandemic would thrust his job not only to the forefront of the minds of Kentuckians, but that he would also make headlines across the country.

After a successful bipartisan effort to change voting rules to keep citizens safe in 2020, and then subsequent changes to state election law, national media outlets were on Michael’s doorstep wanting to know what made Kentucky different. Most recently, he testified before a U.S. House committee to share how the state is working to bring the process of elections into the future. What he thought might take years to accomplish, took only about one.

While it was a whirlwind first year-and-a-half, it didn’t really catch Michael off guard. It seems as if his whole life had been preparing him for what was to happen in 2020. And the path to that moment began here in Paducah.

AUGUS T / S E P TEM BER 2021 • 77

Secretary of State MICHAEL ADAMS “I knew I wanted to go into government,” says Michael.

“I knew that young. I was a smart student but not too serious. I had a great social studies teacher in middle school, Jeff Sturm, and he would have us bring in a clipping from the newspaper every day—some sort of op-ed or story— and we’d offer an opinion or assessment about it. And I loved that. I loved arguing. That’s a verb that has a negative connotation, but it just means you have a belief and are advocating for it. I caught on quick.”

And where else better to advocate for an opinion than in politics? “My family was strict, and I couldn’t watch a lot of TV,” he adds. “I actually ended up watching a lot of CSPAN. When I was 13, there were local elections, and I would go through the Paducah Sun and clip ads and articles and keep up with the debates. I analyzed them and, because my family was totally apolitical, I gave my parents recommendations. Maybe it was a Rain Man kind of situation, but I felt like I wasn’t good at anything else—and I was good at that.”

When Michael was in high school, then-President George H.W. Bush came to Paducah for a rally. Michael made calls and handed out flyers to boost attendance. The following year, the pastor of his church ran for county commissioner. Micheal volunteered, and, while as a teen, managed his first campaign. “I consulted on strategy, analyzed the swing areas in McCracken, and wrote advertising.

I found out I had a knack for that.” From there, he helped run campaigns for state offices. At 16, he started going to the annual Fancy Farm picnic, one of the oldest political traditions in our nation. “It became a goal to get up on that stage one day,” says Michael.

Unsurprisingly, he ran for senior class president at Reidland High School.“The kids who always won class president and other offices were the popular kids,” he says.“I was this nerdy kid who wasn’t popular, but I knew what I wanted to do. And I won in a shocking upset. I took that with me when I ran for statewide office 26

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years later. I ran against someone who was very popular—literally Miss America—and I was just myself. I ran as the nerdy guy who knew the subject of elections. And I won.”

While at the University of Louisville (Michael being the first in his family to go to college) he knew he wanted to continue a career in politics but wanted something a little more stable than jumping from campaign to campaign. “A college professor encouraged me to take the LSAT,” he says, “and I got an almost perfect score.”

Michael was accepted into Harvard on low-income aid.

There, he focused on election law. “I got the best of both worlds by going into election law. That wasn’t much of a field when I first got into it, but now it’s really hot.”

Michael quickly earned a name as a nationally prominent election lawyer after going into private practice in 2007.

In 2016, Michael was appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Elections which prepared him for his first run for statewide office.“When I got into the race for Secretary of State, it seemed like most people didn’t even know what that person did. It was a pretty sleepy office—a paperwork office. And we do all of that, of course. But I wanted to make that office more prominent and do more with it. I was the first election professional to be elected to the chief election officer position since the mid-80s. I wanted to do two things—crack down on some vulnerabilities we had but also make it easier to vote. I wanted greater access to the ballot. We were 44th in election administration when I took office because we made it hard for people to vote. My motto was make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”

Michael, having won the office of Secretary of State in 2019 (the first person from the Purchase area to be elected to statewide office since 1975), was sworn in on January 6, 2020. Two months later, we found ourselves gripped by the COVID crisis. Michael set his sights on conducting a

primary election during a pandemic.“The national backdrop seemed to make it harder to expand voting,” he says. “But we really had to in order to keep people safe. And it turned out that those who thought we’d be soft on fraud were wrong. We had a more secure election than we did with the old model.”

Michael decided to not try and take unilateral action when it came to changing voting rules.

“I went to the legislature,” he says,“and asked them to pass a law to give the Governor and the Secretary of State joint authority to change the rules. That way we’d both have to turn the key. It would look bad to give one office that authority.” That meant that Michael, a Republican, had to come to a decision with Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat.

The end result was expanded absentee voting and early voting for the first time in Kentucky.

“The policy was better as a result of us working together,” says Michael.“It was helpful to get his perspective. And the public saw us working together, so we didn’t have this politicization we saw in other states. If I did it by myself, it wouldn’t have been successful.

It had to be a team effort. We are the only state where Democrats and Republicans came together to change the election system in a balanced, bipartisan way. My job is to be above reproach. A partisan chief election official is dangerous to democracy.”

Although his effort in Kentucky is now being lauded and held up as an example, at the time, there was controversy.

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MichaelADAMS “After I initially came out with my proposals, I lost friends and donors,” says Michael. “My nickname for a while was Benedict Adams because I worked with a Democrat. I got hate mail and even death threats. But to me, I didn’t struggle with it all. The right answer was the right answer. These days, compromise is a bad word. That’s concerning. I just had to communicate with the public. I had to tell people that were being told elections were rigged, that they were not.”

Changes to the election process during the COVD crisis paved the way for permanent changes. For House Bill 574, Michael again worked with Andy Beshear to find common ground and craft legislation that everyone could agree on. It passed in 2021. It was the largest election reform since 1891, and nearly every Republican and Democratic legislator voted favorably. Changes include three days of in-person early voting, letting people “cure” their absentee ballots if there is a problem, an online portal for requesting and tracking absentee ballots, allowing vote centers where anyone from any precinct can cast a ballot in their county, secure drop boxes for absentee ballots, the ability to clean up voter rolls faster when a resident moves, and a system that has a paper trail for verification of election results when needed.

In just a short time talking to Michael, you realize that democratic principles such as elections are truly a passion. “I didn’t run for this job to get to something else,” he says. “I passionately believe in the mission, and I felt I was the best person qualified to run. There’s never been a person to run for this office that’s had my kind of background as an election attorney on the national level. I thought I could improve things. COVID was a horrible circumstance, but it gave me a chance to try ideas I proposed before the pandemic. We’ve been able to change to a system that works out better for the voters. For me, this is not just about getting elected, but it’s about serving and building coalitions. And it all started here in Paducah.”

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Barber Chair Politics And The Pull Of Home IT WAS AN EARLY, WEEKDAY EVENING BACK in May, and Wayne Ramey at Ramey’s barbershop was prepping for his final cut of the day. As he applied the last couple of broom sweeps to the floor, in walks a familiar face.

It had been a busy day for Secretary Michael Adams. He’d presented to a couple of different organizations and met with a few news outlets. By evening, he was ready to simply be back home.

“You know what?” asked Michael. “I’ve been struggling for two years to find a barber. I’ve got you here, though. You do a perfect job.” Wayne Ramey started cutting Michael’s hair in 1990, and even though Michael has lived in Louisville and Washington D.C., he says no one can do it like Wayne. “I’ve been coming here since I had a mullet,” laughs Michael.

“This guy was always into politics,” adds Wayne,“always going to Fancy Farm every year. How’s your dad doing, Mike?”

When Michael is in the area, you’ll find him taking advantage of being back home. A lot of his family still lives in the Paducah area, and he cherishes visits to the area, especially moments spent fishing with his grandfather.

And there are always a couple of musts on Michael’s list. “Ramey’s and Red’s,” he says. “And they’re close to one another. No one can cut my hair like this guy, and there are no other donuts like Red’s.” Michael also loves Bob’s and reconnecting to the Southside.

The political world in Frankfort is a bubble according to Michael.“I feel my blood pressure drop when I get here,” he says. “I can come here, relax, and shoot the breeze. It’s great.”

When Michael is in the midst of the political world back in the

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capital, he unwinds by playing drums. “I fit some kind of profile,” he laughs.“Harvard law degree, I had a mullet, I play the drums to Led Zeppelin.” Michael, who has been in some bands, looks forward to the day when he can do that again. He’d also like to establish some regular poker games with legislators in Frankfort.

“I still love Paducah,” says Michael,“and my fondest memories are from the lake. One of my life goals is to buy a house on the lake where I can retire and fish every day.”

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H

Kentucky Reads 2o21

West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Matheson Library will host one of Kentucky Reads scholar-led discussions on October 20

C

by Amy Sullivan

CRYSTAL WILKINSON IS FROM INDIAN CREEK, Casey County, Kentucky, and she is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poet movement. She is a 2020 United States Artists Fellow and Associate Professor of English at the University of Kentucky. She is also now Kentucky’s 2021-2022 poet laureate.

Crystal’s work primarily involves the stories of Black women and communities in the Appalachian and rural Southern literary canon. Wilkinson is the awardwinning author of The Birds of Opulence (winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence), Water Street (WKCTC’s 2018-2019 One Book Read), and Blackberries, Blackberries. Nominated for both the Orange Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, she has received recognition from The Kentucky Foundation for Women, The Kentucky Arts Council, The Mary Anderson Center for the Arts, The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and she is a recipient of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature.

She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in

W 82 • PAD U CAH L I FE

the Oxford American and Southern Cultures. Crystal has an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University and a BA in Journalism from Eastern Kentucky University.

Appointed by Governor Andy Beshear, Crystal is the first Black woman to be appointed as the state’s Poet Laureate and was inducted as part of the Kentucky Writer’s Day celebration earlier this year. Kentucky’s Poet Laureate acts as Kentucky’s literary ambassador, leading the Commonwealth in a variety of literary activities and events throughout their tenure.

Crystal is the author of the Kentucky Humanities 2021 Kentucky Reads selection, The Birds of Opulence, winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. The Kentucky Reads program consists of scholar-led discussions held across Kentucky.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Matheson Library has been selected to host one of those discussions on October 20, 2021. Matheson Library will partner with the McCracken County Public Library (MCLIB) and Matt Jaeger, School Outreach Coordinator at MCLIB, will lead the book discussion.

Ceglinski

About the Book A lyrical exploration of love and loss, The Birds of Opulence centers on several generations of women in a bucolic southern black township as they live with—and sometimes surrender to—madness. The GoodeBrown family, led by matriarch and pillar of the community Minnie Mae, is plagued by old secrets and embarrassment over mental illness and illegitimacy. Meanwhile, single mother Francine Clark is haunted by her dead, lightning-struck husband and forced to fight against both the moral judgment of the community and her own rebellious daughter, Mona. The residents of Opulence struggle with vexing relationships to the land, to one another, and to their own sexuality. As the members of the youngest generation watch their mothers and grandmothers pass away, they live with the fear of going mad themselves and must fight to survive. Crystal Wilkinson offers up Opulence and its people in lush, poetic detail. It is a world of magic, conjuring, signs, and spells, but also of harsh realities that only love—and love that’s handed down—can conquer. At once tragic and hopeful, this captivating novel is a story about another time, rendered for our own.

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Learn more about Crystal Wilkinson at these sites: crystalewildinson.net and kyhumanities.org.

This program is funded in part by the Kentucky Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

AUGUS T / S E P T E MBER 2021 • 83

LastWord the

LIGHTNING OVER EGGNER’S FERRY BRIDGE   h

MARK CHAMBERS’S life revolves

Before the breath of storm.

While yet the long, bright afternoons are warm, Under this stainless arch of azure sky The air is filled with gathering wings for f light; Yet with the shrill mirth and the loud delight Comes the foreboding sorrow of this cry— “Till the storm scatter and the gloom dispel, Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!”

around being outdoors. he spends is days in te dirt as te owner of a construction company and is off-days iking, trail running, and taking stunning potos. “Wat I love most about potograpy is tat it puses me to seek out new locations, meet interesting people, and searc for new subjects so tat I can capture tose images and sare tem wit people wo oterwise migt not ave a cance to experience tem,” e says. “y potograpy focuses mainly on landscapes, astropotograpy, and long exposures, but I sometimes get lucky and stumble up on some wildlife. entucky is ric wit natural beauty, so you don’t ave to look very far from ome to be inspired.”

Find ark on Instagram or Facebook under @markuspea

— SIR CHARLES GEORGE DOUGLAS ROBERTS

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • 84

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